LIFESTYLE COSMETICS 99
The challenge of appealing to Millennials and Generation Z
n Richard Scott – Editor, Personal Care
Dividing age groups into manageable, targetable sections makes a lot of sense, but of course it does not come without drawbacks. There are obvious differences between the generations, and the ability to profile a person’s consumption based on their date of birth saves a lot of time, but it only works on large scale and does not take into account localised preferences. It is, in essence, a very broad-brush approach to product development. But, despite recent focuses on increased personalisation of personal care products, the industry remains largely structured in favour of a ‘one size fits all’ format. In recent months there has been some discussion on how to create products that appeal to consumers who fall under the terms ‘Millennials’ and ‘Generation Z’. On the face of it, these two groups have very similar values, and importantly both have grown up with the internet and social media as an ordinary part of their lives (‘digital natives’). But there are some subtle differences between the two, which can make creating products tricky.
Who are Millennials and Generation Z? Millennials are identified as people who were born between 1980 and 1995, while Generation Z were born between 1996 and 2015. As mentioned, the values shared are very similar, but perhaps the two big events that shaped the key differences between them are 9/11 in 2001 and the global financial crisis of 2008. When these took place, much of Generation Z were well on the way to adulthood, whereas Generation Z felt the repercussions from a much earlier age, and this will have had a deep impact on their outlook. Since these events, attitudes to international politics, big business, and career prospects have changed considerably.
Why are they perceived as difficult consumers to appeal to? Taken as a whole, these two generations are less trusting than their predecessors, particularly with regard to big corporations.
April 2020
They want products that are more suited to their individual needs, they need total inclusivity and they want brands to communicate directly to them. As we have seen from numerous discussions on the topic of greater personalisation in our industry, this is clearly not an easy task to achieve; certainly not on a large scale and at a normal price point. Trust is also an important focus currently, with ingredient suppliers aiming to make shorter, more trust-enhancing ingredients lists with more identifiable INCI names. This is predominantly the impact of Generation Z desire filtering through the marketplace, and probably as a result of online debate or YouTube/Instagram influencers. The difficulty is that while Generation Z consumers want authenticity and transparency, the people they trust most are online influencers, rather than academics, brands or even traditional celebrities. Generation Z exist in two worlds, the online and IRL (In Real Life), and this makes them more elusive for companies to appeal to and so need to exist in these spheres with them. Trust is also sought in the lifecycle of the
product; from the sustainability of the ingredients, the packaging and its transport. Young people have a greater
understanding of supply chains and how the impact on the environment and the communities within can spread.
How can manufacturers overcome these challenges?
Millennials and Generation Z consumers have a highly tuned sense of when they are being ‘sold to’ and react against it quickly. The ethos represented by a product or a brand needs to be sincere and demonstrated throughout the business. Ultimately, the products exist because of the ingredients, and it is here that the most important and impactful choices can be made.
Each ingredient in a formulation aimed at this demographic needs to be considered carefully, because the ingredients list will be as much the face of the product as the packaging. This means sustainability, anti-waste, and cruelty-free are non-negotiables for this market. Waterless formulations are another strong option for Millennials and Generation Z consumers, because they have become acutely aware of the need to conserve water supplies and the damaging impact of transporting huge quantities of water unnecessarily.
Generation Z have stepped up the push PERSONAL CARE EUROPE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
