Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, consume media in very different ways from previous generations. Understanding a little of how they operate is important if you want to market to this generation.
Generation Z, or Gen Z, represents about 20 percent of the U.S. population (58 million), and are more ethnically diverse than previous generations, with a larger percentage of Hispanics and African Americans and a significantly smaller percentage of whites.
There are those who say that Gen Z was born with a mobile device in hand. And that is not far from the truth. This generation is not only more digitally savvy than previous generations, but they are more adept at mobile usage, with 93 percent of them owning a smartphone. And they constantly use these devices for audio and video.
According to a recent report from Edison Research, 95 percent of Gen Z will stream video to watch their favorite shows. And, according to another report from Samba TV, if they are watching on a more traditional screen, 86 percent of them will ALSO be looking at a mobile device at the same time. The report indicated that 47 percent of them will be shopping online while watching TV, with 44 percent pausing an ad to go look up a product or make a purchase. And 34 percent have used a QR code from a TV ad to purchase a product.
Listening to audio on smartphones with this group stands at 57 percent. That is over double the amount for older groups, who only spend 27 percent of their time listening to audio on smartphones. Listening to music makes up the majority of the time Gen Z spends on their phones, with almost 83 percent. Their main sources for music are streaming audio (35%) and YouTube (24%).
With 93 percent of Gen Z using social media, this often becomes their source for ideas of what to watch and what to listen to, with 76 percent saying they go to social media channels to determine what to watch. Top social media sites for Gen Z include Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, with Facebook coming in fourth. But when you look at time spent on the sites, Facebook moves up to a close third position and Snapchat falls to number 4.
According to one report, Gen Z is diverse and open minded, and they have a lot on their minds. They want context around important issues and events in their lives, the right “meme” that expresses their feelings, a place they can go to relax, and authenticity. Reaching this generation can be a challenge but not insurmountable. It just requires a lit bit of thinking outside the box.
Let Infinity Concepts help you reach Generation Z.
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