Gen Z is coming of age — happy 24th to the oldest among them. At 48 percent non-white, they are racially and ethnically more diverse than the exceptionally diverse Millennials at 44 percent. While Millennials are the first generation of digital natives, we challenge you to find a Gen Zer who remembers life before smartphones.
Gen Z represents an estimated $143 billion in annual spending power. This doesn’t even include the $127 billion spent on their behalf each year. Although it’s difficult to predict the effect of the pandemic on future earnings, a study by Oxford Economics and reported by Bloomberg projects that Gen Z’s future earnings will reach $2 trillion by 2030. So, you’ll definitely want to include them as part of your marketing strategy.
If you’re not targeting Gen Z this holiday season, or worse, hoping your Millennial strategy will do, we’ve got tips for you to reach this group successfully. But before we get to that, who are Gen Z, and what do they want?
Want to know what Gen Z thinks of your brand messaging, ads, ideas, or brand? We have teams of youth to help answer your questions, test your content/prototypes, and give you valuable insights from a diverse group of youth all over the world. Get answers directly from Gen Z researchers about everything.
Gen Z has its own language, its own channels, and its own resonance. If you've struggled to keep up with Gen Z, then it’s time to talk to Adolescent.
We’re Adolescent Content, a global Gen Z media company. Our Gen Z team is a trusted partner to some of the world’s largest brands. We’re over here creating strategy, executions and content that reflects our own demographics and life experiences. Gen Z is all about innovation on our own frequency, and what we create looks nothing like traditional marketing created for our parents and grandparents.
Gen Z is expected to have huge spending power by 2026. Just as with Millennials before them, brands must cultivate brand loyalty and start building those relationships early. As already mentioned, Gen Zers are mindful of how they spend money, so brands must be value-driven. Although not persuaded by a logo, data indicates Gen Z will invest in a wide variety of products and services when you build trust with them.
Roughly half of Gen Z adults get their news from social media, including YouTube and TikTok. They care about the news and what’s happening in the world, but they have more faith in social media sources than they do in traditional media. Plus, social media is where they hang out.
Gen Z is a skeptical group, and they want to trust the brands they buy from. They expect their favorite brands to stand for the values they believe in. They don’t expect your brand to champion every cause. But what’s “good” about your company?
• Are your manufacturing practices ethical?
• Do you use images of real customers in your ads?
• Are you stewards of the environment?
• Do you give back to the community?
• Do you respect your employees?
• Do you stand up to social injustice?
Leading companies use social media to build online communities and demonstrate what their brands stand for. Gen Z seeks authenticity. But because they are young, they are in no rush to build brand loyalties. If they find what they value in your brand, you can capture their hearts and a share of their business. If you’re not giving Gen Z what they want, your competitors will.
Want to know how your brand fits in with our big vision? At Adolescent Content, our Research and Insights Division can immediately tap into our think tank of over 50,000 Youth teller respondents from around the globe, ready to arm you with important information. Through this vast web of Gen Z insight, you get an insider understanding of what is relevant to us, where we hang out, and how your brand can authentically connect with us.
Brand awareness is all about telling a compelling story to the right people in a way they can understand and connect with. But you first must know who you’re talking to.
At Adolescent Content, we get real insights and data from our proprietary network of Gen Z consultants who use everything from cutting-edge AI research tools right down to real face-to-face conversations. Your brand, messaging, and ideas will be tested by our team of researchers and creators who are fluent in:
QualQuant research tools
Surveys and polling
Creating trend and culture reports
Creating in-the-moment video ethnographies
Engaging in deep social listening
Conducting brand and creative audits
Talking one-on-one with the right people
At Adolescent Content, we are Gen Z, and we know the Gen Z perspective. From our research, we develop a 360-ad campaign that is then further tested across our network. When was the last time your ad agency offered this kind of brand focus?
Research tells us that we represent 32 percent of the world’s population, and we spend $143 BILLION globally each year. But try to capture our attention in the wrong places or in the wrong way and you have lost the power that we are.
We believe in
Inclusivity – We represent all, not just some. Over 85% of our creators are BIPOC, female-identifying, or LGBTQ+.
Global reach – Whether we live in a rural outpost or the inner city, we know how to use technology to connect with each other.
Authenticity – We can tell phony from a mile away.
Honesty – Don’t feed us a line of dishonest media marketing. We will know and tune it out.
Equitable opportunity – We want to see more opportunities for emerging BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creators in advertising and entertainment.
Sustainability and caring about our world – The future is in our hands. Join us and you’ll watch us change the world. In fact, you can help change it right along with us.
Right now, there is a huge generational divide between existing brands and our demographic. Are you struggling to connect with us? At Adolescent Content, we can show you how.
Just like the technology we surround ourselves with, Gen Z is in a constant state of flux. You can’t set it and forget it because we will be different tomorrow. So how do you keep relevant? By understanding the target. Being a part of the conversation. Knowing what’s connecting this week and who left the stage. With Gen Z, your brand must be as relevant today as it was a few short weeks ago. Because that’s how fast we move.
Since 2013, Adolescent Content has helped brands connect with Gen Z by offering research, high-quality insight, inventive campaign strategies, and media content developed by Gen Zers, for Gen Zers. We offer you ways to understand and communicate with our generation of consumers that will go on to create newer and ever-changing markets.
© 2023 Adolescent Content, a Certified Women-Owned Business