Brand Strategy

August 2, 2020

Meet Gen Z. Who Are They? How Can You Reach Them?

The Zoomers are here and they take some well-known Millennial traits to the next level.

Meet Gen Z. Who Are They? How Can You Reach Them?
Lianna Willoughby

by Lianna Willoughby

Managing Director at Open Mind Strategy LLC

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Birth timeline of U.S. Generations

Sources: Pew Research Foundation and other sources

 

What is a Zoomer? An Alpha?

Globally, Generation Z and Generation Alpha make up more than one-third of the world’s population. Almost a quarter of the US population today is 18 or under, making Gen Z (Zoomers) and Alpha the largest generations in the US population. It is estimated that there are roughly 80 million in the Zoomer generation (born between 1997 – 2012) and Alpha generation (born after 2012) in the US today, and more are born each day.

Pie chart of Generations as a percentage of the U.S. population

Who Are Zoomers?

Are they a generation of amplified Millennials? Yes. Everything changes, but not always in an opposite direction, and Zoomers take some well-known Millennial traits to the next level. For example, Millennials may be tech natives, but Zoomers have digital in their DNA. Some even say Zoomers could swipe before they could walk.

When it comes to Millennials being known for pro-social concerns, Zoomers take activism to another level.  The Internet has made this an incredibly collaborative generation that is showing the world just how powerful a well-aimed tweet or YouTube video can be. Online, they create communities surrounding interests and causes, not geography.

Until now, Millennials were the most diverse generation ever. While Zoomers are about half white, in the next 4 years, more than half of this generation is projected to be majority-minority races/ethnicities. Zoomers will be the last generation in the US to be majority non-Hispanic White. The most diverse generation ever- and not just skin deep. Less than half identify as completely heterosexual and more than 1 in 3 Zoomers consider themselves to be bisexual to some degree.

 

Gen Z Relationships

A sense of authentic uniqueness is very important to Zoomers. While connectivity to a community is important to them, they’d rather stand out than fit in; it has never been so true that the “label does not apply”.  They are less crowd-oriented than previous generations of teens, less concerned with finding popular options than in finding those that can stoke personal passion.

The new team emerges—social circles are being formed around personal passions.  Zoomers surround themselves with a different group of friends to express each of their many facets. Where Millennials have a “music friend” and a “tech friend” Zoomers have entire groups. Those different friend groups might even hate each other—what’s cool in one might not be cool in the other.

Where Millennials were friends with their parents and expect to be close with their children, Zoomers see their parents as best friends. Zoomers’ parental relationships are marked by mutual respect. For Millennials, parents were buddies and cheerleaders, always encouraging them to follow their dreams. For Zoomers, parents are an integral part of the support system. Digital natives themselves, parents of Zoomers have adopted a “stealth fighter” parenting style, knowing when to strike and when to lay low. As a result, more Zoomers see parents as collaborators and peers.

 

Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

 

Having reviewed some key areas where Zoomers are amped-up versions of Millennials, let’s delve into part 2—the Anti Millennial overview.  Is Gen Z also anti-millennial? Yes! While Zoomers have taken some well known Millennial traits to the next level, Zoomers tend to blame Millennials for many of the world’s issues and make an effort to adjust their behaviour accordingly. They look up to them, but they also look down on them and want to change the narrative.

 

Fueled By Passion

The side hustle trend has continued from Millennials to Zoomers, however, the evolution is such that Zoomers are less interested in passion for passion’s sake and much more focused on making sure that passion can pay. Zoomers are passion-driven, but if that doesn’t lead to financial stability, they need to find something else that will.

A passion that pays, tends to lead right into early specialization for the Zoomers. In everything from entrepreneurship to sports, kids and teens are finding where they excel and focusing their efforts in hopes of a payoff as soon as they can get it.  The daily show recently featured a 13-year-old “shoe don” with a warehouse worth $1 million in shoes.

 

Photo by Randalyn Hill on Unsplash

 

How Zoomers Use Social Media

Zoomers are still teenagers, they want to have a good time, but they don’t want the fun they have to negatively impact their future. We see this with how they use social media. Zoomers takes a much more crafted and curated approach. While Millennials post every detail of their lives on social media, Zoomers are more aware of who they’re sharing information with and how they think this affects their online identity.

