How Generation Z uses technology, social media, and what Generation Z wants from the workplace are different than previous generations. So it should come as no surprise that how Generation Z wants to be marketed to and how they want to make purchases will also be different.
Generation Z is already financially empowered. In fact, 81 percent of Generation Z are making purchases on their own. In addition, 93 percent of parents say their Generation Z kids have at least some influence on their family’s spending and household purchases. Whether or not you're marketing directly to Generation Z, they have a powerful direct and indirect influence on buying decisions which makes them an important demographic to begin understanding.
20 Insights for Effectively Marketing to Generation Z
Media and Advertising
Generation Z is the most ad-averse, video-centric, and YouTube-influenced generation to date.
- 83 percent of Generation Z are familiar with the term “fake news” and 62 percent ignore the news that they think is fake.
- 82 percent of Generation Z in Netflix-only homes don't know what commercials are and 38 percent in regulr television homes don't know what commercials are.
- 82 percent of Generation Z would skip or avoid ads (versus 65 percent of Millennials).
- The top four jobs 6-17-year-old Generation Zers want are: “YouTuber” (blogger/vlogger), musician/singer, actor, and filmmaker. This is a clear reflection of the media that influences this generation.
Social Media
Generation Z is influenced by peers, innovative platforms, and social media influencers.
- 85 percent of Generation Z uses social media to learn about new products.
- 62 percent of Generation Z considers their friends to have the most impact on buying decisions.
- 21 percent of Generation Z say Snapchat affects their purchase decisions — 2x higher than Millennials.
- 62 percent of Generation Z said they have returned items based on feedback from social media sites (versus only 25 percent of Millennials).
- 63 percent of Generation Z said they’d try a brand or product suggested by a YouTuber while only 46 percent said that was true for a movie star.
Connected Buyers
Generation Z wants a mobile and secure online experience that supplements their offline experience.
- 81 percent of Generation Z are making purchases on their own, with 59 percent having made a purchase via a mobile app.
- 46 percent of Generation Z said that data security and privacy is a must-have to keep their business.
- More than 90 percent of Generation Z said that a strong Wi-Fi signal is important to them and their overall shopping experience.
- 64 percent of Generation Z stated that they would likely use a retailer’s app to make an in-store payment.
- Generation Z’s top shopping website is Amazon (43 percent).
Buying Preferences
Generation Z’s leading spending categories are experiences, food, and athleisure.
- 62 percent of Generation Z prefer to spend their money on an experience rather than buying something material.
- 47 percent of Generation Z say that they spend money on experiences with friends on a weekly basis.
- Almost 25 percent of Generation Z’s budget is spent on eating out—top restaurants are Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Chipotle.
- 41 percent of Generation Z said they would be willing to pay a premium for “healthier” products (vs 32 percent of Millennials).
- 41 percent of Generation Z named an athletic apparel brand as their preferred apparel brand, Nike and Adidas were the top athleisure brands.
- 47 percent of Generation Z are using their phones as their primary source for online apparel shopping, compared to 39 percent of Millennials and 37 percent of Generation X and Boomers.
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