FIGARODIGITAL.CO.UK
Generation Z: Understanding The World’s First
Digital Generation
YouGov to survey over 1000 UK 16 to 21 year olds on brands and social media to further understand this increasingly significant segment of consumers.
G
eneration Z, Digital Natives, Centennials, the Nation Generation – few can agree on what to call the
post-millennial generation born between 1995 and 2010. Everyone can agree, however, that they are the first truly digital generation, with barely any Gen Zs walking and talking before Wi-Fi was introduced to UK homes in 1997. This has resulted in a generation and
consumer base like no other and is an entirely new challenge for digital marketers. Research claims that Gen Z have an attention span of eight seconds, compared to 12 for millennials. Whilst attention spans might be shorter, their ability to hyperprocess information is faster than ever, with social platforms claiming that users only allow 1.2 seconds to disrupt their thumb swiping and capture their attention with brand content. The rule book has to be completely rewritten for this digital and mobile generation.
Which channel is the most important for Gen Z?
Mobile is undoubtedly the most important channel for Gen Z, with 97 per cent of 16 to 21 year olds glued to their smartphones and the average age of getting their first smartphones being as low as seven. It's important to remember that Gen Z is made up of
millions of highly individualistic teens and tweens whose varying interests overlap and diverge at multiple touchpoints. There are hundreds of combinations of circumstances that influence how well brand content will penetrate at any of these touchpoints.
When using a fluid and changeable
platform such as mobile to target an audience, context is key - a well-placed and timed ad might pique interest and change purchasing patterns. Brands need to understand the volume and type of mobile interactions they are currently getting within their digital estate to understand exactly what opportunity mobile can afford them. Additionally, there is little worth in brands diving head first into tailoring their marketing for Gen Z and mobile, without first defining their mobile ambitions. What approach is best for the brand (on device, on-site, or in-feed) and what do they hope to achieve?
What are Gen Z’s favourite social apps and what about dark social?
Considering the sheer volume of time Gen Z spend on their smartphones, it can only follow that their use of social applications is the highest ever seen. Three quarters of respondents to the survey use the Facebook app on a daily basis, closely followed by 73 per cent using YouTube and 71 per cent
51 % 49 Sex
70% Instagram 73% Snapchat 87% Facebook
% 42 TABLET % Jaywing undertook research in collaboration with
27 DESKTOP
%
using Snapchat. In light of this, brands should
30 days
Top social applications
21% Skype 57% WhatsApp 87% Facebook Messenger
remember to consolidate their media plan to focus on the channels that will afford them the greatest ROI. Rather than spreading themselves too thinly, a targeted impact and reach could potentially, be achieved by a single platform. Research what it is your youngest consumers want and regularly engage with on social and messaging apps, then going forward you can select which apps are most appropriate for your brand and play to channel behaviour. Despite Gen Z’s increased online fluidity, consumers have rigid expectations of the content they will engage with on certain channels, so play to this and entertain on YouTube, inspire on Instagram, and inform on Facebook. Think natively and activate relevantly. Don’t forget about dark social. What
Used daily
Top messaging applications
makes Gen Z’s digital engagement so different compared to previous generations – is the move from social to messaging apps, and in turn the significance of word of mouth and referral marketing. Facebook Messenger is by far the most popular messaging
58 issue 31 spring 2018
Words: Caity Dalby
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