How to Target Gen Z as a Business

By: Modesty Sanchez

Since Gen Z is such a young generation, filled with teens and twenty-somethings still figuring out their identity (and the trajectory of their lives), it’s unsurprising that their interests fluctuate and change as well. Nevermind how confusing that must be for Gen Zers themselves, but how do you and your brand adapt to their ever-changing preferences and truly capture their attention? 

The best way to adapt to the changing trends is to focus on the ubiquitous: while Gen Z is constantly in flux, they never stray from their core values. As a generation committed to social justice and political action, Gen Z prioritizes uplifting certain ideals that correlate with this dedication. This means if you want your brand to target Gen Z, you need to prove how serious you are about their value system. 

For example, if you have a campaign that stresses the importance of racial and body diversity by including diverse models, the likelihood of catching Gen Z’s attention increases tenfold. They will instantly recognize your effort to increase representation of people who have historically been absent from advertisement campaigns. As such, they will be more inclined to patronize your business. 

Likewise, if your brand is eco-conscious in any way, then it’s definitely in your best interest to highlight that. Gen Z is very concerned with climate change, which means they prioritize green energy. They want their money to help the planet, and if they know that your brand is doing its part to work toward a greener Earth, they’ll be more than happy to check it out. They know that their generation and the ones after it will have to live with the effects of the climate crisis, so any brand that aims to mitigate that damage will automatically intrigue Gen Z (and attract their wallets!). 

But Gen Z isn’t only about serious topics like climate change and politics. As a perennially online generation, their other love, of course, is memes. So throw a Spongebob into your advertisement campaign, feature a beloved celebrity reaction pic, or drop a reference to an internet joke. Despite Gen Z’s very serious interest in social justice, they are still fanatical about the frivolity that only internet comedy can provide, so anyone who can show off a grasp of this comedy will immediately grab their attention. If you can show that your brand understands Gen Z’s brand of humor, you’ll have way more success earning their business. 

This is a great foundation for your brand to work with as you attempt to reel Gen-Z customers in, but if you would like the input of an actual Gen-Z creative, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Adolescent Content! We can connect you with one of our myriad talented Gen Zers.