Marketing to Gen Z: Digital Strategies for a Tech-Native Generation

Who Is Generation Z?

Generation Z (born mid-1990s to 2007) consists largely of young people who have grown up with the Internet, cell phones, and computers, making them technologically sophisticated, savvy, and deeply dependent on digital tools. They came of age alongside the rise of smartphones. They carry financial concerns shaped by student loan uncertainty and a difficult economy — including the tech bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the recession of 2008 caused by the home mortgage collapse — as well as the aftermath of 9/11 and the War on Terror. They have also been immersed in the politically correct culture that has permeated college campuses.

Gen Z is a diverse generation, and many of its members still live at home with their parents, participating in what has come to be known as the sharing economy. Platforms like Airbnb and Uber, along with other web-based concepts, have helped define their socioeconomic outlook. They use the Internet for everything — from booking tickets and doing research to socializing, shopping, and making plans.

They are the first truly digital generation and are open to branding and to being part of a system of Big Data, in which their habits, behaviors, and personality cues are harvested by corporations seeking to generate leads on how to market to them in an increasingly fragmented marketplace. They understand this process, having grown up in the shadow of expansive government oversight — with agencies like the TSA, NSA, and Department of Homeland Security seeming natural to them — and they largely accept it.

Gen Z vs. Gen Y: Key Marketing Distinctions

Generation Z differs from Generation Y in meaningful ways. The Millennial generation (Gen Y, born 1980–1995) is considered more "immune to most traditional marketing and sales pitches" (WJS, 2015). Gen Y also grew up under the cloud of politically correct culture and tends to be more sensitive to social and cultural issues associated with the progressive left — such as recognizing LGBT rights. Like Gen Z, Millennials came to maturity alongside the rise of the Internet. However, while Gen Y has encountered virtually every form of marketing, they still tend to identify themselves using older labels such as conservative, liberal, or independent (Iacosta, 2015).

Challenges and Opportunities for MyCreativeApproach.com

The marketing strategy that MyCreativeApproach.com could use to target Gen Z over Millennials would be to align with the tech-savvy, Internet-friendly needs of this generation. This means maintaining a solid website with easy scrolling, clear links, intuitive navigation, and informative content. Gen Z wants to interact with companies online and participate in the consumer experience via the web. They tend to seek out deals without sacrificing quality, are open to unique experiences, and gravitate toward vendors that are not mainstream or corporate in nature. A company like MyCreativeApproach.com should emphasize its strengths as an independent publisher, printer, and social media user — all of which could appeal to Gen Z, depending on how the company frames its products and services. Key questions the marketing campaign should address include: Are these products or services things Gen Z cannot do on their own? Do they need a business to do it for them? How does this differ from a do-it-yourself solution?

One of the central challenges the online service faces with Gen Z is that it offers social media management for clients who either do not know how, or do not have time, to use social media for their businesses, networking, or building a base of followers and connections. The difficulty is that Gen Z consumers typically have no problem using social media to meet their own needs; they have grown up with it, are adept at using it, and do not experience it as time-consuming. Sending tweets or posting on Facebook or YouTube is second nature to them.

Therefore, marketing this particular service to Gen Z — rather than to Gen Y — will be an uphill challenge. It will require framing the offering around the idea of simplifying life for Gen Z by bundling social media management into an all-inclusive package that also covers brochures, letters, and other business necessities. This leaves the Gen Z client free to focus on core business development. That framing should generate a positive emotional response, since Gen Z is also attuned to making good use of time in order to grow financially or professionally. By advertising how the online store will simplify their lives — rather than claiming it can do things Gen Z can already do themselves — MyCreativeApproach.com can overcome this first major obstacle.

Traditional and Digital Marketing Channels

The channels MyCreativeApproach.com should utilize span both traditional and new media. Traditional marketing channels include print publications (newspapers, trade magazines), radio and television spots, billboards, postal mail, telephone outreach, and face-to-face marketing at fairs, conventions, and community events. Each of these still holds value: by adopting all available approaches, the company can create a saturation effect — much like saturation advertising — that plants the idea of using the company's services so deeply in the minds of potential customers that they automatically think of it when a need arises. By consistently reinforcing the message that the company is essential to Gen Z's success, the seed is planted and the marketing channels have done their work.

However, traditional marketing is only one path to the hearts, minds, and wallets of Gen Z. As JCDecaux (2011) points out, "people are becoming more and more mobile and are spending more time outside of their homes" (p. 9). This gives rise to outdoor advertising using digital media platforms — such as interactive digital advertising screens, where Gen Z consumers can use smartphone technology to link to information prompted by the outdoor display. This approach also allows the company to gather Big Data and information about the users accessing those links, representing a powerful blend of out-of-home and digital marketing.

Conclusion

The company MyCreativeApproach.com has a unique task ahead in appealing to and capturing the consuming habits of Gen Z. Unlike Gen Y, Gen Z is open to developing a brand loyalty-based relationship with providers of products and services. They appreciate the technology-driven world of the digital age and want to be part of an era in which relationships and connections are actively cultivated. They do not view "marketing" as the process of being sold something they do not need — Gen Z consumers know what they want, what they need, and how to get it.

By making itself visible to Gen Z, MyCreativeApproach.com can position itself as the agency through which their aims and objectives can best be achieved. That visibility can be established through both traditional and new marketing channels. The company can utilize print, radio, television, billboards, outdoor advertising, social media, web-based content, and mobile marketing strategies in order to saturate the Gen Z environment, generate an effective and positive emotional response, and establish enduring brand loyalty.

References

Aaker, D., & Biel, A. (2013). Brand equity and advertising: Advertising's role in building strong brands. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bloemer, J., & Kasper, H. (1995). The complex relationship between consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Journal of Economic Psychology, 16(2), 311–329.

Iacosta. (2015). List of generations. Iacosta Site. Retrieved from http://www.esds1.pt/site/images/stories/isacosta/secondary_pages/10%C2%BA_block1/Generations%20Chart.pdf

JCDecaux. (2011). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://www.jcdecaux.com/

Mullen, B., & Johnson, C. (2013). The psychology of consumer behavior. Syracuse University Press.

Spurgeon, C. (2005). Losers and lovers: Mobile phone services advertising and the new media consumer/producer. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 5(2).

WJS. (2015). Generations X, Y, Z and the others. WJSchroer. Retrieved from http://socialmarketing.org/archives/generations-xy-z-and-the-others/