Introduction
Generation Z, or Gen Z as they are commonly referred, includes individuals born between 1997 and 2012. That means, in 2025 a single individual that belongs to this group can be up to 28 years old!
This was the first generation that was born into the world of the internet, and they were the first people that used mobile phones, and tablets from a very young age. And now, they’re growing up. Most of them are even old enough to not just have unique ideas of what to buy, but they also earn money and buy items, and services from their own income.
That means the time has come to understand, target them, and optimize our marketing strategy based on their behaviors. In this article, we will get you through the five most important things you need to be aware of when you want Gen Z buyers in your shop. But first, let’s start with the basics.
What makes Gen Z unique?
We already highlighted the fact that they were the first mobile kids, and had initial contact with the internet. In some aspects, they even taught their parents about the online atmosphere, general behavior, trends, and the code of ethics.
They know how the internet works more than anybody! On top of that, they have changed because of the internet. Recent statistics pointed out that Gen Z is more likely to be annoyed by monotonous activities, have decreased attention spans, have better health objectives, and have a general “carpe diem” feeling.
In the Western world, around 20% of the population can be considered “Gen Z”, but in the Middle East, and Latin America, this ratio is even higher than that.
Most of them now are above 18, and they actively work. However, they have different work ethics than their older colleagues. They don’t want to be part of a rat race, instead they want to live in every moment. They change their job often, and if they are not satisfied, they communicate that in an honest way.
Five tips how on to optimize your marketing strategy for Gen Z
As you can already guess, Gen Z requires new approaches to achieve some attention. The bad thing is, that there is no perfectly effective instructional book of what they need in what portion. But the good thing is also connected to this: if you find out the key to their heart, and understand what they really need, you can establish a market advantage that makes your brand stronger than ever.
1. One mistake loses it all!
20 years ago most of the consumers only concentrated on the product they buy.
- Is it better than the others?
- What additional features does it have?
- How practical is it?
Well, these questions are all in Gen Z’s head as well, but they have other questions deeply concentrated on the brand itself.
In the past, a brand’s miscommunication had a lesser effect on each product they offer. It generated a negative impact, but not as big as in the cases of Gen Z. Through social media they can even boycott brands after an offensive post, or inappropriate behavior, and completely shatter the sales of the brand. Look at Balenciaga, for example. They needed to rebuild themselves from the bottom, as Gen Z’s were furious about their posts.
A Gen Z marketing strategy requires backup plans as well. That’s why you always need a crisis communication plan to react immediately. The velocity of information is really high across Gen Z’s. Gen Z content creators, celebrities, and influencers distribute the information quicker than ever, and you have no power to stop it.
2. Your brand needs a story
Gen Z’s love story behind the brand! A vision that explains a long-term commitment. A mission that makes it clear how you want to get there.
- What does your brand represent?
- What do you want to change in the world with your brand?
- What positive attributes do your brand represent?
You need to get answers to all of them to convince Gen Z buyers. European car manufacturers have been struggling with their sales in the last couple of years. One portion of the problem is that they can’t concentrate on the future enough. China was the first who understood Gen Z’ new car purchasing habits.
They don’t want to buy a loud car, or the car with the best driving experience. They rather want a future-oriented story: electric, self-driving cars that not only make their life easier but also their successors.
Your story not only needs to appear in certain marketing content, but also your core business elements: your logo, the color combination of your brand, and even when you register a domain name you must harmonize this with your story to get them involved.
3. Don’t let them get bored
Recent studies show how our attention span decreased. The most dramatic negative change was observed in Gen Z, nowadays their attention span is approximately 8 seconds. That’s how long they can focus before getting distracted.
If this generation loses its attention, they go and discover something else. They don’t give a second chance. A well-written content or even the perfect pictures demonstrating a product can’t save you from being replaced.
It is not a coincidence that real estate websites started to introduce 3D tours on their website. In a tour like this, the user can look around the building without going to the real location. It both makes the user’s life easier and makes an exciting impact on their first impression.
Your marketing strategy needs to include video content with fast cuts, an effective build-up, and engaging audio.
4. Strive for a good relationship with your audience
Connection is everything. Studies show that a business needs to spend 10 times more to convince a new buyer for a purchase, than selling to a current customer.
That’s not a new discovery. However, there is something that has changed: the attitude of Gen Z. They no longer stay committed if the brand puts its own objectives to the front. They don’t want to make the company rich, they want their own privileges.
Brands needed to switch their objectives, and became customer-centric just to demonstrate their commitment to this generation.They implemented loyalty programs to give rewards to their most loyal customers, often including thoughtful promotional gifts as a tangible way to show appreciation and strengthen brand loyalty. But it’s not enough: they try to stimulate them to share their ideas, and even phrase critics about the brand to establish something together.
An atmosphere where there is a mutually beneficial agreement between the buyer and the seller, and the goal is not to take advantage of them, but to build something together. Your marketing strategy should focus on this aspect.
5. Balance privacy with creative freedom
The most recent problem companies face is the balance between privacy and freedom. Gen Z wants both, even though increasing one often compromises the other.
However, there are some kinds of solutions that can manage these problems. The truth is, that Gen Z happily contributes some of their user data to the company in order to generate a better user experience.
They love personalized content and enjoy it when they are considered important. If you use data-gathering software to know more about their favorite genres, or how they use your site, and make this clear at the first moment, they won’t be offended.
On the other hand, they understand the difference between private data and general data and acknowledge the threats of giving out personal information. Also, they avoid those companies that force them to give out as much data as they possibly can collect.
Make sure to raise attention on how you gather your data and the benefits of this cooperation. Highlight that your desire is to make their life easier, and not to earn more money. If you can communicate this effectively, and your next activities are in harmony with your past statements, they will reward you.
Conclusion
In this article, we presented the unique characteristics of Gen Z’s, and the reasons why we need to handle them separately. We also shared five tips on how to optimize your marketing strategy to them, and how to generate positive attitudes from them.
Don’t forget: Gen Z’s are no better or worse than you were, they just look at the world in a completely different way!