Have you ever stopped to think about how brands communicate with Generation Z, what are people aged 13 to 27? To answer this question, the InstitutoZ, research arm of theTrope – Generation Z and Alpha consulting – analyzed the trends regarding the topic and the main discussions about creativity in events such asVidconandCannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Both events took place in June 2024 andLuiz Menezes, founder of the company, attended both in person. GenZ has been setting the rules of the game, influencing others and defining what iscringe, what iscooland, therefore, the brands want to hang out with her at recess. But how to navigate a fragmented generation in online micro-communities?”, questions
According to Luiz, the new generations master this well and, for this reason, the formation of community has become essential in the strategy of brands involved in the creator economy. Communities are groups of people who share common interests, what is extremely relevant for Generation Z, because they make them feel like they belong to something. And these communities are born from 'connection'
Data from InstitutoZ indicates that 55% of the winning campaignsCannes Lionsand 50% of the panels of theVidconthey addressed the concept of 'connection' in some way. Generations Z and Alpha form real connections in the virtual environment, and the trend is that the digital and physical worlds will increasingly integrate. That is to say, brands need to be attentive to adapt and communicate better with their target audience
To do this with mastery, Luiz explains that connection should be the protagonist in conversations and that there are several ways to connect with new generations, whether for representativeness or for authenticity, and is more effective when both are together. Representativeness allows more people to identify with the brand, and authenticity ensures it stays true to its purpose without being just more of the same
The specialist explains that, nowadays, one of the main business challenges for large companies is precisely to reach these new consumers. "Linear strategies and the sales funnel are not the same for Gen Z and Gen Alpha", that interact with brands at different touchpoints, in a fractional way, and non-linear, reveals Luiz
During VidCon, a survey from Paramount was presented, that evaluated aspects of Generation Alpha, what are those born from 2010. According to the data, there are 48 million people from this generation in the US, what represents 15% of the population. The estimate is that they will impact the economy by US$ 5,4 trillion in the coming years. According to the IBGE census, 19,75% of the population of Brazil is Gen Alpha, around 40 million people
For Luiz, despite several common characteristics, the worldview of Generation Alpha is very different from Generation Z, because since birth they are already inserted in a multicultural reality. According to him, the trend is that it will be a more diverse generation, what will change the functioning of consumption logic and relationships in the way we know.
In this sense, personalized products and services can be the key to success for brands. One of the panels at Cannes Lions presented a survey by Dentsu Creative, which indicates that 87% of marketing professionals in China say they need a specific marketing strategy for Generation Z and 80% of global marketing professionals agree with this finding. That is to say, it is a global statement
For this reason, Luiz Menezes gives three tips for brands to communicate better with Generation Z and Alpha in practice
- For the generation of multiplicity, strange is the absence of diversity
- Filtering by interest groups and not just by demographic segments
- Transparency and revealing the process create connection (human and vulnerable brands)
The specialist emphasizes that brands need to know how to use the available tools to their advantage. Content creators can be great allies in generating genuine connection with new generations, bringing the representation and authenticity that are missing for your brand to have content that resonates positively with the target audience, finalizes
