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Call Sales: +1 (833) 437-3835
Revel | April 16, 2018 |
While a lot of Gen Z hasn’t even entered the workforce yet, their economic influence is substantial. The members of this cohort, people born from the mid-90s and later, are the first generation to be total digital natives. This makes them very unique in their shopping patterns, and for brands an unmarked territory.
Never knowing a life without Internet, Gen Z’s consumer behavior is totally different from that of their predecessors. The old rules do not apply anymore. And for the Z’s not spending their own money? Marketers and brands still need to pay attention because 93% of parents say their children influence family spending and household purchases.
In this article we dig deeper into this youngest generations buying patterns.
Gen Z are heavy multi-device users. Not only are they using multiple devices, smartphone, iPad, desktop, etc., they are active online users, 44% of Gen Z check their social media at least hourly. These voracious consumers are used to switching from device to device, channel to channel, as one cohesive experience.
Efficiency is incredibly important. And a few seconds delay can be a purchase deal breaker, with nearly half of Gen Z saying that the most important thing while shopping is to find things quickly. And if an app or website is too slow over 60% say they will not use it. Brands need to not only have an omnichannel strategy but need to optimize each platform to ensure speedy upload times, and a simple and efficient user experience. Take a page from Domino’s Zero Click Ordering!
Brand distrust is pervasive among Gen Z. This generation has watched some of the biggest marketing and company blunders of all time – from data compromising to insensitive advertising – and they are more likely to abandon these brands than any generation before them.
77% of Gen Z prefer ads that show real people in real situations and 65% dislike ads that make life look perfect. Building trust and transparency into your mission and marketing is key.
| See More: What Is Brand Authenticity And Why Is It Important? |
With 80% of purchases made by this generation influenced by social media, the channels making the biggest impact are: Instagram (44%), Snapchat (21%) and YouTube (32%). Social media selling isn’t a one size fits all approach, each channel serves a different purpose to the user and this is important in recognizing your brand’s presence on each channel. The key is to find the right balance of tailored content with a consistent and transferable mission statement.
To embed authenticity within your marketing, leverage social media influencers that fit the aesthetic and brand of your business and encourage and share user-generated content.
Armed with the Internet at their fingertips, Gen Z is accustomed to doing pre-shopping research on their phones. A significant jump from their predecessors, millennials – Gen Z spends twice as much time on their phones than millennials. This means that brands need to have an online presence that is optimized for the mobile experience. This could either be a mobile site or a native app.
The above trends prove that brands being online is simply table stakes to capture the attention of this generation. But that isn’t to muddy the importance, and in fact increasing importance, of the physical store. Common misconception is that Gen Z is abandoning in-store purchasing, but a study by NRF debunks this idea. It identified that 98% of Gen Z still does some of their shopping in stores and 67% shop in brick and mortar stores most of the time.
This resurgence of the in-store experience still needs to be met with a digital strategy. From an in-store iPad POS System to targeted social ads – build a seamless multi-touch in store and online customer journey.
Don’t Zzz on Gen Z60 million strong and growing, Gen Z’s unique psychographics are influencing the way brands sell, market, and connect to their customers. Choose adoption over disruption, and outfit your business with next gen iPad POS System technology. Learn more about how Revel can help brick-and-mortars attract and retain the Zs.
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