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Today we’ll dive deep into the minds of Generation Z, the 73 million strong tech-savvy, purpose-driven force shaping the future. We'll explore insightful strategies not just to reach them, but to truly engage them.

But it's not all about Gen Z! We'll also unveil the power of customer-centricity, celebrate the beauty of subcultural diversity, and peek behind the curtain at Pinterest's winning strategy.

Plus, we'll delve into the fascinating dance between creativity and AI, where human ingenuity takes center stage with a powerful assist from artificial intelligence.

Ready to unlock a world of connection and innovation? Let's dive in! ➡️

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Insightful Strategies for Engaging Generation Z 💡

The Numbers Don’t Lie 🔢

Embracing Customer-Centricity and Subcultural Diversity 🤝

Pinterest Sticks To What It Does Best 📌

Creativity In The Spotlight, Ai In The Background 🤖

Insightful Strategies for Engaging Generation Z

Professionals from various American agencies and marketers representing large brands convened to share insights into effectively engaging with Generation Z. The discussions revolved around strategies, tools, and tactics for reaching this demographic. 

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The average Gen Z individual spends 106 days per year on their phone, presenting a significant opportunity for marketers to connect with them through digital channels.

Market research conducted by Pion, one of the organizers of the conference, involved 2,000 members of the American Gen Z. The study revealed specific trends and preferences within this demographic, providing valuable insights for targeted marketing efforts.

• 82% 📱 influenced by social media in purchasing decisions.

• 34% 😐 indifferent to brands' social stances.

• 40% 🤖 view AI as a threat to creativity.

• 34% 🚨 perceive AI as a direct threat to humanity.

• 63% 💰 prioritize experiences over costs, even if it exceed their budget.

• Many find inspiration online but value offline experiences.

• Gen Z enjoys shopping in physical stores, posing challenges for brands focused on online sales. This trend persisted even during the pandemic.

• 94% 🕶️ show interest in 90s trends, indicating a nostalgia-driven consumer behavior.

• Brands need to navigate these preferences to effectively connect with Generation Z consumers.

During a recent chat, some juicy info came up about Spotify listeners. Turns out, a whopping 80% of young folks are tuning into podcasts for over 50 minutes straight. So much for the idea that Gen Z can only handle short attention spans, huh? It's all about killer storytelling and intriguing content, no matter where it's served up. 🎧💬

And get this – Spotify's got some serious tools for tracking campaign success. They're diving deep into social listening and even analyzing memes to gauge sentiment. Talk about staying ahead of the curve! 📈🔍

But here's the real shocker: the Alpha generation, those born after 2010, are shaping up to be less creative and less into social media than you'd think. Yet, they're still calling the shots on their parents' purchases. Brands better start thinking about how they're gonna hook these kids, 'cause it's gonna impact what Mom and Dad buy too. Time to get creative with those campaigns! 🚀👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

In The Spotlight: Subcultures

• Subcultures, especially among Generation Z, are significant and often exist within online communities. 🌐

• Many young people feel a sense of community with their favorite brands.

• 54% of young people say that their favorite brands make them feel part of a community.

• Traditional mass marketing methods are becoming less effective; understanding and engaging with subcultures is crucial. 📉

• Subcultures are interconnected, so focusing on one does not necessarily limit the target audience.

• A deep understanding of subcultures is essential, with Reddit being a valuable resource for insights. 🧠

• Reddit serves as a platform for authentic opinions about brands, making it important for market monitoring. 📊

Fluid Funnel

It's evident that in the American marketing landscape, there's a departure from the conventional AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) funnel framework. Instead, contemporary marketing operates within a more fluid and unpredictable yet patterned channel. 

Successful campaigns often do not begin with scalable marketing efforts that later expand. Instead, agencies frequently engage directly with brands' customers, incorporating feedback into social media strategies. This approach aligns with the principle of "doing things that don't scale," as advocated in venture capital circles. One speaker, a former executive in the fashion industry, further emphasized this perspective in their dynamic presentation.

Embracing Customer-Centricity and Subcultural Diversity

• Marketers must completely rethink their strategies.

• The customer, not the brand itself, lies at the heart of a brand’s story.

• Design should embrace the diversity of subcultures rather than focusing solely on one large target audience.

• Customer journeys are complex and non-linear.

• Genuine moments between the brand and the customer should arise spontaneously in response to real-life events.

