How to connect with Gen Z?

Generation Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2010, or in other words, Digital Natives. Born into a digital world with smartphones and computers in hand, Gen Z adopts its own codes, develops its own influences, and asserts itself.

But what are the best ways to reach 12-25 year olds?

🧐 Who is Gen Z?

Digital Natives are young people who seem to be in a hurry. Gen Z consumes information and entertainment everywhere, all the time. Ultra-connected, they live in the moment. For every need, the answer must arrive in the blink of an eye. 12-25 year olds have disrupted certain communication and consumption codes. Nevertheless, a large portion no longer wishes to overconsume for many reasons (primarily ethical and social).

Raised during the Great Recession (2007-2009), Gen Z is a generation that champions pragmatism. Indeed, this new generation, unlike Generation Y (Millennials, born between 1980 and 1996), also known as the optimistic generation, pays close attention to their income and spending and prioritizes job security despite their desire to live in the moment.

This ideology is reflected in Gen Z's relationship with the internet and new technologies. According to a study conducted by Stratégies, 51% of Generation Z members stated that the ability to compare prices of identical or similar products is the main advantage of online shopping for them.

Committed to societal, political, environmental, and many other issues, this generation is establishing itself as an active participant in its time and is adopting a new way of consuming.
Young people want to get involved at 68% against the climate emergency (IFOP), and 64% of them buy second-hand. Furthermore, sustainability is one of the most important factors in their choice, followed by product quality, affordability, personal recommendations, and the use of "clean" ingredients. (Strategies). This highlights the idea of a new relationship with consumer products.

⛔ The adblocker phenomenon

Another characteristic of Gen Z is its subtle yet massive use of adblockers, as more than half of them use them (52%). Installing a simple extension allows users to banish advertisements from their browsing experience. The reason? 66% of users feel that ads interrupt their activity.

Consequently, in terms of advertising pollution, brands must navigate the new habits of Gen Z.

Their expectations and needs are clearly different from previous generations. Brands must adapt to them, and to do so, they need to understand the overall profile of this famous Gen Z.

🎯 The Gen Z profile: habits and consumption

🤳 Social media

Young people spend nearly 4 hours a day on screens, with 3 hours dedicated to browsing social media. The internet is their preferred channel for entertainment and information. 75% look for information online, and 50% go directly to social media to access it. Gen Z loves video content on mobile, and as proof, they consume 10 hours per week on average.

💡 It comes as no surprise that social media platforms like:

- Instagram (90% of Gen Z use this network, and 51% of those surveyed by Stratégies consider it the social platform where they would be most likely to purchase a product),  Snapchat (80%), YouTube (66% visit it several times a day, and it is actually the number one information channel for young people) and TikTok, which are winning over the 12-25 age group and have now dethroned Facebook with 63% of young people using it (+11% vs 2022).

- Among the latest trends, Twitch is making its mark on the media landscape. Originally dedicated to gaming culture, the platform is diversifying and making room for a wide range of topics, targeting the 13-34 age group.

The advantage of social networks is the seamless integration of advertisements into users' feeds, meaning they are not interrupted. Social media users are targeted based on psycho-sociological and demographic criteria.
And the good news is that 70.2% of Gen Z made at least one purchase in the past month thanks to social media!

The little extra that makes all the difference? Ad blockers do not work on social networks. 😍

👉 At Klox, our teams of social media experts are at your service. Our Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok certifications are proof of this.

🏅Key areas

More generally, the topics covered online focus on music, gaming, politics, the environment or even fast food. Makeup is also becoming a key topic, especially on Instagram, where aesthetics are being set aside in favor of freedom of expression.

🤳 Influencer marketing  

And we can no longer really talk about social media without mentioning influencer marketing , which now plays a significant role in social media and marketing strategies. With 66% of young people feeling that influencer posts have an impact on their purchasing decisions, it is important to integrate an influencer strategy into your communications. It is also interesting to note that Gen Z individuals are 15% more likely than Millennials to buy a product recommended by an influencer they follow and trust.

🎵 Audio streaming platforms

With video being so popular, what about audio?

