Have you ever stopped to think about how brands communicate with Generation Z, who are people aged 13 to 27? To answer this question, the InstituteZ, the research arm of theTrope– Generation Z and Alpha consultancy – analyzed trends on the topic and the main discussions on creativity at events such asVidconandCannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Both events took place in June 2024 andLuiz Menezes, the company's founder, accompanied both in person. Gen Z is setting the rules of the game, influencing others and defining what iscringe, what is itcooland, therefore, the brands want to walk with her during recess. But how to navigate through a fragmented generation in online micro-communities?", questions."
According to Luiz, the new generations master this well and, for this reason, community building has become fundamental in the strategy of brands involved in the creator economy. Communities are groups of people who share common interests, which is extremely relevant for Generation Z because it makes them feel belonging 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 become increasingly integrated. In other words, brands need to be attentive to adapt and be able to communicate better with their target audience.
To do this masterfully, Luiz explains that the connection should be the protagonist in conversations and that there are several ways to connect with the new generations, whether through representation or authenticity, and it is more effective when both are combined. Representation allows more people to identify with the brand, and authenticity ensures it remains true to its purpose without being just 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, who interact with brands at different touchpoints, in a fragmented and non-linear manner," reveals Luiz.
During VidCon, a Paramount survey was presented that assessed aspects of Generation Alpha, those born from 2010 onwards. According to the data, there are 48 million people from this generation in the USA, representing 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 Brazil's population is Gen Alpha, approximately 40 million people.
For Luiz, despite several common characteristics, the worldview of Generation Alpha is quite different from Generation Z, as they have been immersed in a multicultural reality since birth. According to him, the trend is that it will be a more diverse generation, which will change the way consumption logic and relationships function as we know them.
In this sense, personalized products and services can be the key to success for brands. One of the Cannes Lions panels presented a Dentsu Creative survey, 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. In other words, it is a worldwide statement.
For this reason, Luiz Menezes gives three tips so that brands can communicate better with Generation Z and Alpha in practice:
- For the generation of multiplicity, the absence of diversity is strange;
- Filtering by interest groups and not just by demographics;
- Transparency and revealing the process generates connection (human and vulnerable brands).
The specialist emphasizes that brands need to know how to use the tools available to their advantage. "Content creators can be great allies in generating genuine connection with the new generations, bringing the representation and authenticity that are missing for your brand to create content that resonates positively with the target audience," he concludes.
