As the Gen Z demographic continues to grow in numbers and significance, brands must find new, innovative ways to connect with this powerful consumer group. This audience has established their uniqueness by being highly value-oriented, holding brands accountable and often seeking specific, new solutions to solve evolving wants and needs.
Generation Z, those born after 1995, has never known a world without the internet. As a result, these digital natives have created different shopping habits and expectations than older generations. Companies who create engaging and trendsetting brand experiences for this demanding group will successfully capture their attention and keep them coming back.
Let’s look into a few ways brands have implemented impressive brand experiences for Gen Z shoppers and how your brand can match their standards.
What do Gen Z shoppers want from brands?
At Cliffedge Marketing, we’ve found that Gen Z shoppers are highly influential regarding spending. We’ve had to learn what this generation wants from brands and how retailers and brands can appeal to them.
Here’s what you need to know about how Gen Z shops and spends:
- Use technology to create personalized experiences: Utilize data and technology to create brand experiences tailored to each shopper. This could include anything from using AI to recommend products based on past behavior to sending targeted emails with personalized discounts.
- Make them feel like they are part of something bigger: Gen Z shoppers crave community and belonging. Brands can tap into this by creating loyalty programs or social media communities where shoppers can connect with others who share their interests.
- Go above and beyond: In a world where there are endless choices, it’s the ones who go above and beyond to create memorable brand experiences that will win the hearts of Gen Z shoppers. Think about ways you can exceed their expectations at every touchpoint, from the initial purchase all the way to post-purchase follow-up.
How can brands create unique, engaging Gen Z experiences?
With Generation Z coming of age and beginning to make more of their own purchasing decisions, brands must adapt their marketing strategies to leverage their buying power. Gen Z shoppers are interested in unique, interactive brand experiences beyond traditional advertising methods.
Want them to notice your brand? Design new tactics for shopper engagement and focus on strategies that develop meaningful connections. Here are four examples to try.
Shopper Engagement Strategies for Gen Z Consumers
Contactless Shopping
Contactless shopping refers to any type of shopping that can be done without physically coming into contact with the product or service. This could include online or mobile purchasing and self-checkout lanes at brick-and-mortar stores. Contactless shopping offers a convenient and hassle-free way to shop for the Gen Z shopper that fits their busy lifestyle.
Microtargeting
Micro-targeting is a shopper marketing strategy that uses data analysis to target small groups of consumers with personalized messages. This allows brands to connect with Gen Z shoppers on a more personal level and create experiences that are tailored to their individual needs and interests.
Hyper-personalization
One way to create a unique, engaging experience is through hyper-personalization, the process of using data to create highly personalized experiences for customers. This could involve anything from using data to dynamically customize the content shown on your website to creating an entirely customized shopping experience based on their past purchase history.
AR and VR trends
AR and VR strategies can help brands create an unforgettable experience for the Gen Z demographics. By providing an immersive experience, brands can connect with Gen Z shoppers on a deeper level. With hybrid experiences including virtual try-on, product demonstrations and gamified shopping experiences, there are endless possibilities for how brands can mix the physical and digital world to create memorable experiences for Gen Z shoppers.
Target Gen Z Shoppers with a Fresh Brand Experience
It’s no secret that Gen Z shoppers are different from any other demographic group. Brands that want to stay ahead of the curve need to leverage what makes them unique to the industry and create memorable brand experiences that capture the attention (and the spend) of this diverse group of consumers.
