According to eMarketer, “Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z represents about 20% of the US population as of 2023, per the US Census Bureau. In 2021, Bloomberg cited data from Gen Z Planet estimating the cohort had $360 billion in buying/spending power, a number which has most certainly grown as more and more Gen Zers join the workforce.”
Gen Z is known to be digitally native, having grown up with technology and social media.
For marketers looking to make meaningful, lasting connections with this important demographic, media planning is not as simple as just running some ads on TikTok, however.
Here are three key insights into effective media planning to reach Gen Z.
- Be strategic with digital buys.
For Gen Z, being digitally native also means being acutely aware of how they are being marketed to online.
Vogue Business reports, “As young people consume more content than ever, it’s getting more difficult for brands to cut through the noise,” citing research that found 80 percent of Gen Z agree that they are exposed to more brands and advertising than any other generation.
For marketers, this means taking extra care with media planning to ensure messages are delivered in contextually relevant environments to make meaningful connections amid the clutter to which this generation is exposed.
- Reach them in print.
While reaching younger consumers online is the obvious choice, Gen Z has demonstrated a propensity for print media as well.
According to an article in Fortune, “Generation Z has unexpectedly become the primary driver behind the rapidly growing analog music and print book economies in the U.S. and U.K.,” citing it as “defiance in the face of the formless digital world and a cry for respite from the enormous noise perpetuated by the 24/7 social media cycle.”
Savvy marketers will recognize that young consumers appreciate print as well as digital, and find strategic ways to reach them through this medium.
- Explore ethnic media.
Pew Research Center reports that “Members of Gen Z are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation.”
Understanding that diversity is a core characteristic of Gen Z, marketers can communicate via diversity-focused publications.
Mediaspace has a proprietary database that includes over 700 ethnic publications, which can help with strategy and planning.
Mediaspace can help you communicate with younger generations.
Reach out to learn more about our expertise in connecting with younger generations via digital, print and ethnic media.
