Adtech 2019- Tapping the GenZ
Born into the mobile-first generation, the GenZ will be among the buying segment soon, whose thoughts, ideas, aspirations and fears are way different from that of millennials and generations before.
Adtech 2019 initiated an interesting discussion upon the products and strategies today and what will appeal to this set of audience in 2020 and beyond. The panel consisted Nikhil Rastogi (Director and Head of Marketing and Digital Sales at Citi Bank), Saahil Kumar (Marketing Head at Sennheiser), Anjali Krishnan (Senior Manager at Mondelez), Parnika Shrimali (Chief Solution Officer at Kantar Millward Brown), Sandeep Singh (Director- Marketing & Alternate Channels at Bira) and Prasanjeet Dutta Baruah (Business Head of Technology, Telecon, Automotive & New Business at Facebook).
Parnika feels that this generation is far more vigilant and resourceful and also open to every topic to discuss or converse. Nearly 40 percent of the Indian population is genZ and in the next 5 years, they will be the decision makers as well. They are driven by world in which they are coming of age.
Anjali feels that this is a digital native audience. A lot many brands today are hence going digital only. To bring relevance to the genZ, they are creating distinct messages. It is believed that personalised messages bring 10-13 percent rise in acceptance. Brands today are creating experiences for this set of audience and are creating interactive content.
Sandeep emphasises that it is important to engage and natively integrate with GenZ. One must interact in an authentic way.
Being part of a financial institution, Nikhil feels that genZ has seen a lot during the financial crises — be it parents losing jobs or saving money. Thus, these people believe in the idea of saving money. Also, they are the mobile first generation and hence want the mobile services on mobile.
As a marketer the attempt must be to look transparent. This set of audience wants the product to be understood in simple ways. The message must be simple, clear, and open to communication to them.
Saahil apprises us on how Sennheiser is investing in blending good software with their existing hardware. Basically, supplying what the genZ desires. He also highlights on how the company is bringing an immersive experience for this generation.
To conclude, a brand and a marketer must walk the talk with the GenZ. They are vigilant and socially conscious as they have access to better education and information. You just can’t do away without targeting them!
