Brands need to be fun, authentic and do good to connect with Generation Z, according to the third annual international study of the age group, conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics and commissioned by WP Engine.
The research highlights that 75% of Gen Z are more likely to buy from a company that contributes to social causes.
More than a third (34%) have stopped buying from a company that contributes to a social cause they do not agree with.
Younger generations are least likely to be loyal to a brand yet 54% of Gen Z use brands to define their lifestyle and 52% identify more with select brands than with their country.
When it comes to establishing trust in a brand, the top three factors for Gen Z are quality of a product, positive online ratings and reviews and customer service.
Gen Z has grown up in an era of personalisation based on their experiences with social media and these expectations extend to their preferences in shopping.
More than other generations, 57% of Gen Z is more likely to buy a product if they can customise it.
They also feel that the most trustworthy ads are ones featuring actual customers and unedited images, more so than other generations.
Gen Z’s identity and digital are inextricably linked, blending the physical and digital worlds as never before.
They are far more likely than other generations to believe in the positive impact of technology on the world with 65% believing artificial intelligence will have a positive impact and 75% saying the Internet will bring the world closer together.
When asked which value, quality, or attribute is most important to your generation, Gen Z rated tech-savviness (22%) almost as highly as freedom (27%).
Gen Z lives completely online, with 54% being friends with someone they only know online and have never met in person.
More than half (52%) of Gen Z can’t go more than four hours without internet access before they become uncomfortable.
In five years, 67% of Gen Z thinks the Internet will determine what they will do on a daily basis.
“Gen Zers are a huge, diverse generation and the fastest growing group of employees, customers, and voters,” The Center for Generational Kinetics president Jason Dorsey says.
“As we’ve seen over the past three studies, this generation thinks and acts very differently. Their connectedness, their ability to navigate change quickly and their desire to have a positive impact on the world are all reflected in their higher expectations of technology and organisations.”
The Gen Z Study was administered to 999 Australian respondents ages 14 to 59.
The sample was weighted to the Australian Census for age, region, gender, and ethnicity. Survey was conducted online from September 19, 2019 to October 1, 2019.
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