Born between 1997 and 2010, Generation Z members represent a particularly interesting demographic segment when it comes to marketing strategies, as they are those who can be considered, to all intents and purposes, the first true digital natives.
Unlike members of the previous generation, the Millennials who experienced the rapid rise of the web and digital technologies, Generation Z did not experience a pre-digital world.
Although they are young people who are now entering the professional world and therefore still have more limited purchasing power than the previous generation, precisely because of this peculiarity they are the expression of a significant paradigm shift in the relationship between brand and consumer, so much so that their relevance transcends mere demographic numbers and their spending power.
But let’s find out why.
Marketing strategies and generation Z: the approach is “phygital”
Born and raised in the midst of the digital revolution, members of Generation Z are hyper-connected, informed, highly aware consumers who play an active role in creating and spreading trends.
All this is closely linked to their intrinsic familiarity with technology that leads them to move with enormous ease between the real and virtual worlds, between online and offline realities: social networks, chats, communities are the virtual spaces where they socialise the most and build their identity.
The first digital natives are therefore the expression of an approach strongly conditioned by technology, and this aspect also has significant repercussions in their purchasing behaviour and habits.
Lovers of online shopping, of which they appreciate the immediacy of the purchasing processes, the security and reliability of the payment systems, they do not give up buying in the physical shop either, what they expect is to live truly omnichannel experiences.
From social networks to the online shop, from the point of sale to the customer care service: Generation Z multiplies the contact points with the brand and adopts hybrid approaches ranging from online purchase to pick-up at the point of sale (click & collect), from online product research to in-store purchase (webrooming) and vice versa (showrooming).
The study “Generation Z: how to conquer the consumers of the future?“ carried out by PlayPlug and Prestashop on a sample of 1037 Italians, 22% of whom were between 18 and 27 years old, shows that 44% of those interviewed belonging to Generation Z use smartphones to make purchases, compared with 31% of the rest of the population, mostly favouring direct purchases on social networks and marketplaces.
Attention to the purchasing context, but not only: let’s not forget that Generation Z members have experienced important changes in the economic and social context of our country, from the 2008 financial crisis to an increase in awareness of social and environmental issues, aspects that have also had repercussions on purchasing behaviour with increasing attention to offers and bargains as well as the choice of eco-sustainable products and brands.
Omnichannel, consistent and valuable customer experiences throughout the entire customer journey: young consumers are looking for integrated shopping experiences that combine the best of the digital and physical worlds.
Brands and companies are stimulated to rethink engagement and loyalty strategies in the name of personalisation.
A.I. personalisation and engagement: the two key aspects of winning marketing strategies
As we have already discussed, artificial intelligence is revolutionising the eCommerce world and, more generally, the relationship and interactions between brands and consumers.
In such a context, the members of Generation Z, the most technological generation ever, could not renounce the opportunities offered by the use of artificial intelligence.
Augmented reality, virtual reality, but above all engagement and personalisation: what Generation Z members are looking for is a personalised and valuable customer experience at every touchpoint.
Thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, eCommerce, but also the shop staff themselves, can offer personalised products based on habits, purchasing behaviour, interests and segments.
Recommended products, but not only: customer engagement and loyalty also passes through targeted communications and offers, in-store and online engagement activities, and continuous and personalised follow-ups.
Customised customer experiences? The importance of adopting a unified customer view
Personalising the customer experience from an omnichannel perspective: what Generation Z is demanding is a real paradigm shift in marketing strategies and the assumption of a point of view that puts the customer at the centre.
In this context, data on users and customers take on a new centrality, and the possibility of creating unified customer views, complete and updated in real time, represents the only way to deploy effective profiling and segmentation activities, the basis of any personalised customer experience strategy.
Blendee collects and normalises data from multiple sources at the single customer view level, allowing the creation of complete and accurate user profiles, updated in real-time Identity resolution processes also make it possible to recognise each individual user regardless of the channel of interaction with the brand, thanks to the convergence and ‘resolution’ of the different user IDs attributed during the different interaction occasions.
From data collection and activation to the orchestration of the entire customer journey, right from the first impression on paid channels: Blendee’s Marketing Operating System integrates marketing automation, marketing personalisation and omnichannel campaign management.
Generation Z paves the way for complete, meaningful, but above all personalised shopping experiences: for brands and companies, a major step change in strategy is required. Solutions such as Blendee’s M.O.S. represent the key to winning strategies aimed at increasing revenue, engagement and retention in privacy-compliant contexts.
