How to win over Gen Z

They're sceptical of marketing, lack brand loyalty, and demand social responsibility - so what can brands do to ensure they’re resonating with this notoriously hard to please gang.

Gen Z: Who Are They?

Before we dive into the "how-to" part, let's quickly introduce Gen Z. Born between 1996 and 2010, they've grown up in a world soaked in social media, where personal identity and brand often blur. They're a super-savvy bunch, fiercely sceptical of traditional marketing tricks. In a nutshell, they're different, and you need to get them.

These are a couple of quick tips we have compiled for how we help our clients tap into this market.

1. Keep it real

Gen Zers live in a digital world, and they can smell inauthenticity from a mile away. Be honest and consistent in everything you do, from your ethical commitments to your brand's voice. They want to see that your values align with theirs, so stay true to what you stand for.

2. Allow them to be themselves

Gen Z is all about personal expression. Position your product or service as something that helps them build their identity. Whether you sell fashion or fintech apps, show them how you fit into their lives and allow them to be themselves.

3. Simplicity is Key

Don't overcomplicate things. Gen Z appreciates brands that keep it simple. Try your best to humanise your brand and focus on what matters to your customers. Stay relevant to your brand and don't get sidetracked by virtue signalling - they really hate this.

4. Don’t just build brands, build relationships

Peer-to-peer recommendations matter more than ever for Gen Z. Your brand's reputation must integrate social proof. Collaborate with your customers and become a part of their visual world, both online and offline.

5. Become an extension of their identity

Finally, remember this: for Gen Z, strong brands are an extension of an individual's identity. Align your brand's values with theirs, and you'll create a powerful connection that leads to success in the hearts, minds, and wallets of this audience.

Why doesn’t anyone care about Threads?

It's oddly reassuring to know that even Meta, the OG of social media, can miss the mark sometimes.

Threads, Meta’s rival to X (née Twitter), burst onto the scene with a bang, landing in our app stores and taking over our Instagram stories instantly. Within days of its launch, it had over 100 million users. Since then, and it's lost over 50% of them.

Threads initially promised a friendlier atmosphere and offered a better verification system, providing a sense of security and authenticity that X desperately lacks. This is genuinely a big issue for them, considering a quarter of its users have contemplated leaving within a year due to these security issues.

A Lost Algorithm

Threads’ algorithm, which aimed to lure users with a blend of content from accounts they follow and others they didn't, just isn’t very good. Users found themselves scrolling through post after post from other people who also had no idea about the purpose of the platform.

"When I open up Threads, all I see is a series of posts that read like fortune cookies. They are a series of positive affirmations. It’s lots of people offering therapeutic salves that purport to help everyone." (Source: The Guardian)

Threads also missed the mark on some essential features that X has nailed from the beginning and are intrinsic to what people love about the platform . Hashtags, a search function, and a discover page are all crucial for helping users find their way around and connect over common interests, and all are missing from Threads.

Bad Content

Threads prioritised Instagram users, allowing them to join with their existing accounts. This move attracted influencers and celebrities who had built their careers on creating aesthetic posts / profiles, rather than mastering the art of writing. This contrast made for a quite a noticeable difference in writing quality when measured against X, a platform which, despite it’s issues, has a diverse user base made up of thought leaders, journalists and accomplished authors.

The key to success would be in weaving a narrative that struck a chord with your audience purely through words, and this just wasn’t something Instagram’s users are used to.

Lessons Learned

The Threads saga serves up some valuable lessons for the social media world. Social media platforms have a responsibility to create a friendly environment and have verification systems, but they need to consider the needs and interests of their users. Striking a balance between promoting positivity and embracing a range of content that attracts users is key.

It wouldn't be fair to write off Threads entirely at this early stage.

Social media users are famously fickle, and user sentiments can change in the blink of an eye. It will be interesting to see what Threads has up its sleeves to try to turn the tide on the current situation.