5 Mistakes brands make when targeting Gen Z
There is no shortage of marketing articles about how to target Gen-Z - the most elusive of all marketing audiences. Articles will tell you Gen-Z loves email (or not), are glued to Facebook (or not). We’re simultaneously picky with their spending and willing to throw our money at anything behind a screen.
As someone who is both Gen-Z and a marketer, I’m a little biased. However, it’s safe to say these articles often miss actual insight from Gen-Z themselves. Instead, they are filled with self-furthering statistics rather than being objective.
That’s why this article outlines the five most common mistakes brands make when targeting Gen-Z. From an actual Gen-Z perspective. 👇
Why is targeting Gen-Z important?
Contrary to lingering perceptions of them as merely teenagers, Gen-Z represents 40% of all consumers, wielding a spending power that ranges from $44 to $600 billion. This figure even extends to influence over familial spending. Gen-Z have been labelled as ‘elusive’ and ‘difficult to target’ - presumably due to our use of newer digital marketing channels, like social media and video games. Yet, as this audience ages up and grows, so does their disposable income. Most brands at some point will need to target this group to thrive and futureproof themselves.
5 mistakes brands make when targeting Gen-Z
1. Overselling
63% of Gen-Z use ad blockers and avoid online adverts. Gen-Z have been bombarded with incessant advertising since they were kids. That makes us more sceptical of overt selling tactics. In fact, 34% of consumers say ‘too much self-promotion’ is a major turn-off on social media. We live in an attention economy and brands or SaaS companies are constantly throwing new features at us. It’s no longer the case that a 2-for-1 or ‘call now and get one for free’ tactic will work.
If you focus too much on pushing your product instead of offering value, you risk overselling and damaging your brand trust. In a world where 55% of consumers won’t trust a brand again once their trust is broken, making sure you don’t oversell is key.
2. Inauthenticity
One thing the Internet seems to agree on is Gen-Z loves self-expression and authenticity. According to OCAD University, 73% of Gen-Z report needing self-expression to live a happier life. This desire for authenticity extends to their expectations from brands.
An authentic brand presence on digital platforms is critical. Gen-Z are digital natives that grew up with the Internet. We’ve got an eye for how content should look on different online channels and can spot unfitting content forms a mile away. Consider the absolute backlash F1’s Alpha Tauri team received when they changed their Instagram handle to ‘visacashapprb’. If a brand goes onto a platform without doing its research on what the community likes, it can be incredibly embarrassing.
3. The wrong marketing channels
As marketers, we should admit that labelling Gen-Z as hard-to-reach can mask a brand’s failure to engage them on platforms where they actually spend their time. For example, a report by GEEIQ found that the average person aged 18-24 spends about 3 hours daily on Roblox, in comparison to 107 minutes on TikTok. Yet, a lot of Marketing teams haven’t even heard of Roblox, write it off as a child’s platform, or simply ‘don’t like its aesthetic’. Ultimately, those who make their decisions based on their aesthetic opinions without accepting what platforms are statistically popular with Gen-Z will find it harder to reach that Gen-Z audience.
4. Poor formatting & unpopular content formats
Some marketers choose content formats based on personal preference without checking if these formats actually engage their audience. While long articles or beautiful image carousels on Instagram might seem appealing, it's important to note that 57% of Gen-Z prefer short-form videos. In contrast, on Youtube there has been an increasing number of long-form videos.
Every type of content and every social media platform serves a different goal. For example, carousels on Instagram achieve higher engagement than reels (1.95%), but reels have higher reach rates of 152%. It’s key that your brand creates content that aligns with your goals as well as content forms that Gen-Z are statistically likely to engage with. As a side note, when creating content, it’s important to make sure your formatting and editing is correct. It seems off when brands post or create content that might be cropped incorrectly when posted or obscured by on-platform icons.
5. Little-to-no Gen-Z input
The best way to know what Gen-Z is interested in is by asking them for their opinion and respecting their responses. It will always be incredibly difficult to know what Gen-Z is interested in if you are not actively engaging with them regularly or giving their words weight.
The solution here lies in valuing and actively seeking the contributions of younger individuals within the workforce. By hiring Gen-Z job applicants and empowering younger employees to share their insights and ideas, brands can tap into a rich source of relevant and up-to-date perspectives. This approach not only enriches the brand's understanding of Gen-Z but also fosters a more inclusive and dynamic corporate culture.
Key takeaways
So, what is the ultimate takeaway for brands trying to target Gen-Z?
Stay open-minded and incorporate their feedback into marketing strategies while also making data-driven decisions. You need to look beyond surface-level trends, assumptions and personal biases. Otherwise, you risk creating a disconnect between your brand’s marketing strategy and the authentic interests of Gen-Z consumers.
Understand that Gen-Z is not just another demographic to target, but a dynamic and influential group shaping the future of consumer culture. Listen and value their voice. As a Gen-Z marketer, I can affirm that you will create a deeper connection, brand loyalty and significant influence on future branding trends