With Zoomers, we tend to see the return of cool (and uncool). While Millennials are all accepting and inclusive, Zoomers tend to be more snarky, exclusive, and very “image” aware. The reemergence of cool is not without consequences- as Zoomers are the most anxious generation, fueled by social media and personal image.

Millennials believe they can do/be anything and the world will support their efforts, while Zoomers have realistic expectations and are skeptical that their favour. After witnessing the financial crisis and subsequent struggle of their Gen-X parents,  Zoomers have money woes on their minds.  Almost half of them worry about student loan debts despite not even having graduated from high school.

All that said, they’re still young, fun, and undeclared as a group. This generation is just beginning to “come of age” –as serious as they may seem, they’re still kids and haven’t quite figured themselves out yet.

 

 

Our best resources for learning more about Zoomers and Alphas

Blog Articles

To Resonate With Gen Z Consumers, Lead With Emotions

Is Gen Z Fearful of the Increasingly Digital Age?

How to recruit & engage Gen Z for qualitative market research

Big Data Complements Qual at Fusion 2019" href="https://www.greenbook.org/mr/insights/big-data-complements-qual-at-fusion-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Big Data Complements Qual at Fusion 2019

5 Changes We Can Expect for the Future of Respondent Engagement

 

Webinar

[Webinar Recording] Gen Z: Immense Buying Power, But Know Their Playbook

 

Additional resources for learning about Gen Z

Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social and Political Issues

TRENDING: ONGOING KID, TWEEN AND TEEN FEEDBACK PANELS

Gen Z and Money: Will the Youngest Generation of Adults Drive FinTech?

 

Our best resources for learning more about Millennials

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Keeping up with the Millennials

Attracting and Retaining Millennials
Millennials Are a Tough Bunch to Market to

How Millennials Will Disrupt Consumer Research

Qualitative Research on Millennials “Fills the Gap”" href="https://www.greenbook.org/mr/market-research-methodology/steering-marketers-back-on-track-qualitative-research-on-millennials-fills-the-gap/">Steering Marketers Back on Track: Qualitative Research on Millennials “Fills the Gap”

Amazonified Millennials: How to Thrive via The 9 Why’s of Context

Recent Trends In Millennial Insights

The Myth of Millennial Ad Responsiveness

Millennial Family Passion Points: A new roadmap for marketing to the modern family

Why Category Insights Should Take a Back Seat in Millennial Family Marketing

How AI Can Help Marketers Reach the Distracted Generation
The YOLO Market: How Young Adults Spend Money & What That Means for Brand Marketers

IIeX Day 3: Maintaining Work-Life Balance and Recruiting New Talent

For The Right Content, Millennials Will Pay To Play

Speaking to Millennials in Their Language – The Struggle is Real!

 

Case Study
Hey There Good Lookin’: Idea Screening for the Tinder Generation

How Jewelers of America Positioned Itself in Today’s Marketplace with a Three-Phase Research Plan

 

Webinar

[Webinar Recording] Understanding the Modern Mother

 

Our webinar about Gen X

[Webinar Recording] Understanding the Modern Mother

 

Additional resources for learning about Gen X

Don’t You Forget About Me: Why Gen X Is A Marketing Can’t-Miss

The Undetected Influence Of Generation X

 

Our best resource for learning more about Baby Boomers

Blog Articles

Research with Boomers and Seniors: 3 things you need to know

Millennials Are a Tough Bunch to Market to

 

Additional resources for learning about Baby Boomers

Baby Boomer Beauty Market Research

Baby Boomer Wellness Market Research

 

Our best resources for learning more about Generational Research

Blog Articles

Generation Nation: Redefining America’s Boomers, Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z

Unlocking the Power of Generations

Super Bowl 2019 Advertising Effectiveness

Sneak Peek Book Excerpt: The Science Of Why by Dr. David Forbes

 

Case Study

Changes in Grocery Shopping Patterns Driven by Demo’s and Technology

 

Additional resources for learning about Gen X

Why marketing based on age cohorts doesn’t make sense

Millennials stand out for their technology use, but older generations also embrace digital life

 

Find a company that specializes in Generation Z and Generation Alpha

Find a company that specializes in Millennials (Generation Y)

Find a company that specializes in Generation X

Find a company that specializes in Seniors

Find a company that specializes in specific Lifestages

 

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consumer researchgen zmillennialszoomers

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.

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