What Marketers Need to Know About Gen-Z

Gen-Z is coming of age. Many of them are entering the workforce, and their steadily increasing buying power has marketers everywhere scrambling to figure out how to appeal to this young, and increasingly important, segment of the population. Luckily for you, we’ve done our research, and we’re here to tell you some of the most important things that you should know about Gen-Z.

1. Who is Gen-Z, and why should you care?

Gen-Z includes those born from 1997-2012. These dates may seem arbitrary, but an incredible amount of careful thought and analysis goes into choosing the optimal cutoff dates for each generation. Generational groups, who may have very little in common demographically, psychologically, or socially, share common experiences that have influenced their lives in one way or another. As the Pew Research Center explains, generational cohorts “can provide a way to understand how different formative experiences (such as world events and technological, economic and social shifts) interact with the life-cycle and aging process to shape people’s views of the world”.

The bottom line is, If marketers can understand how Gen-Z’ers are likely to interact with and perceive the world around them (and most importantly, how they differ from the generations that came before them), they hold the key to connecting with this large and highly influential consumer segment.

2. What Makes them Different: A Life Online

One thing we all know is that Gen-Z are the first generation to live their entire lives in a world heavily dominated by the internet. They’re very comfortable with technology and they’re enthusiastic adopters of new tech, AI, and social media. Partly because they’ve been ‘raised online’, Gen-Zers are associated with certain stereotypes, like the idea that they have a short attention span.

In a recent, in-depth report, GWI investigates the role that technology and the internet really play in the lives of Gen-Z. Here’s what stood out most to us.

-They’re fans of video content, and though they’re huge proponents of short-form content like that found on TikTok, it’s incorrect to assume that they don’t also enjoy long-form content like YouTube videos.

-They aren’t relying on traditional search engines. Gen Z are likely to use AI chatbots, voice search, image search, and social media to find what they’re looking for. Data shows that they’re increasingly likely to use TikTok, in particular, to find information about products and brands.

-Many of them provide false demographic information.. This one is important as if you’re using only demographics to target your Gen-Z audience online, you could be missing them completely. More than 3 in 10 Gen-Zers report that they occasionally provide false names, ages, and locations when asked for this information online.

3. Promotional Products and Gen-Z

One thing we wanted to explore more deeply is, what Gen-Z thinks about promotional products Well, it turns out that they’re pretty big fans. According to a recent article from the PPAI, more than one-third of Gen-Zers say they use promotional products weekly, and one-fifth use them daily. They’re also very likely to see promo in a positive light, with nearly 70% saying that promo products have a positive impact on brand perceptions.

In a promo product, Gen-Z are looking for branded items that are of high quality and are on trend. They want promo products in the apparel, fashion, and self-care categories, and are likely to prefer products that can be described as either “practical and useful” or “fun and whimsical”.

Gen-Z is a segment that is known to be very conscious of the environment, and it’s important to consider this when choosing your promotional items. 89% of Gen-Z respondents feel that sustainability is important in promotional products– so long-lasting, high-quality items that are made in an environmentally responsible way will be well-received by this group.

So, there’s your crash course on what you, as a business owner or marketer, need to know about Gen-Z! As this generational segment gains more and more buying power, it will become increasingly important to stay up-to-date on their preferences, their perspectives, and how to reach them. Stay informed by keeping up with our blog, where we share our best promo and marketing tips and the info you need to know to grow your business with promo!