Often, Gen Z seems like a mystical creature that many marketing research professionals do not know what to do with or think of. It seems like Gen Z is a giant mountain that a lot of us are trying to overcome.
In Quirk’s June Wisdom Wednesday series, Lisa Morales Freed and Nancie Carollo, research strategists at Aspen Finn, gave a clear and concise presentation on just what a Gen Z consumer is looking for and how to market to them.
We know that Gen Z’s attention span is very small. Freed and Carollo say that you have about eight seconds to grab their attention but the two claim that is just on the surface. If there is something that catches their attention, they will give a lot more time.
For the most part, Gen Z wants to make change. In fact, according to Freed and Carollo, 83% are hopeful to find work that will allow them to make change. Because of the generations' individuality there are many things they want to change.
For example, they want to help the environment. If you want your brand to stand out, have an environmental cause you stand for and follow through with it. But don’t just say it, do it.
Later in the presentation, Freed and Carollo shared their findings on three aspects of Gen Z. Their consumption behavior, brand loyalty and what brand relevance means. Both women found different things but were able to come up with an overarching convergence on each aspect.
Let’s dive deeper into these three aspects.
Freed said Gen Z values things that older generations might have taken for granted because we are running out of time. Meaning the Earth is running out of time. Gen Z does not want to add to the waste on the planet. So, they buy products based on longevity.
Carollo on the other hand states Gen Z still does impulse buy, but they do it through thrifting. Meaning that the quality of a product must be good enough to last multiple owners. Or they ...