Born between 1995 and 2010, Generation Z (Gen Z) have been brought up in a world dominated by the internet and digital technology. Never has a group been so well connected to information, people and brands. However, despite this connection, businesses looking to tap into this lucrative market have traditionally struggled to understand how to engage with Gen Z.
Jaywing recently worked with YouGov to question over 1,000 UK 16 – 21-year olds for their opinions on brands, social media and their priorities in life. The results provide some valuable insight into the way Gen Z interacts across different social media channels, highlighting a range of factors which influence the demographic’s decision to engage with brands in the digital world.
Applying the human touch
The results showed that the most important factor for any business to consider when marketing to Gen Z is authenticity. 60% of Gen Z say that automated responses make them feel less valued by a brand. This highlights Gen Z’s preference for seeking human interaction in conversations. They want brands to appreciate them and aren’t willing to compromise this for speed. As a result, businesses need to ensure their customer service is personalised across all channels. The tone of voice should remain consistent regardless of the person, technology or process by which the service is being delivered.
Getting the tone right
Jaywing’s study shows that 67% of Gen Z prefer a colloquial tone of voice over a formal one. For example, Netflix has been incredibly successful at marketing to Gen Z, partly through its use of informal language. For those who aren’t already aware, Netflix’s official Twitter bio is currently: ‘Beyoncé, pink the color, P!NK the person, hot dogs, basically anything that is awesome, sno cones.’ Regardless of generation, we all prefer being spoken to in a way that makes us feel understood on a personal level. The hard part is tailoring your content so it reaches a breadth of generations, without excluding individual demographics.
