Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers represent about 20% of the population and as the first group of kids to grow up with immediate internet access, their media consumption habits are unique. While Millennials take the prize for being the biggest cord-cutters, Gen Zers gravitate toward short digital videos and online interaction. This generation is now reaching a working age and with more than 70% of 20-24 year olds in the workforce, their buying power is vast. Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to understand Gen Z’s media consumption habits and the appropriate channels to reach them. Fun fact: Maxwell Frost, elected in 2022, is the first Gen Z congress member.
Let’s start with Gen Z’s favorite form of online media: social. More than 89% of Gen Zers spend at least an hour on social media each day, while 47% spend more than 3 hours! According to Insider Intelligence, the average US adult spends about 1 hour and 15 minutes with social networks daily, making Gen Z the top social media users among all other generations.
YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are their top 3 most-used social media platforms, in that order. Gen Zers are joining other generations in their habits to both browse and shop on social media but are easily influenced and more receptive to buying directly from social media when seeing promoted content. Influencers are highly effective in swaying Gen Z’s purchase decisions. More than 40% of Gen Zers have made a purchase that can be directly attributed to an influencer. Another effective strategy among this generation: sustainability. This generation is very attracted to a brand with social & environmental consciousness. Websites like Depop & Poshmark that sell second-hand (recycled) clothing and accessories are extremely popular among Gen Zers for that reason.
While Gen Z are not particularly crazy about Facebook, they are very familiar with the Metaverse. Gen Zers represent the majority of users who turn to the metaverse for virtual reality (VR) gaming and entertainment. It’s become apparent that Gen Z are interested in VR for the gaming capabilities and not a replacement for real physical interactions and experiences.
When it comes to television, traditional media is not even an option for most Gen Zers. This generation doesn’t know a world without smartphones and smart TVs. To them, streaming TV is the only TV they’ve ever known. If you want to reach Gen Z on the big screen, you’ll have to turn to CTV/OTT streaming media. 51% of Gen Z stream tv for more than an hour a day but much of that time is also spent browsing other forms of media on their phone.
Brkthru will help your company meet Gen Zers where they are online while keeping up with where they are headed. We dig deep to uncover what makes online consumers tick, even Gen Z. Let’s craft a strategic media plan together!