Generation Z is Growing Up!

The first thing that people usually ask about Generation Z is how old they are, and between what years would they have been born in order qualify as Gen Z members. As in most areas of life, the lines between each generation are usually blurred, but generally, Gen Z members are made up of anyone who was born between 1996, right up to present-day. A good reasoning to follow is that if someone remembers the change from the 20th century to the 21st century, then they are not Gen Z, they are probably Millennials or Baby Boomers.

• 46% of U.S. Gen Z consumers research items on mobile devices before making purchases in-store
• Gen Z researches online before making an in-store purchase 12 to 27% more than has any other generation
• 60% of Gen Z folks are more likely than average consumers to hang up if their call isn’t answered in under 45 seconds
• 60% of Gen Z shoppers won’t use apps or websites that load slowly or are difficult to navigate
• 63% of Gen Z members prefer real people to celebrities when it comes to advertisements
• Gen Z members currently command more than $44 billion in spending power
• 74% of Gen Z members spend at least five hours per day online

You can count on the fact that the Gen Z consumers use their mobile devices in order to do some pre-shopping research before ever setting foot into a store. So, businesses should help them along the purchase journey by being there for them at all times, on all screens, in the moments that count.

The young and mobile Gen Z audience craves unique experiences. This “Instagram Generation” expects visuals and they expect their retailers to make their experiences cool and visually pleasing. They want product demonstrations and they want to see items featured in their best light. In order to make this happen, retailers will have to enhance their online experiences and modernize and improve their stores’ display and design. In short, retailers and brand marketers that embrace the Gen Z values offer individual experiences, unique products, attractive stores and authentic brand stories.

Another thing that is extremely important to the Gen Z, is efficiency. Recent research revealed that nearly 50% of Gen Z emphasized the importance of being able to find things quickly.

Gen Z thinks that customer service is essential in all areas of trade, but especially in social media, as it’s used to address many customer issues. The importance of pertinent and timely care will increase as Generation Z grows and makes its way towards the cash register.

At the time of this writing, (early 2019) there are currently more than 23 million Gen Z members in the U.S. Within the next five years, they will become the most prolific generation in both the workplace and the marketplace. Marketers that want to remain relevant must gain an understanding of this audience, and come to know their needs.

If you’ve ever heard any of our Genius Monkey presentations or keynotes, you may remember that our average human attention span is now just eight seconds long. But slow down cowboy … how about cutting that number in half for the Gen Z members? This is a generation of humans with a “four-second fuse.”

Brand marketers have to kick it in gear with Gen Z coming into focus. And, once they’ve captured their attention, they’ll have to step it up to keep it, and that can be done by knowing your crowd, meeting their needs, and staying responsive and engaging.