We often use the word “Millennial” to categorize those individuals who grew up in an online and social-networked world, which now makes up the largest portion of working age adults. Gen Z on the other hand, is the group after Millennials considered as “digital natives”. There are times people use “Millennial” and “Gen Z” interchangeably which bring us to the fact that these two are never the same. They may all look young but they are evidently different in how they view money, their shopping decisions, and the brands they patronize.
It is still a challenge for millennial business owners to effectively market their business to Gen Z considering that this generation is comprised of innovative, diverse, self-aware and highly creative individuals. Here are some of most effective ways.
RELATED: HOW DIFFERENT GENERATIONS CONSUME VIDEO CONTENT
Social media Ads and Influencer marketing
If you want to reach the population of those in Gen Z, you have to learn about their world. They are almost constantly online which means television and magazine ads won’t work anymore. This particular generation isn’t interested in Facebook ads littered with emoticons, rather, they look for campaign ads that talk about what they care about – value over ads. So it is very important to create one that is catchy enough to capture their attention the moment they see it pop up on their screens. To make inroads with Gen Z on social media, marketers have to involve influencers. These individuals have with them thousands, if not millions, of followers that look up to them. Influencers need not to be celebrities; Gen Z isn’t the star struck generation. They will most likely to purchase a product used by their favorite influencer, than by television celebrity.
Building cult brands
Cult Branding is more than just having a loyal customer base; it is creating human experiences that lead to a feeling of belongingness. This is why it is important that marketers don’t just deliver products or services but also achieve a unique connection with customers, and are able to create a culture that people want to be a part of.
In creating a cult loyalty to a brand, marketers must put into consideration the Gen Z perspective because it's important to design a product that gives them a way to connect to the things that matter to them. Let’s take Apple for example which is very popular with Gen Z because they managed to create something trendy that appeals to these tech savvy individuals in the form of a convenient smart watch.
If it’s not fast, it’s broken.
Gen Z-ers, as they're also called, are used to doing things fast-paced and are a little too impatient for things that don't work as intended. A slow internet connection is definitely not on their favorite list. Gen Z-ers want to use technology that is advanced and as efficient as any of the other applications they use on a daily basis.
Millennial marketers should learn from their experience and expect that the generations after them will be demanding products and services that are on the highest end.
Gen Z is a very huge range of customers with very unique needs but they drive business owners to be innovative in the most creative way.