As email marketers get closer and closer to mastering their communication to Millennials, the younger generation is rounding the corner with their own set of rules: Generation Z.
While Millennials are considered to be people who reached young adulthood around the year 2000, Generation Z – more commonly known as Gen Z – is defined as those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Currently made up of pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults, Gen Z is the most connected, educated and sophisticated generation yet, and their influence is not to be underestimated.
As Gen Z just begins to enter the workforce and gain purchasing power, email marketers must earnestly work to understand the characteristics, habits, and preferences of this technologically savvy population group. While it is nearly impossible (and unwise) to make blanket statements about generations, here are four visible Gen Z trends that should not be ignored:
Socially Responsible
With 24/7 news coverage and seemingly limitless connectivity, Gen Z has more exposure to global current events, triumphs, and tragedies than any other generation. With this knowledge, Gen Z is more likely than their predecessors to turn to companies that make the world a better place. With this in mind, companies should allocate time and resources to making their business better for the world, and brand communicators should emphasize and reinforce socially responsible business strategies, tactics, and initiatives when speaking with Gen Z.
Global-Minded
Thanks to smart devices, Gen Z has grown up with the world at their fingertips. As Gen Z’ers grew up and came online, their thinking, interactions, and relatability extends farther than any prior generation. Thanks to this global connectivity, Generation Z is often more likely to relate to other people around the world their age than people of different ages in their own country. This shift in relatability directly impacts how marketers think about segmentation and targeting as geographical relativity takes a back seat to age and lifestyle characteristics.
Technology Pros
There’s no question that Gen Z is the most technologically-advanced population segment on earth. Having grown up in the booming digital era, Gen Z’ers are 25% more likely than Millennials to say they are addicted to their digital devices. If the demographic keeps up current technological trends – like trading cable TV for streaming or building up social media platforms as quickly as they burn others to the ground – advertisers and marketers will need to innovate current marketing strategies to contend with new content consumption trends.
Less Focused
Gen Z presents an uphill battle for email marketers already trying to standout in crowded inboxes, because the up and coming generation is less-focused than the forerunners thanks to a world of continuous updates. While Gen Z can process information faster than older generations have in the past, their attention span is noticeably lower than those that came before them. Email marketers must work to create smaller, but “louder” campaigns that can be quickly and easily digested, while also satiating the need for information and updates.
While the influence of Millennials still cannot be understated, it’s critical that marketing professionals begin learning and understanding the traits and trends of the world’s newest, and arguably most powerful, consumers. It’s time to focus on Gen Z.