For so many years the focus has been on what Millennials want, even though the market warrants a shift in focus to Generation Z. This is the group of people that were born in the mid 1990s and have never lived in a world without the Internet. In fact, smart technology is expected because they grew up with Smartphones. However, they are acquainted with difficulty because they were also growing up during a recession when unemployment was high. These are just some of the factors that have shaped Generation Z.
Print marketing is a powerful tool for promoting products and services, but it’s easy to fail if you don’t truly understand your target market. You must know what they need and expect. If you’re developing a print marketing campaign focused on the Generation Z demographics, you should be aware that assumptions made about this group are not always correct. In fact, you might be surprised to find out that many assumptions are the opposite of reality. Let’s delve a bit deeper.
1. Personalization
There’s an opportunity these days for just about any marketing material to be customized, especially given the availability of data. Print can contain messages that are tailored to your target audience. If that happens to be Generation Z, you should know that they actually expect personalization. They don’t want to waste time wading through information that’s considered irrelevant to their lives. Subsequently, it’s important to be straightforward and get to the point of how you can satisfy their wants and needs. This should be done in a way that is trustworthy and respectful. The root of this sentiment is that Generation Z expects to be gratified instantly with curated information.
2. Financial Focus
You might think Generation Z is all about spending money. As it turns out, that’s not the case. They have a greater appreciation and respect for money than others. In fact, being thrifty is valued above spending money. Studies by Ernst & Young have revealed that Generation Z actually influences the spending habits and behaviors of their parents. This means they are more likely to choose smart fashion because it lasts longer. Other generations might choose fast fashion, which often leads to frequent shopping and wastefulness, but this is not the case with Generation Z. If a brand does not perform well, it won’t likely become a favorite of this demographic.
Along the lines of having a financial focus, Generation Z is also focused on their career and building financial security. This isn’t necessarily about making money to spend it. It’s about establishing a long-lasting career. This often leads to a desire for business relationships that endure and they’re willing to put in the effort. All of these tendencies are why print marketing for Generation Z should have a financial focus.
3. Delivering on Promises
Delivering on promises might be the most important element of marketing for Generation Z. Failure to do so will become problematic. Whatever is promised by a brand should be delivered, otherwise there could be long-term consequences because Generation Z tends to be far less forgiving than any other generation. In fact, many brands use Generation Z to gauge quality since they are the best barometer of what would be considered acceptable. There are other generations that are far more loyal to brands, which means they are more forgiving of mistakes made and promises broken. This is not the case with Generation Z. Whatever you promise in print marketing should be factual.
There’s often a lot of talk about technology, for good reason. It shapes just about every aspect of our lives. However, when it comes to print marketing, there is proof that some things in life never change. There are aspects of the human mind that isn’t necessarily shaped by innovation, but instead by innate desires. When it comes to Generation Z, those desires happen to be personalization, financial stability and having the integrity to deliver on your promises. For decades, there has been a tendency to look down on the youngest generation. However, what we see with Generation Z are admirable traits that we should all possess.
