Not too long ago, Millennial-bashing seemed like America’s favorite pastime. “They’re lazy.” “They’re disrespectful.” “They expect to be given [insert anything here] before they’ve earned it.” Many have called for the bashing to end and for good reason: There are some new kids in town. They’re called Generation Z and they couldn’t be more different from the previous generation.
In fact, Millennials are full-fledged adults now – a solid pillar of today’s workforce with recognizable adult concerns like kids, mortgages, and the price of gas.
While the oldest Millennials turn 38 this year, Gen Z, or Gen Zers, are entering the workforce and rapidly becoming the most diverse generation in the nation’s history.
For a bit of perspective, consider that most Gen Zers:
• Have never known a world without the Internet
• Have never used a phone with a cord
• Have no idea what a floppy disk is
• Have no experience with cassettes, pay phones, paper maps, or fax machines
Feeling old? Don’t. Because this isn’t obscurity staring you in the face. It’s opportunity. Like any audience group out there, you just have to understand them to speak to them and have any hope of creating meaningful engagement. Here are a few insights to start you off.
Marketers have been dissecting audiences in an attempt to understand them ever since the wheel was invented so one simple email from us isn’t going to crack the code for you. But we hope it’s shown you that Gen Z is a fascinating, complex audience you’d do well to learn more about. Here are a few more resources.
Big Gen Z Advertising Fails and What You Can Learn From Them
A simple chart showing the differences between Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z.
