Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, is the newest consumer to enter the market and brands are trying hard to please them. However, this consumer is like no other before. Unlike Millennials, Generation X and BabyBoomers, the Gen Z consumer is far less interested in seeing or touching the product before buying it. Instead, they place far more importance on brand coverage, brand reputations and social media presence.
So, what makes a Gen Z consumer choose your brand?
The key to getting the Gen Z consumer to choose your brand is Omni-Channel. What does this mean? Omni-Channel refers to retailers that have both a physical and digital presence, aiming to create a cohesive user experience for consumers at every touchpoint. In short, you are creating experiences that translate across all your channels, instead of focusing on channels individually. You are putting your focus on the big picture and the entire user experience.
It’s time to start focusing on Generation Z. (picture: Unsplash)
Sounds simple right?
Omni-Channel might seem straightforward. If you create a seamless experience, you hook the customer, right? Correct. But, creating that seamless experience is not as easy as it may sound and only few retails have really successfully executed on all of their omni-channel initiatives.
The key to making it work? Putting an end to all your guesswork and actually finding out what your customer wants. Now you might be telling yourself, that you have data on your customers and know how they are interacting with your channel. Really, that’s the point. You know how they are interacting with your channels. Now what about all the other channels that they are using? Those, right now, are just guesswork.
Omni-channel marketing is all about providing an experience, providing your customers what they want, when they want, where they want. Consumers no longer shop through one single medium. They will shop in store, on your webshop, via your social media channel and on marketplaces.
You might say: that’s fine, I have all the channels covered that Gen Z’s uses. While that might be right, you won’t reach this generation by simply targeting the current apps they use. There is a high expectation for relevant and engaging high-quality experiences across all channels. So, having poor content or not having a seamless transition across all channels will only disengage your potential customer.
Omni-Channel campaigns are more important than ever to stay relevant.
Creating a seamless shopping experience. (picture: Unsplash)
Make seamless and consistent interactions a priority across all channels
Social Media might just be your way in the door to get to the Gen Z customer. They are the generation that spends a lot of time on social media, checking multiple platforms several times per day. While you might have found the right channels to communicate on, such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, your content needs to remain consistent across all the channels. Since your target consumer jumps from channel to channel (on- and offline) you cannot forget to be consistent with your messaging and your product information.
Don’t forget to personalize
One of the most important things to be successful with the Generation Z consumer is personalization. Broad strokes are simply not enough for this generation. You will need to tailor every Gen Z shoppers value personalization. You will need to tailor your whole omni-channel campaign to each and every individual that you are trying to reach. That means showing them the pants or the shoes that they were looking at earlier, as well as making suggestions on what they might like based on what they have previously purchased. Think of it as curating your product range to match every single customer. Even though this kind of personalization requires a lot of data and algorithms, you will be able to track your customer journey across all platforms and predict your customers shopping behavior.
By providing personalized customer experiences supported by next-gen technologies, such as data analytics and machine learning, brands can deliver a high-tech, high-touch customer journey tailored to understanding and meeting their unique needs. (picture: Unsplash)
Not sure where to start?
We are happy to guide you and help your create the perfect omni-channel experience for your customers.
