Instagram for young people, Google for adults: Research reveals how each generation discovers products in Brazil

The purchasing behavior of Brazilians is no longer uniform; it is defined by date of birth. This is what the research points to. “The New Purchase Journey: Consumption by Generation in Brazil”, conducted by mLabs in partnership with Conversion. The survey draws a clear map of digital fragmentation: while young people from Generation Z have turned Instagram and TikTok into their primary storefronts, the audience over 45 still sees Google as the main safe harbor to start a purchase.

The study analyzed the habits of four distinct demographic groups, revealing how technology and traditional channels overlap in different ways for each age group.

Gen Z: The Era of Algorithms and AI

For Generation Z (young people aged 16 to 28), product discovery is passive and mediated by recommendation algorithms. Instagram Instagram dominates absolutely with 87% 86% preference as a discovery channel, followed closely by TikTok (80%)..

One striking finding is the new role of Google for this group: with 70.5% usage, the search engine is no longer the starting point but has become a tool for validating something seen on social networks. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence is now on par with television: both hold 39.5% relevance in this audience's purchase journey.

Millennials: The Hybrid Link

Millennials (29 to 44 years old) act as a bridge between the analog and the extreme digital. Their behavior is more scattered: Instagram leads (83.5%), but the competition for second place is fierce between YouTube (73.5%) and Google (72%). The use of AI to discover products already reaches 35.5% of this group, signaling progressive technological adoption.

Generation X and Boomers: The Power of Search and TV

As the age bracket rises, the logic reverses. For Generation X (45 to 60 years old), Google Google retakes the throne as the main discovery channel (84%75.5%), surpassing social networks. Television maintains considerable strength (56.5%), and physical stores are still the starting point for 32% of consumers.

Among Baby Boomers Boomers (61 to 79 years old), the pattern is even more traditional. Google leads with 77.5%, while YouTube (58.5%) and TV (58%) share attention almost equally. This is the generation that most values in-person contact: 37.5% still discover new things by walking through physical stores, the highest rate in the study.

The Challenge for Companies

For the market, the data impose the end of “one-size-fits-all” strategies. Cintia Mendes, Head of Commercial at Globalsys, a company specializing in technology and innovation for retail, warns of the need for adaptation.

“The data shows that the purchase journey in Brazil is increasingly fragmented and influenced by generational profile. Understanding these patterns is essential for companies that wish to communicate more assertively in a rapidly evolving digital environment,”, states the executive.

The survey reinforces that, for brands seeking relevance in 2025, it is not enough to be on the internet; it is necessary to be on the right platform, speaking the language of the generation one intends to reach.