Gen Z and brand engagement—how to connect with community-driven strategies

Raised on the internet and accustomed to engaging with content differently, Gen Zers keep marketers guessing. Their behaviors and preferences stray from the traditional marketing funnel. They’re harder to win over, more reluctant to convert and constantly swimming in information. So, how do marketers win over Gen Z? Brand loyalty Gen Z brand loyalty is harder to earn and harder to keep since its members have more information at their disposal at every stage of awareness and engagement with brands. Half of Gen Zers report that even if they have a favorite brand, they will switch it up if another brand is cheaper or higher quality. Not only are Gen Zers presented with new options everywhere they look, but they’re also more mindful of their purchase behavior as they face harsh economic realities. Ad Age Gen Z Contributor Column We welcome Gen Zers to submit fresh takes exploring Gen Z within the ad industry Learn more here More than half of Gen Zers cite the cost of living as a barrier to financial success. As a result, they are more intentional with their purchases and place a higher priority on research in the consideration stage. This creates a longer timeline for initial purchase and introduction to brands, which means that brands need to anticipate more touchpoints and provide heightened reputation management to remain in consideration. From “Buy what?” to “Why buy?” Economic factors, paired with heightened sensitivity to the rampant effects of overconsumption, developed the savviest generation of consumers yet. Instead of being told what to buy, many Gen Zers are looking for reasons to buy at all. This is evidenced by trends such as “de-influencing” and “underconsumption core,” where content creators highlight products that are not worth the extra purchase and promote minimalist living. Because this growing buyer demographic is more price-elastic, requires a longer lead time for purchase and does not prioritize brand names in the decision-making process, brands must reconceptualize how they’re appealing to Gen Z to secure long-term success. The marketing hive First, throw out everything you know about cultivating customer loyalty—funnels and all. The journey is not linear, and tactics for Gen Z should never be one size fits all. Think of nurturing consumer relationships with Gen Z as a beehive, with interest groups and online communities being individual “combs” that must be consistently pollinated with positive feedback and reputation management. When it comes to modern marketing tactics, you can’t be all things to all people. Even beyond Gen Z, 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions with businesses. Refining marketing tactics to align with target communities is a more effective way to control, monitor and respond to conversations about your brand. While it is more effective to appeal to specific communities, brands must tread carefully. Ensure you are first and foremost engaging with communities that align with your brand ethos; when there is misalignment here, these communities will see through you in an instant. A slip-up can make communities feel unseen, sowing mistrust—or even worse, cringe—taking you back to square one and fighting for attention and consideration in an exponentially growing marketplace. Combs are just small communities that work together to form larger platform ecosystems. There is a continuous flow of information between individual communities, especially those that are culturally adjacent, and even cross-pollination between entire platforms. Brands must master the art of navigating the network of combs and understand that consumer consideration is fluid, not linear. One day you may be in, and the next you’re out, but homing in on select communities allows you to listen and respond to target audiences more effectively in the long run. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today Here are three takeaways from the beehive marketers can use to win over Gen Z. Understand that Gen Z’s loyalty can be revoked If you stop appealing to this group’s values and priorities at any step of the way, you will lose them. Whether a Gen Zer has bought from your brand before or is considering buying from you now, new information is always flowing to this group. This is important to remember whenever you are engaging with external partners such as influencers or cross-brand collaborators—one misstep from your brand or an associated partner can instantly lose trust with entire communities. Align yourself with communities—not just personas Audience personas are too static to accurately portray the influx of information, references and options circulating in the Gen Z consumer’s world. If you’re looking to appeal to Gen Z and define audience personas, supplement those personas with online community insights—what are these interest groups talking about? Are there any controversies occurring in this community? Who is everybody obsessed with? When you understand what communities are talking about, you can better meet them where they are, speak their language and give them content that is more likely to connect with them and influence their decision-making process. Commit to the bit If you don’t have a brand voice, personality, vibe or anything along those lines, define that and what you stand for. When you define your bit, commit to it full force—show that you know yourself just as much as you know your audience. Gen Zers look to purchase from brands that align with their personal brand—leaning into your brand’s unique personality draws those who match your energy and build community wholeheartedly rather than casual buyers who may flip-flop. A-List & Creativity Awards Enter for a chance to be recognized as the best in advertising Submit your entry here

Gen Z and brand engagement—how to connect with community-driven strategies

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