The youths of today, also known as “Generation Z”, are the new faces of consumers. They are the first to grow up completely digital-savvy. Social media has a completely different meaning for them. It’s not just a platform for keeping up with friends, but a way for them to engage and interact with brands.
Shoppercentric released a report with the following statistic; 1 in 5 generation z-er’s feels that retailers don’t think they are important. The generation z-er’s recognize their self worth, which means that they have higher expectations with how they are treated by brands. Adding to their high expectations, generation z-er’s also believe that brands need to be real. Wanting to see things like diversity, un-retouched photos, and actual real world situations. They care deeply about human rights, and feel that any brands they interact with must make that a priority.
They were born into a world with a lot problems. And thanks to social media they have access to all of it, resulting in a group of people who want to work to make the world a better place. Social activism is huge, and they have developed their own system of rules and etiquette for social media. In order to appeal to this generation we should keep in mind 4 key points:
- Support issues that are at the core of what matters most to teens today.
- Present reality while allowing the opportunity to create a unique identity.
- Shift from playing the ‘hero’ to playing the ‘supportive’ role.
- Utilize all the various social media platforms
