How to reach Gen Z?
The generation of youngsters born after the mid-1990s is growing up with the technology from the start, hence is considerably changing online perception and consumption. Their every-day existence is highly dependent on the connection with the digital world and reliance upon the newest technologies. Analytics indicate the generation represents a buying power of $44 billion, and is shifting the online mentality from broadcasting anything to sharing specific stories to specific networks. Their behavior may be described on the example of social media they are connected to – instead of using Facebook as the primary network, gen Z is fond of the newest alternatives like Instagram and Snapchat.
Post-Millennials are accustomed to quick filtering of information and deciding what is interesting for them, and are prodigiously selective in making purchase decisions; they are growing in the world that communicates using GIFs, emojis or memes. According to a survey made by Deep Focus (on a sample of 902 US-based Gen Z respondents), 63% of Post-Millennials prefer to see ads with real people, and almost 70% of them seek for realistic content without any unlikely narratives. Hence, the content they are served has to be compelling and engaging; products should embody their beliefs, independence, and allow personalization, otherwise the message will only be scrolled down. Your brand should not seek for perfection. To truly reach this generation, you have to build a relationship with them, show them a trusted connection and let them participate. Hence, humanization, introduction of the brand personality, and independence is the key.
New hiring trends
Gen Z is changing seemingly unchangeable processes as well: let’s consider hiring as an example. To hire a competent Millennial, a company should upgrade the hiring process, e.g. by employing a Behavior Event Interview strategy and omitting hypothetical questions like “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”. The approach may be a proper way to identify predictable behavior of a candidate on the basis of his/her past life experience.
Technologies allow coming up with unusual hiring solutions as well. In cooperation with Promiseo, one IT company with a subsidiary in Košice has opted for the gamification of the hiring process. A candidate logs in to a website created for the hiring purposes and uploads his/her CV to a database. After that, the candidate has a possibility to take a 15-question quiz that contains questions related to a position they are applying to; he/she is awarded points after every correct answer. Not to forget the social aspect, each user may share his/her earned points on Facebook. In order to persuade candidates to take part in a hiring game, based on the points scored, users are also competing for attractive prices. In the end, both participating groups are satisfied. Recruiters are in hold of a rich database of proper candidates that have already been tested by a quiz, i.e. they can judge the applicants more precisely, while the candidates are, apart from being invited for an oral interview if they are found suitable for a position, enjoying a game.
Current trends unequivocally suggest that the Gen Z is a strong market segment that not only shapes the marketing progress, but is influential in other business-related fields as well. Hence, the behavior of Post-Millennials and the way they modify the market will certainly be an indicator of the future state of the ever-changing industry.
Viktória Margitová, Online Marketing Specialist, Promiseo s.r.o.
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