90% of 16-25 year olds use an audio streaming service, a sign of how important music is in the lives of digital natives. Among these users, a large number have a freemium account (free access to content in exchange for watching ads). On Spotify, there are 200 million freemium users, 175 million on SoundCloud, and 12 million on Deezer.

🎧 Audio also includes podcasts, a format that is exploding with soaring numbers.

In January 2022, 150 million podcasts were listened to or downloaded according to Médiamétrie, an increase of 8.7% compared to the previous month.

Podcasts reach 15 million monthly listeners in France, and the number of people consuming native content has grown by 81% in just one year. Those under 35 make up 58% of the audience for native podcasts and are considered to be hyper-connected to social media. 📈

As you can see, audio advertising presents a significant opportunity to reach Gen Z. And that’s perfect, because there are as many solutions as there are target audiences. Thanks to data from our partners, Klox can target your audience based on their characteristics and reach them at the right time, in the right place, and with the right format.

💥 Lifestyle media

12-25 year olds are closely interested in the world of gaming, sports, food or musical, with the rap scene leading the way for several years now. Lifestyle is a popular area of interest, so let's set our sights on the media outlets that define it!
When we talk about social media as the preferred news source for Gen Z, this is what it looks like: pop culture via Konbini, Brut, Melty, Topito, Loopsider, Vice, Démotivateur, and the list goes on. These media outlets have replaced the evening news for digital natives, each racking up millions of annual views from their primary target audience: young people. For example, Konbini reaches 89% of 15-24 year olds every month.

Pop culture was just the beginning. By focusing on the world of urban music, many doors have opened, as media outlets have seized the opportunity to ride the wave. The target? Young people aged 13 to 30, whose interests include lifestyle, streetwear, fashion, gaming, and sports. 🌊
Key media outlets include Skyrock, Booska P, Rap Punchline, and Mouv… These platforms allow a brand to benefit from the youthful, urban image associated with them.

👉 By working with Klox, you have the advantage of a single point of contact. We handle access to all these media outlets for you. You also benefit from our exclusive deals, such as our partnership with Skyrock or Konbini...

📱Apps

Because Gen Z consumes second-hand products and is keenly interested in fashion, what better place to communicate than Vinted? The clothing buying and selling app has been trending in recent years and is particularly popular with young people.

When it comes to matters of the heart, dating apps are all the rage. Tinder is the perfect example, designed for 18-25 year olds and defined by its famous swipe left, swipe right, and super like features. An app that is a massive hit with millions of young people. It’s time to match with Gen Z! 🔥

🔎 What does Gen Z expect from brands?

Gen Z's consumption habits are evolving, and their relationship with brands is changing right along with them. Ethics, transparency, and commitment are all key expectations for this new generation of consumers. Brands can no longer simply sell a product or service. Storytelling and italic textbrand content are now essential. ☀ Today, 12-25 year olds expect not only a great customer experience, but also to be aligned with a brand's values. 🥇

‌👉 In short.

Generation Z is a perfect target for online advertising, particularly on social media. By blending seamlessly into the feed, advertising feels less intrusive. The specific interests and multitasking abilities of 12-25 year olds also favor advertising across various platforms. This is the case for in-game, audio , and lifestyle media outlets like Konbini or Vice. Furthermore, innovative formats like Vinted or Tinder are at the heart of an effective strategy, given the core target audience of these applications. 🚀

👁️‍🗨️ This dynamic is set to continue, as Generation Alpha (born from 2010 onwards) is also shaped by the digital world. How far can we imagine the changes in their communication and consumption habits?

From the social web to Web 3.0, such is the scale of the upheaval expected to impact the habits of Generation Alpha. The emergence of exponentially growing interest in blockchain, the metaverse, and NFTs suggests that a (r)evolution is on the horizon. An evolution that will involve new expectations from young people toward brands.

Klox is an Agency as a service with deep expertise and a strong client relationship. The world of digital advertising is vast, and so are the distribution channels.
So don't hesitate to reach out; we are here to answer all your questions! 🤝