Inc Magazine states that, “According to research from Bloomberg, Gen Z will surpass Millennials in 2019 as the most populous generation, comprising roughly 32 percent of the population.” As marketers, we need to redefine ourselves and relook at the way we market to the Gen Z population. The new book, The Gen Z Frequency by Gregg L Witt and Derek E Baird, suggests a direction to secure their buying power.
The Gen Z Frequency – How brands tune in & build credibility, is a well-written and well-researched book by two of the experts in the industry . Gregg Witt is a youth marketing strategist and Derek Baird is a youth digital strategist and educational technologist. Both work with major brands across the country.
The Gen Z population are the true digital natives. They don’t know a world without technology and they tend to be tuned to many different platforms simultaneously. They use emojis, memes and GIFs to get their point across and, so should brands targeting this population. Listening to what they are saying on Instagram and Snapchat can help a brand redefine their marketing to this demographic.
There’s a few things to do to try to connect with the Gen Z population including: 1) defining and positioning the brand so that you are unique and provide stories that are engaging; 2) be trustworthy and earn their respect; find out what is important to this group and be relevant; 3) what is it that you offer that is unique and touches their strings; 4) create a positive experience that is meaningful.
Interestingly, as I read The Gen Z Frequency, I kept thinking about my son. This book was spot on when describing the Gen Z population saying that they were politically active, care deeply about social issues and are always connected.
Although we tend to group people, the Gen Z population prefers to be defined within subgroups.
One of the things that Gen Z’ers are known for is being connected. Youtube is their favorite social site, with Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter following.
There was also a whole section on influencer marketing and how this type of marketing is quite useful.
The Gen Z Frequency – How brands tune in & build credibility is worth having on your bookshelf to refer to when marketing to the growing Gen Z population. With this group soon becoming the major buying power, it’s important to learn to “talk the same language.”
Buy the book at Amazon for $23.96.
