If Gen X is the most prepared generation, what is special about Gen Z? Meet the most digital generation so far. More at dentsu X.
dentsu X feature in WARC’s Gen Z Report
If Gen X is the most prepared generation, what is special about Gen Z? Meet the most digital generation so far.
Gen Z – people between the ages of 13 and 25 in 2022 – is the most digital generation to date, reports WARC in their Global Ad Trends – Gen Z report Despite being online very often, consuming close to 68% of all their media on digital platforms, Gen Z audience is still a challenge to reach for marketers. Their media usage is highly fragmented, jumping between several apps to fulfil a different purpose. Social media and other apps compete for finite attention of this generation, often resulting in cannibalisation, for example TikTok’s watchtime ate away from YouTube consumption.
Gen Z, unsurprisingly, prefer video-first platforms with authentic, quick and candid content, like TikTok. Another platform on the rise – BeReal – highlights the same movement away from curated and inauthentic Instagram feeds usually liked by Millennials. Gen Z craves the multi-way, interactive, unfiltered content, seeking real connections online.
Why is Gen Z adopting new technology constantly?
Gen Z’s love trying new technology and platforms while being sceptical towards monetisation on the platforms. This creates a predicament for brands. For young people, more established platforms feel polluted while new platforms that have just taken off and haven’t figured out advertising placements seem clean and genuine. Often when space becomes tainted with advertising dollars, “Zoomers” abandon the platform for something new at breakneck speed.
“This willingness to experiment with new tech stems from an adolescence punctuated with innovations, from AR via Snapchat to the annual ritual of iPhone launches,” says Eleanor Stokes, Client Account Executive at dentsu X and a Gen Z-er. “Gen Z is a generation where new technology will have been frequented throughout their lives. Therefore, there is a tendency to embrace change”, weighs in Stokes.
Simply entering a new platform, such as music streaming or gaming is not enough to get Gen Z on your side. Showing up in a genuine way and fitting the content to the platform is a challenge brands face when trying to connect with younger people.
Find out more about new ways of advertising integrations in gaming in dentsu’s new report all about gamers – For The Game.
