Marketing to Gen Z: Effective Tactics for the Class of 2024

How Brands Can Reach Gen Z, including the Class of 2024

Born around the year 2000, this year’s college graduates grew up in the age of the Internet. As members of Gen Z, they are digital natives who are well-versed social media platforms and even AI.  As they leave college and join the workforce, how can brands reach these recent grads as well as Gen Z as a whole?

Our K•Harvey team has identified several considerations that will help you connect with Gen Z in an authentic way, which is key with this group.

Build an Online Brand Community

Stop thinking of social media as a platform and start thinking of it as a space where you can build a brand community. For Gen Z, social media is not only how they communicate with their friends, but also how they make new friends, meet romantic partners, research school projects, watch movies and discover new music. Over half have purchased a product from an influencer brand. Tapping into that community isn’t about partnering with whoever has the highest follow count. It’s about collaborating with influencers who fit your brand voice and sharing social media content that is authentic to your brand values.  Through strategic influencer partnerships and social media posts, you can cultivate a digital community that admires your brand and foster an ongoing dialogue around your products.

Embrace Authenticity

Authenticity is one of the most important values to Gen Z. 92 percent say being authentic or true to oneself is extremely or very important – and they want to buy from brands that are as authentic as they are and are aligned with their views and values. Influencer partnerships will be critical to building trust, considering over six in ten Gen Z and millennials trust influencers over brands. While you need to be selective about the influencers you choose, partnering with a trusted creator who is well matched with your brand can have an outsized impact on your reach to Gen Z.

Seek Social Impact

Gen Z wants to work and buy from companies that reflect their values. You can’t build a brand that aligns with every individual’s beliefs. However, you can find charitable causes that align with your brand and devote resources to supporting them. Causes such as donating to a local food bank or supporting children with critical illnesses are noncontroversial and impactful.  As a brand, you should seek out opportunities to be involved in your community if you want to earn Gen Z’s loyalty.

Consider Sustainability

Research consistently shows Gen Z prefers sustainable brands, with 75% preferring sustainability over the name brand of a product. Eight in 10 are willing to spend at least 10% more on a sustainable product. Brands that invest in becoming more sustainable are likely to establish a stronger connection with Gen Z.

Practice Cultural Competency

Cultural competency is important to every generation. We tend to talk about Gen Z as a monolith, and people of similar age are likely to share certain traits. However, they are also the most racially and ethnically diverse generation yet. You need to target your messaging directly to diverse communities within Gen Z, while still using your brand’s authentic voice. Most importantly, you need to avoid missteps such as tone-deaf ads that could alienate communities. The consequences of a culturally incompetent ad campaign could be significant. More than three quarters of Gen Z say they would stop buying from brands whose campaigns they saw as racist or homophobic. As a brand, you should consider highlighting diverse voices if you want to win over Gen Z.

Focus on Pragmatism

Traditionally, ad campaigns are aspirational, encouraging consumers to dream about “what could be.” However, one little-known Gen Z characteristic is that they are more pragmatic about their decision-making than previous generations. Purely aspirational campaigns may not resonate as deeply with a generation that wants to understand their environment and create meaningful change to the problems they face. Key messaging should reflect the real-world impacts of your product or service. Consider how your social media and influencer marketing can illustrate the practical value of your product.

In Conclusion

Reaching Gen Z may not be simple, but with the right communications approach, your brand can build deep and lasting relationships with members of the youngest generation in the workforce today.