The world from the eyes of Generation Z

Generation Z are coming

Generation Z, born after 2001, are coming up. I do not doubt that they will bring a whole new set of challenges. Born into a downturn in the economy, they will have very different views on life. Generation Z are believed by most to bring equality and fairness back. Artistic leaders, they will be advocates of fairness and the politics of inclusion, irrepressible in the wake of failure. And I certainly can see these characteristics in my little Gen Z, who has such a innate knowledge of what is fair, it is incredible.

Read Could the future be more rosy? Gen Z

The decade according to 9-year-olds from allison louie-garcia on Vimeo.

My thoughts on Generation Z

Change Your Marketing Mindset About Gen Z

OK, you have me busted, I am not a marketeer, nor do I want to be. I have no degree in marketing and really, other than my own business, not that much experience. However, what I do have is 14 years teaching, coaching, being with, living with and being a part of young people’s lives and seeing what turns them on and off, so to speak. Therefore, I feel able to tell you that marketing is a dirty word!

There has been much written about Generation Y and where is starts and stops. For me it is about similar characteristics and what I see, in the UK at least, is that a 12-year-old has similar characteristics and thoughts as a 23 year old. For me, Gen-Y ends in about 2001. I see a remarkable difference, in the children born after 2001 to the generation before them, in how they approach everything. And I do think we are seeing the first noted change in a way of thinking amongst our young people. This way of thinking is not a good sign for people who want to market to them. In fact, if you do, they are not going to have it!

I think Gen-Y are and were susceptible to marketing. They like shiny things, they like to feel special, they have been cherished after all and they aspire to a certain lifestyle, albeit very different to what has gone before. Gen-Z, on the other hand, are turning their backs.

If Gen-Y grew up with technology, then Gen-Z know nothing but technology. Nearly everything they do, from managing a family calendar to learning twitter at school, is geared towards technology. They really do have the power to click towards and away from what they want. To them, technology is a norm rather than something new. And technology is not just theirs, they are used to sharing this platform with their parents, something we have never seen before.

Gen-Y are very peer orientated, whereas Gen-Z appear to be more family orientated. (think video game verses Wii)

If Gen-Y had a sense of entitlement, then Gen-Z have to sense of duty and fairness and will, I believe, be the ones who put the structure on all the grand and fantastic plans that Gen Y started.

Gen-Z are healthier; they have been given a big message about fitness and healthy eating.

If Gen-Y grow up in good times,If Gen-Y saw the world open up and inequality become a thing of the past, then for Gen-Z these conversations are a thing of the past. Inclusion is their middle name.

Gen-Z are realistic. They are advocates of fairness and have a huge sense of responsibility to put a structure to and finish what Gen-Y started.

Born of Gen-X and early Gen-Y parents, these children are not indulged as much, are encouraged to be independent and have a huge sense of responsibility.

Most importantly, they are turning their backs on all current advertising channels, but not turning away from the advertising, they are challenging it.
Let me give you an example…

My little Gen-Z found a can of carpet cleaner (I will not mention the brand) in the cupboard and decided she was going to use it to clean the carpet. So she read the instructions, did what it said, waited the two hours and yes, you guessed it, nothing changed and she was cross! She thought about this a lot for the next few days and then came to a damning conclusion.

“They lie on their adverts, this does not work, they just showed carpets that were clean in the first place! I am never listening to them again!” A bold statement indeed from an eight-year-old and everytime any advert for this product or any other in their range comes on, she is mad. She has even asked me if she can write a letter to them, telling them not to lie to us.

And it is not just her, I see it everywhere, these Gen-Z children turning their backs on hyped marketing. They aren’t saying, Mummy, buy the fair trade”, they are saying, “Mummy, why isn’t everything fair trade?” They are refusing to be associated with brands who, in their minds, are not telling the truth and are turning to the likes of Innocent smoothies and other wholesome and fair brands. They are, in essence, buying from Gen-Y.

If you want to understand this generation, you only need to look at the media they watch. Let’s go with Bratz, for example. Love or hate them, these girls might be into fashion but they tout fairness and individualism. The popular girls are not seen as mean anymore, they are demonised in these films, left high and dry – think Cinderella Story, think Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

They are a new breed all together and everyone will need to change to accommodate them. Only yesterday did I have to set the wheels in motion for my 8 year old to have her own web show “I have stuff I want to say Mum “.

Tune in tomorrow for the second part of this article Want to Connect with and Mobilize Gen Z?