Many experts have examined the challenges of marketing to and recruiting Millennials, or Generation Y; people born between about 1981 and 1998. But coming right behind them is Generation Z — and they have the capacity to turn decades of strategy upside-down.
For years, professionals in marketing, branding, and recruiting have used to Facebook to target both Generation X and Millennials. But Facebook’s 2014 Demographic Report has just announced the news that 3.3 million users aged 13-17 have left the site since 2011. That’s 25% of the country’s entire age group. And Twitter? Only 10% of high school students are on it, according to Statista.
Where are the young social media users going instead? As Mashable points out, “Gen Z favors Snapchat, Whisper, and Secret — ephemeral and visually engaging platforms that cater to the youngsters’ eight-second attention span”…and which are yet to be penetrated by any sort of marketing presence. Luckily, the age group is also joining Instagram, where brands like Audi and Oreo have found great success. 12% of Generation Z was on the photo-sharing network in the fall of 2012; a year later, 23% of them were on it.
What does this mean for brands trying to reach this rising demographic? Let’s quickly review the latest info on Millennials to see how the two groups differ.
60% of Millennials upload videos, image, and blog entries to the web, compared to 29% of other age groups. 84% say that user-generated content on company websites has at least some influence on what they buy. 95% wants brands to actively court them, while 80% expect brands to entertain them. Millennials also send about 20 texts per day.
When it comes to talent acquisition, 53% of Millennials are applying for jobs through LinkedIn — but 19% are also doing so through Google Plus and 10% are using Facebook. 39% of Millennials want their jobs to have a positive impact on the world. And here’s a useful stat for non-profits in both marketing and recruiting: 73% of Millennials volunteered for a non-profit in 2012.
What about Generation Z? Forget about Generation Y’s two-screen activities; every day, Z’ers multi-task across at least five screens, according to a Sparks & Honey report, and 41% spend at least three hours on computers or mobile devices for non-school activities. The internet plays a huge role in their lives: 52% use social media, including YouTube, for school research assignments. 20% read their textbooks on tablets. 32% collaborate with their classmates online.
While the Y’ers are texting, Z’ers are sharing images (such as on Instagram) and videos. Generation Z is also focused more on creating social media content, as opposed to just sharing others’ creations.
In terms of employment, 26% of 16- to 19-year-olds currently volunteer, a number that I’m sure will rise as the rest of cohort ages out of middle school. 60% wants their jobs to impact the world — 21% higher than Millennials. And 76% would like to turn their hobbies into full-time work, compared to 50% of Millennials.
And lest you think that Generation Z is “just kids” — their average weekly allowance is $17, which adds up to $44 billion a year.
So, marketers, branders, and recruiters, you need to be where the two generations overlap — and where a huge segment of the population is heading. That means looking beyond LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. It means more images and videos. It means “snackable” content for short attention spans. It means campaigns with user-generated content, so Gen Z’ers can create their own stories. For recruiting, it means highlighting corporate social responsibility and environmentalism, concepts that have not been embraced by the generation before them.
Generation Z is just now entering college, which means they’ll be interning and working during the summers. Some will forgo college and its mounting debt altogether, and head directly for the workforce. They’ll be looking for jobs and for ways to spend their money. Will you be there for them when they are? My agency can help.
Jody Ordioni is President of Brandemix.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
