Generation Z Marketing: Your Guide To Reaching Gen Z

Meet Generation Z, the first generation of true digital natives who grew up on social media and don’t remember a world before the internet. Today, as teens and young adults, they’re shifting expectations of what makes marketing successful.

These teens and young adults earn and spend more than other generations did at their age, despite many of them not being in the workforce yet. Neilsen IQ research predicts that Gen Z’s spending power will reach $12 trillion by 2030. 
In other words, master Generation Z marketing now, and you’re set to benefit for decades. But here’s the challenge: Gen Z has different priorities and preferences than their older counterparts.

Who’s included in Generation Z (Gen Z)?

Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z is set to be the world’s largest generation, according to Nielsen IQ, which says they currently comprise 25% of the global population. In the U.S., they make up just over 20% of the population.
Gen Z is also the most diverse generation in U.S. history, with more ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities than any other generation. They’re also the first generation in U.S. history where less than half identify as white. These Gen Z demographics paint an exciting picture:

Marketers should take note of Gen Z’s diversity: Representation is about to take center stage. Image source: PRRI.

After a lifetime of posting their stories and experiences online, these young adults expect to see themselves in media — and, more importantly, to have a hand in shaping it.

What does Generation Z respond to?

If you’re used to older generations’ preferences, marketing to Gen Z requires a significant mindset shift. These young adults grew up immersed in marketing and media and have higher expectations and a more critical eye than any prior generation. They also have no patience for lip service, which they can sniff out like digital bloodhounds. 

None of this should discourage you, though. Gen Z is a responsive and engaged marketing audience if you approach them respectfully and understand where they’re coming from. They can even be some of your most enthusiastic brand ambassadors if you’re willing to do the work.

First, you need to speak their language.

Short-form video content

This ultra-connected generation spends significant time on social media. According to a CivicScience survey, 90% of Gen Z adults aged 18-24 use social media, and 48% use social platforms for at least two hours daily. 

Gen Z’s favorite platforms are overwhelmingly video- and image-based, with YouTube leading the pack:

YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok. Gen Z loves its bite-sized content. Image source: CivicScience.

In a survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), 85% of Gen Zers say social media influences their purchasing decisions. Instagram and TikTok were the most influential platforms. 

That’s a huge potential advantage for brands that can make relatable, authentic short-form videos. Repurpose that video into Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, and you have valuable content for Generation Z marketing on other platforms.

Values-driven messaging

You can’t discuss Gen Z’s characteristics without recognizing how much they care. This generation cares about pivotal issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and mental health awareness — and they prefer brands that share their values:

These Gen Z statistics highlight the generation’s core values: mental health, sustainability, and equity. Image source: ICSC.

Although the oldest are just starting their careers, many Gen Zers will pay a premium to find values-aligned brands. Over half of survey respondents said they’d pay more to buy environmentally sustainable products.

Buying secondhand is a popular way Gen Z practices sustainable buying. According to ThredUp’s second annual Impact Report, 61% of Gen Z consumers will look for an item secondhand before buying it new.  More than half are more likely to shop with brands that offer secondhand items.

Speaking to Gen Z’s value set is a powerful way to earn their loyalty, but it needs to come from an authentic place. This generation is more marketing-savvy than any other generation before them.

In one 2023 survey, 47% of Gen Zers said it felt “fake” or “like pandering” when a brand’s value-based marketing doesn’t align with what the brand does. And 46% won’t trust a brand’s claims to support a cause unless/until the brand demonstrates real commitment. Its business practices, hiring policies, and political contributions must align with its messaging.

Internet community and culture

Having grown up online, Gen Z continues to find community on digital platforms. According to Impero Creative Agency’s 2022 Report, Gen We and the Digital World, 76% of Gen Zers feel that their digital communities give them a voice and social status. And 65% would rather interact meaningfully on community-focused platforms like Discord or Twitch than feed-based apps.

Niche communities are a particularly big deal for this generation. In a 2024 DemandGen survey, 78% of Gen Zers reported belonging to one or more interest-related online groups or hobbies. They tie their identities closely to these communities and often present themselves differently in each group.

Marketers must understand this diverse culture of identities. Instead of seeing Gen Z as a single group, brands can target their audiences by being as diverse and inclusive as possible. Having several communities in one space allows brands to show their respect for Gen Z’s different subculture identifications while acknowledging their social justice values.

Satirical and “unhinged” humor

Generation Z statistics highlight a savvy, values-driven generation, but make no mistake: They don’t take everything super seriously. Gen Z understands the absurdity of the digital world and appreciates brands that make fun of it.

