[:en]Within this article, written by John Hall, the author describes to readers 7 fundamental aspects to consider when appealing to the millennial demographic. The author of this piece is the CEO and co-founder of Influence & Co. This company helps other companies to find and then position important industry influencers and leaders. As a company they focus on producing high-quality content from their clients which is then disrupted to reach their target audience online. For these 7 pointers see below –
1. Present your brand as simply and honestly as possible.
Marketing successfully to Generation Z means you’ve got to be open and honest — about everything. Sure, most audiences today expect transparency, but members of this generation demand it. It’s what they’re used to seeing from their favourite brands, and they can tell immediately when you don’t fulfil that.
While they may be hungrier for the latest technology and content than previous generations, they’re still highly sensitive to people and brands that don’t try to create win-win situations. This generation responds to interactive content that uses real, honest people and influencers they trust over celebrities.
2. Authenticity in advertising is necessary.
Even I think it’s pretty cringe-worthy when brands use “LOL,” “JK,” “WTF,” and “OMG” in attempts to look cool and trendy, and I’m in my 30s. Now more than ever, young people seem to act and behave like adults. They want authentic messaging, and they resent being treated like kids when brands resort to lame text abbreviations to talk to them.
3. Influencers build trust.
Telling your audience that your product or service is superior won’t be enough to persuade them to trust or buy from you — and telling the same to someone in Generation Z will really hurt your brand. But if you can help them see your brand through the eyes of a fellow member of Generation Z, you can build trust much faster.
This is where influencer marketing and user-generated content come in handy. This approach — connecting members of Generation Z to one another — is the perfect way to entice them to become involved with you and trust your company.
Companies like H Influencer Collective make it so easy. They organize adventures for Gen-Z influencers who create and distribute content among their followers. It’s far more effective to connect with your audience in an authentic way — followers get more compelling content, influencers retain their integrity, and brands get a better return on their investment. H’s Instagram account is growing by more than 1,000 followers per day while maintaining over 10 percent engagement.
4. Create personal experiences with visuals and interactive content.
No one wants to feel like another faceless name on a marketing list; most of us want to feel special and important. Personal experiences make us feel like individuals, and if you want to connect with Generation Z, you have to provide those opportunities. That’s where visual and interactive content comes in.
This generation is especially sensitive to visuals. By including visual and interactive content in your strategy, you’re giving members of Generation Z chances to interact with your brand on an individual level. Take it a step further by creating multi-sensory opportunities for your audience to connect with you. Offline events, conferences, and even Krispy Kreme’s “Hole in the Wall” campaign are all great examples. Giving your audience the chance to interact and connect with your brand on a personal level will help you stand out.
5. Leverage bloggers and online reviews.
More than half the members of Generation Z report that they’d rather save money than spend it right away, so some suspect they’ll be more cautious with their money as they reach adulthood. Combine that with the fact that they’re more realistic (even pessimistic) and have greater confirmation bias, and it’ll take a lot for brands to convince them to trust, engage, and buy.
For this generation, like Millennials before them, traditional advertising doesn’t cut it anymore. Generation Z will rely on the opinions of others — friends, bloggers, experts, and influencers — to help them make purchase decisions. This is when a strategy to build a network of brand advocates and amplifiers becomes vital.
By cultivating fans who are excited enough to post their thoughts online, you’ll convey a sense of authenticity that Generation Z will find more trustworthy.
6. Engage on social networking platforms.
According to a survey conducted by EY, “unlike Millennials, who witnessed the introduction and rise of social media, tablets, smartphones and the mobility that allows them to access it all in an instant, Gen Z was born into it.”
This generation is full of actual digital natives. We’ve all heard it before, but take a minute to really let that sink in. They are the first generation to grow up completely connected, completely online. They’re instantly socially connected to all their friends, to businesses, and celebrities, and they rely on that connection daily.
Generation Z uses social media for everything: to learn new information, follow influencers, and stay in touch with family and friends. Brands that can engage them on social platforms, reward their loyalty, and remain consistent across channels will earn their trust.
7. Position your brand to make a genuine impact.
Eighty-four percent of Generation Zers feel they can make impacts on their local communities.
Brands can connect with these teens on a deeper level by demonstrating their support for the issues that matter to them. Coca-Cola, which used a Super Bowl ad to back anti-bullying efforts, is a great recent example of this.
It’s exciting to watch Generation Z come of age. They’re poised to transform companies, media, creativity, and our society as a whole. Taking the time to understand them now will position you and your brand to succeed when the time comes.
From reading this article it become immediately apparent that gen-z demand transparency they respect the truth and prefer an influencer’s honestly over a celebrity’s voice. Even though this demographic wants the latest technology they are still sensitive to brands that do not provide a win, win situation to all involved. They are not ‘just kids’ they are intelligent and want to be talked to and treated with respect so creating a campaign that is full of text abbreviations wins no fans. Talking to them using proper English makes them feel adult and respected so are far more likely to listen to what you have to stay. The importance of having an influencer on-board will mean that this demographic will trust you, and, therefore, will interact with your content. This content has to be fun and interactive in order to create a personal connection with the campaign and those it is reaching out to, thus, allowing you to stand out. No one wants to be reading through pages of writing, they will get bored and won’t engage with your campaign. Thinking outside of the box is crucial (Krispy Kreme’s hole in the wall is a great example of this). Traditional advertising methods do not appeal to this demographic that it does to those older. It is imperative to use advocates like bloggers and influencers as this demographic trust these individuals, again, due to their honesty and transparency. By building up a fan base who are excited to post reviews about your cause and/or share your online content is vital for success.
Unlike the Millennial who grew up with the introduction of smart phones, social media and the platforms to instantly access information the gen-z population are the first generation to grow up completely connected to the world. It is a connection they rely on daily. Meaning that the use of social media will play a massive part within the marketing of my campaign. It is thought that 84% of the gen-z demographic feel like they can make an impact on their local communities, therefore, brands that interact with teens on a deeper level have more success. An example of this is Coca-Cola who used their Super bowl ad space to show their support of anti-bullying efforts. This generation is very different to older generations and their fresh perspective on the world has made serious change. Understanding how to interact with and market to this demographic now will allow your company/organisation to become very successful.
These aspects are very important to consider within my campaign as this demographic is often under-valued and not taken seriously, however, it can be seen that is age group are very capable and don’t take kindly to those who under estimate them. Learning to treat this demographic with the respect they are entitled to and talking to them honestly, like adults, will allow for my campaign to be recognised by a huge audience. As social media and influencers play a huge part in this age-groups daily lives it is necessary for me to use these two aspects to my advantage.
[:]
