Winning Over Gen Z
Why Brands Must Shift Gears in This New Age of Advertising
Gen Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, has become one of the more influential and captivating audiences for brands and marketers in recent years. The first generation to be shaped by unique experiences like a global pandemic, several cost of living crises and the rapid evolution of digital technology, they are at the forefront of a generation unlike any other.
As advertisers clamour for Gen Z’s attention, it’s become clear that some of the current marketing strategies we’re seeing, simply won’t cut it anymore. Despite being the audience advertisers covet most, Gen Z is notoriously sceptical of advertising. At the recent ‘Advertising Who Cares?’ event, Crispin Reed, founder of Skyscraper Consulting, shared eye-opening research. His study revealed that people aged 13-23 view advertising as "unoriginal" and even "immoral." Ouch.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has grown up in a hyper-connected world. They've had access to smartphones, social media and advanced technology from an early age and, in some instances, for their whole life. Being the first digital generation, they are switched on consumers in regards to what is genuine, innovative and creative advertising and what’s not.
Who’s been doing it right?
To help me with this section of the blog, I did a bit of my own market research. Being a Gen Z myself, I thought it would be a good idea to go to my nearest and dearest to see who they think has been hitting the advertising nail on the head in recent years. Here were some of the top answers to come out of it:
RYANAIR
The brand that was mentioned the most? Ryanair. When you think about it, this is a big win for them. Gen Z is a prime audience for a budget airline - they love to travel without the restraints of expensive flights holding them back.
Recently, with TikTok’s growing influence, Ryanair has found its stride on the platform by jumping on trending content and leaving witty comments on viral videos. This clever, adaptive advertising style resonates well with Gen Z, as it shows the brand engaging with them in a way that feels authentic, relatable and fun.
Check out some of their best performing hits below:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeoDXFWY/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeoD4NxE/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeoDaucD/
SURREAL
Surreal is a brand that sells low carb, high protein cereal but what sets them apart from the crowd is their brilliant marketing tactics. Aside from influencer partnerships and collaborations with fitness giants like Gymshark, their real claim to fame should be their clever use of Linkedin as an advertising platform.
Linkedin isn’t known to be the most fun platform out there, especially not for Gen Z, but there’s a couple brands out there that have been using their Gen Z audience to help break the mould. Surreal is a company that I’ve been seeing do this really well, driving some great engagement (not that it’s all about the stats!). We’ve even drawn some previous inspiration from their work into our own on socials.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/surrealuk_first-rule-of-business-activity-7239229676324360193-rVXu/
CURRYS
Bet you weren’t expecting to see this name on here. Currys, the popular electronics brand, has been hitting all the right notes with their recent marketing strategy across social media recently. To help them widen the net on who they’re targeting, they’ve utilised Gen Z platforms to embrace Gen Z slang and have paired it with older, non-Gen Z employees to explain their latest deals and steals. Now, although it sounds like an odd fit, it’s really been working and Gen Z watchers have been finding it hilarious.
This is what has been making the content so engaging. They’re aware that lots of brands have been forcing the use of Gen Z culture to forcibly engage but here Curry’s are playing on the idea that they know they’re not Gen Z.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeoDXrjC/
SPECSAVERS
Surprisingly, Specsavers was the only brand in my research that stuck to more traditional advertising formats like TV advertising and OOH display advertising. While they may not be specifically targeting their content to Gen Z, it’s still been making its mark across the board.
There’s not many of us in the UK that don’t know the phrase “should’ve gone to Specsavers”. It's the kind of branding that sticks, and even though they tend to go for more traditional advertising formats, they’ve found a way to cut through the noise and make a lasting cross-generational impact.
Lucy Jameson, founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, highlighted during her talk at ‘Advertising Who Cares?’ that "48% of viewers say they feel nothing after watching video ads." This is where Specsavers really stands out. By harnessing the power of comedy, they manage to evoke a reaction from their audience, which is a key reason for their enduring success and memorability.
The takeaway here is simple: advertising isn’t dead, in fact it’s far from it. Reaching Gen Z as an audience isn’t something that brands should be shying away from, it’s an exciting opportunity that’s pushing brands to step outside of their comfort zone to experiment with fresh advertising techniques.
It’s not just about keeping up with the latest trends, it’s about creating adverts that make audiences feel something. Emotion is what sets great ads apart from forgettable ones. Gen Z feels our industry is lacking in that regard so, the challenge is clear: step away from the familiar, take risks and push your creative boundaries. The results might just surprise you.
Want to hear from the Gen Z expert himself? Check out our latest episode of Off Record On Point where we speak to Jay Richards, CEO at Imagen Insights
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