• Instead of rigidly planned activities, brands should engage users in collaborative efforts to create authentic social media content tailored to various subcultures.

Less + Bigger = More

The importance of consolidating marketing efforts for greater impact, advocating for fewer campaigns with significant reach and influence. For instance, successful campaigns were discussed that surpassed the performance of the company’s performance marketing department in terms of metrics such as performance and revenue.

Brands that have embraced this need for adaptation are now adopting an omnipresence strategy to engage users. This strategy emphasizes consistent and appealing brand communication across various content and advertising formats. The focus lies on long-term brand-building rather than immediate sales results. These can include:

• Value-adding content (in topics where the brand is credible)

• Demonstrative content (about using the products)

• Testimonial content (customer opinions)

• Lifestyle content (feelings associated with the brand)

• CTA content (encouraging sales and activation)

 A recent great example of this strategy’s application is the beauty brand e.l.f.’s activity around the Super Bowl. The brand, which gained popularity on TikTok, secured America’s most expensive advertising slot for the second year. However, the Super Bowl advertisement was just the tip of the iceberg. The campaign had numerous online and offline activities, installations, and formats that were impossible to miss in the USA. (For those interested in a relevant podcast on this topic, we recommend the Gen Z on Gen Z podcast.)

Be Billboard Famous

Michael Girgis, founder of DIVE Billboards, introduces an innovative approach by merging TikTok, giant CLPs, airport, and Times Square billboards to bridge online and offline presence. Their campaigns strategically leverage both social media and traditional media platforms, offering a distinctive value proposition for brands seeking to move beyond linear channel communication.

This form of DOOH (digital-out-of-home) advertising relies on four key pillars:

• Authenticity

• Contextual relevance

• Integration of talent (campaign face)

• Creating a moment

An exemplary instance is Lancome’s Lash Moment campaign, which seamlessly combined brief TikTok tutorial videos with mall screens frequented by their target audience, igniting immediate purchasing interest among customers.

Pinterest Sticks To What It Does Best

Pinterest’s Global Creator Lead, Jeremy Jankowski, highlighted that Pinterest differs from other social channels in its lack of aspiration to expand beyond its core identity. This is evident in market trends, where platforms often revert to the formats or content types that initially drove their growth, after attempting ambitious new ventures. 

For example, Generation Z comprises 40% of Pinterest’s 1 billion active monthly users, many of whom utilize the platform as a refuge from ad clutter. Pinterest provides a "safe space" where users can explore inspiration independently, free from the social pressures typically encountered on platforms such as TikTok or Instagram.

It was noted with interest that Pinterest compiles an annual trend report aiming to forecast future trends by analyzing platform activity. Remarkably, their predictions are accurate 87% of the time. Jeremy also mentioned the phenomenon surrounding the Barbie movie, revealing that the excitement around Barbie began a year prior to the film's release, contributing to the buildup of anticipation.

Creativity In The Spotlight, Ai In The Background

The only important piece of information about AI worth paying attention to is that a good AI campaign or AI content is one where consumers can’t tell it’s AI.

With the accessibility of image, video, and text generation tools at an all-time high, the novelty of AI-generated content on social platforms has diminished. Today, it's widely known that such content can be produced with inexpensive software and assistance from entry-level team members.

Instead of focusing solely on AI, the emphasis should be on consistently building brand identity through compelling storytelling. This includes strategic collaborations, seamless integration of content creators and influencers, and maintaining an authentic tone across all platforms. The key is to consistently deliver high-quality, platform-specific content.

Takeaways

Marketing strategies that resonate with Generation Y may not necessarily translate to success with Generation Z. To effectively engage with this demographic, it's essential to discard assumptions about new social media platforms and deeply understand the dynamics of platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Pinterest. 

This ongoing process of adaptation is crucial for agencies and clients alike, especially considering the evolving landscape of marketing challenges posed by Generation Z and the upcoming generation, Alphas. Ultimately, marketing to Generation Z requires more than just adopting new technologies; it demands thoughtful message curation and presentation tailored to their preferences and sensibilities.

Your Voice 🎤

Phew! That was a lot, right? But hey, knowledge is power🌟. We hope this edition gave you some insights and maybe even cleared up a few doubts.

Got questions or topics you'd like us to cover next? Holler at us! We’ll give you a shoutout in our next edition. If you have any questions, reply to this email and share your valuable feedback so we can aim to address them in our upcoming editions!

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