Are your promotions failing to land with younger audiences? This may help.
Snapchat has published a new research report, in partnership with BBDO NY, which digs deeper into what Gen Z is seeking from brands, and how many brands are failing to resonate with younger audiences.
As explained by Snap:
“Everyone wants a piece of Gen Z. But brands seem to be getting it wrong when it comes to connecting with them, likely because they’ve flattened the most diverse generation into cliches. And Gen Z feels it – 76% of global Gen Zers say they actively avoid ads.”
And Snap would know, given its predominantly young audience.
Snapchat’s new report incorporates responses from 6,000 Gen Z social platform users aged between 13 and 27, from six markets (U.S., U.K., CA, FR, DE, AUS), providing a broad scope of responses from younger users.
Based on this, Snap has published five pointers to maximize brand connection among younger users.
First off, Snapchat says that younger users put more emphasis on social causes, and social advocacy, as opposed to flaunting status.
As per Snap:
“70% of global Gen Zers say they would assign more status to a figure who advocates for causes on a global scale, while 59% would assign less status to those who display their wealth on social platforms.”
So it’s less about showcasing a high wealth lifestyle, and more about connection to social issues, which will resonate more within brand messaging.
Which is further reinforced by Snap’s second key finding:
“60% of global Gen Zers said they only purchase items from brands whose values they agree with. Across verticals, Gen Z said they’d be willing to spend more on brands that aligned with their values.”
Essentially, Gen Z is willing to pay more for products if brands stand by their values, which Snap says is an important shift of note.
The data also shows that Gen Z users rank their values differently in different regions.
As you can see, the general themes here are universal, but each region has a different focus, which is another trend of note.
The data also shows that Gen Z values hard work, with 69% of respondents indicating that they would assign higher value to a figure who works hard and has multiple streams of income. In addition, 38% of respondents said that they’ve started caring more about discipline in the past year.
Finally, Snapchat also has a tip for legacy brands:
“Gen Z are open to legacy brands being part of cultural moments and talking to them directly. Almost half of global Gen Zers said they’re interested in legacy brands marketing directly to them by tapping into viral moments authentically or leveraging creators. In fact, 65% of global Gen Zers said they prefer brand content that is created by creators.”
Overall, the report provides some interesting pointers for brands looking to connect with Gen Z, and maximize their appeal among younger audiences. And Snapchat provides an avenue for exactly that, with the platform maintaining its place as the key connective tool for many young users.
You can check out Snapchat’s full Gen Z brand connection study here.
