No longer a luxury understanding what drives and what the new behaviors and preferences of a generation look like. Brands need to change gears with this new shift as Gen Z’s took dominant buying power once Gen Alpha begins stepping out. And if that was not the case then a failure to understand audiences has led to failure, opportunities missed, and share and market declined.
Problem: The Marketing Gap between generations
For this age group, from 1997 to 2012, Gen Z will live through smartphones and social media. It’s all about having instant gratification. Thus, it all wants realness, social consciousness, and digital-first experiences. Gen Alpha, born after 2012, arrives in a world that’s even more hyper-connected as machines and AI drive everything living. Digital devices surpassed the stage of being only tools; they are persons.
According to a McKinsey report in 2023, 72% of Gen Z consumers are interested in dealing with a brand that would contribute to social causes. Deloitte reported by 2025, the Gen Alpha will surpass over 2 billion global consumers and will spend trillions. Challenge? These two generations are digital natives but have different preferences and behaviors.
Agitate: Why Brands Struggle to Adapt
Most brands are guilty of recycling tired tactics on new demographics. It’s too obvious – generic influencer campaigns or old social media plays just will not cut it. Gen Z smells authenticity from a mile away, and Gen Alpha plays back to interactive and engaging digital experiences.
For example, it is already winning the game on the Gen Z front by releasing AR filters focused on social causes, which saw a 20% jump in daily engagement in this age group. LEGO has continuously been in development of the interactive digital experience for the Gen Alpha to connect play with the content.
Brands that don’t adapt risk being tuned out. Traditional ads are being skipped, and irrelevant content is being scrolled past. If you’re not speaking their language, you’re not being heard.
Solution: Tailoring Strategies for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
Authenticity is Non-Negotiable (Gen Z Focus)
Gen Z loves open and socially responsible brands. Brands like Patagonia thrive because they openly speak about their sustainability goals. Develop campaigns that speak to what your brand stands for and delivers real-world impact.
Make Experience a Game (Gen Alpha Focus)
Gen Alpha likes engaging and gamified content. For example, Nike created the Play app for children. It is connected to exercise through digital rewards-great way for a brand to enter an audience.
Micro-Influencers
Both generations react better to the mini, niche influencers than on celebrity influencers. According to a HubSpot survey, 82% of Generation Z trust recommendations from the micro-influencers
Short-Form Video Rules
TikTok and YouTube Shorts make up most of the screen time for both generations. Bitesized, snackable content is no longer nice to have but a must-have.
Invest in Social Responsibility
Sustainability, inclusivity, and social justice are not buzzwords. Long-term loyalty materializes when brands align with these efforts.
wrapped up
despite much similarity existing between both groups: Gen Z and Gen Alpha, every group would in fact have uniqueness in what they want. Meaningful engagement is possible only for agile, data-driven, and authentic brands. Adapt now and miss this changing, fast-moving emerging consumer world.
