Born between 1995 and 2010, Generation Z, or colloquially Gen Z, represents roughly 20% of the UK population, so it’s a sizeable and significant chunk of the market.
Gen Z grew up with technology, social media and the internet and can be described as digital natives. Being digitally diverse does mean it can be difficult to cut through the noise and get their attention. Here are some insights that may help you reach this audience.
Meet your audience where they hang out
OOH [out of home] can be a key channel to target Gen Z, as 58% of Gen Z trust messaging they have seen on OOH.
A smart approach would be digital screen advertising placed within premium student accommodation hubs. You are reaching this captive audience in their living, social and entertaining spaces, leading to long dwell times. Gen Z invest in lifestyle experiences, and so would be a great channel to shout out about your upcoming show or event.
Also, hanging out doesn’t have to be in the real world… did you know that 87% of Gen Z game weekly? And did you also know that there are advertising opportunities within games?! [mind blown]. In-game advertising is a thing – get in touch to find out how to place your brand in front of a highly-engaged gaming audience.
Green advertising
As the first generation to grow up with climate change as a defining issue, Gen Z is deeply concerned about the environment and expects companies to prioritise sustainability in their business practices.
Clean Advertising (also known as Street Advertising or Reverse Graffiti) is a very effective and friendlier to the planet method to get your message onto the streets. Quite literally, your advert can be cleaned onto dirty pavements in targeted locations. These are particularly great for local advertising or providing directions to a store!
Use comedy in your messaging
More than other generations, Gen Z is most engaged when advertising is humorous or entertaining. More than half (52%) prefer creative and entertaining advertising, while only 42% of Baby Boomers, 44% of Millennials and 40% of Generation X agree.
This recent billboard campaign from Audible aligned with their comedic TV ad perfectly and certainly had our office in giggles. Give your Gen Z audience something stand-out and they will be sure to share with their BFFF’s [best friends/family/followers!]
And not to worry if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to a custom build billboard –even a smaller scale billboard can have a brilliant effect, just like this simple Taxi bus stop ad.
Be authentic
A 2021 Ernst & Young survey about Gen Z found young people value “trust, transparency and authenticity” and will turn away from anything or anyone that appears inauthentic. Embodying these values means treating your customers as more than just a source of profit and not sacrificing long-term trust for a short-term gimmick. As an idea, use real people in your next campaign and ditch the photoshop to connect with your target audience in a genuine way!
We’ve got lots more ideas up our sleeve of how to create engaging campaigns to reach Gen Z, so get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.
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