Page 17 - Winter 2019

Second, they have been raised mostly
by Gen Xers, usually in a house where both parents work. One parent may have lost a job or the family may have lost a house in the 2008 recession. “Gen Z sees their parents struggle to pay for life plus technology plus college,” Nessel says. “Gen Z realizes the importance of money.”
And finally, Gen Z has learned that materialism doesn’t buy happiness. “Comfort, experiences, and meaningful causes mean more to Gen Z than money,” Nessel says.
Armed with this kind of intel, brands must soon learn how to integrate this new generation of workers into their companies. And they
will not be the same workers that millennials are. While millennials and technology helped eliminate the boundary between personal
and professional life and paved the way for employees to have greater work-life balance, they also came into the workforce with
such high demands that they’ve scared off employers. They expected extra vacation time, work-from-home days, and sabbaticals to travel the world, baffling leaders who were often old
enough to be their parents.
Those leaders, if they are still in charge, will
be happy to know that Gen Z has very different attitudes and expectations from an employer. While a millennial may view the employer as the lucky one to have them as an employee, Nessel says Gen Z employees will often come with a greater level of respect and gratitude for the opportunity of employment and the income. They even relish personal interaction in the workforce, so they’re more inclined to come into the office.
In addition to the period of history we’ve grown up in, many of our generational attributes can be traced to how we were raised and who raised us. Gen Zers were reared differently
from millennials, who were raised differently from Gen Xers. Gen X is raising Gen Z to
be independent, while baby boomers raised millennials to be more dependent on their parents. Many would say millennials have been quite coddled, but that’s not necessarily the case with Gen Zers.
“We hear about the consequences of the
boomer parenting style all the time—millennials living at home in their late 20s and being incredibly challenging to work with,” Nessel says. “Gen X witnessed this problem with
the boomers and their demanding offspring, so most Gen X parents have chosen or have been forced to raise their children to be more independent. “
Remember, however, that while Gen Zers may act and look like little adults, they are still young and in need of guidance and direction to become good citizens. Nessel, a parent of two teen Gen Zers, says her generation hasn’t overindulged their children. One of her proudest moments was sending her eldest off to college knowing how to fully function, engage with all kinds of people, and thrive as an independent adult.
“I hope companies research and prepare for Gen Z entering the workforce and don’t assume Gen Z will resemble millennials,” she says. “I think we’ll all be delighted by Gen Z’s hard work, integrity, loyalty, teamwork, and communication skills. They developed these skills while growing up in challenging times.” n
Winter 2018/19
15
Marketing to Generation Z
2Leverage User- Generated
#Content (UGC)
There’s a whole new frontier of customers who have grown up
in the Amazon era and wouldn’t think of purchasing anything without a plethora of UGC at key conversion points to help them along. Forget one or two sad reviews from some free plugin. I’m talking hundreds of reviews, user-generated photos and more. This is the new standard—not a “nice to have when we get big enough,” but a must. —Ali Fazal, Yotpo
3Sell the End Game
#This is a benefit- and results- driven group, so don’t sell the product to them. Instead, sell the success they will achieve by using it. This sales approach lets you connect the dots for them, with workflows and processes on how to maximize the use of your product. Plus, this puts you in the position to be viewed by the customer as an expert who truly understands their needs. —Julie Sokley, Autodesk
#4-8
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it at:
ccgcreates.com/GenZ