More than 40% of Gen Zers told DemandGen they appreciate brands that use humor and satire. Over a third say it makes them like a brand more. But as with aesthetic trends, it’s vital to stay up-to-date and use humor authentically, not as a way of being this guy:

The famous “Fellow Kids” meme, originally from the TV show 30 Rock, has been “cringe” for Gen Z since pre-pandemic — thus making its point twice. Image source: The Verge.

​For the best marketing campaigns, Gen Z needs to go straight to the source — a recent trend in itself, thanks to brands that gave Gen Z-written scripts to Gen X and Boomer employees:

It’s giving so cringe it’s funny. Thanks, Shaker Auto. Image source: TikTok.

Let Gen Z tell their own story. It’s the best way to reach peak authenticity.

“Gen Z is the Influencer Generation” – Craig Corbett

In his 2023 Forbes interview, Corbett said that Generation Z marketing means embracing the power of influencers.
 
Influencers are social media personalities with highly engaged followers who trust what they say, do, and recommend. Some influencers have a few dozen followers in a niche area, such as international cooking or retro video gaming, while others have millions of followers.

The influencer model is simple: The influencer earns followers by posting their thoughts on products, services, and experiences as though they were friends sharing recommendations. Their expertise earns audiences’ trust and attracts more followers, who keep coming back to get suggestions and learn what’s worth buying.

Influencers’ effects on Gen Z

According to the ICSC’s survey, two-fifths of Gen Z cite influencers as one of their top three factors for purchase decisions. The effect of influencers is even stronger with Gen Z than millennials, as CivicScience‘s research showed: 29% of Gen Zers recently purchased a product because an influencer recommended it, compared to 19% of millennials.

When you think of how Gen Z engages online, the success of influencer marketing makes perfect sense. Influencer messaging feels like advertising with a Gen Z touch: authentic and coming from a real person, not a glossed-over corporation.

For Gen Z, following influencers isn’t about keeping up with trends. It’s about finding people who share their aesthetics and values and taking their advice. The proof is in the follower count: When Morning Consult researchers asked Gen Zers about their favorite influencer, 51% of responses were unique.

Developing influencer campaigns for Gen Z

Influencers are potent resources for brands doing Generation Z marketing. The first step is finding influencers who speak directly to your target audience and build a meaningful relationship.

It’s okay if you don’t have the budget for big names like Charli D’Amelio or Chase Hudson. You’ll get farther by connecting with micro-influencers — niche creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers.

If your brand is extremely niche, you might also consider nano influencers with small audiences of highly engaged followers. Nano influencers may have as few as 1,000 followers but tend to be very approachable with their followers and the brands they collaborate with. They build tight communities, a significant selling point for Gen Z.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Generation Z

Of all the adult generations, Gen Z is the most intertwined with AI. They grew up together, with AI coming into its own just as the oldest Gen Z reached full adulthood. ChatGPT, the most famous example of generative AI, came out in 2022, the same year the oldest Gen Zers reached their 20s. 

Gen Z as consumers: Opinions and uses of AI

AI has numerous applications in marketing, from dynamic campaign personalization to rapid-fire content generation. Growing up in the age of the internet and AI, Generation Z is understandably comfortable with several practices that involve AI, especially as a personalized search tool. A recent Fiverr survey showed that 54% of Gen Z shoppers used AI tools to find the best prices, ideas, and tutorials to create gifts themselves.

Personalization and Privacy: Gen Z interaction with AI

Gen Zers appreciate personalized marketing because of their focus on individual identity and experience navigating the digital world. They favor brands that recognize their unique needs and experiences, and their standards for personalization are high.

Most Gen Zers are only willing to share personal information if they receive something of value in return. More dated personalization techniques — such as using the consumer’s name in an email subject line — aren’t enough for this savvy generation.

If they don’t think they’ll get enough personalization by sharing their information, Gen Z will deny a brand access to their information. They will also turn off tracking and delete digital tracking “cookies,” code snippets that record consumers’ online activity.

Still, non-personalized marketing is less likely to generate brand loyalty, even among this privacy-conscious generation. Brands need to find the point at which their Gen Z audience members appreciate the value their personalization provides.

Communication is also essential. If marketers tell Gen Z how they use personal information and AI customization tools, they’re more likely to earn those young buyers’ loyalty.

Master Generation Z marketing

Congratulations on completing your crash course in Generation Z. Now, you know who they are, what content they gravitate to, and what they value in a brand. 

You’ve learned that: 

• Social and environmental justice matter to this generation, and brands must act to demonstrate their commitment to these causes.
• Internet life is where Gen Z finds communities that reflect themselves.

Now, it’s time to create your first campaign. As you’ve figured out, short-form video is Gen Z gold, and Instagram Reels are fun and easy to make. So why not start there?

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Source: https://www.constantcontact.com/
Image Credit: Constant Contact

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