GenZ Marketing 101 - A look at tactics that have worked for brands

author-image
Pranali Tawte
Updated On
New Update
GenZ marketing


If statistics are to be believed, GenZ is said to have a strong purchase power. However, marketing to this audience requires brands to unlearn and relearn in terms of what works.

GenZ is commonly referred to as digital natives, born between 1996 and 2014. They have little recollection of life before the Internet and are considered progressive racially and culturally diverse. This age group accounts for 40% of consumers globally. However, marketing to them requires an understanding of what they connect with, the kind of content they respond to, and what they stand for.

This cohort is up-to-date with trending memes and audio, filters, and everything that comes in between. Here we take a look at how marketing to GenZ can be done in an engaging manner.

Create content that is visually appealing

GenZ marketing requires creating eye-catching and engaging visual content. Addressing the short attention span, the more quickly you can convey your ideas, the better. GenZ usually interact with memes and reels. They are more likely to take in visually appealing information that contains less text. Get to the point in your videos and blog posts by skipping the drawn-out, pointless introductions.

54% of people want to see more video content from marketers, according to a HubSpot analysis from 2022 and video posts on social media get 48% more views, says The Marketing Helpline analysis.

Dunzo is one of the best examples here. The brand creates eye-catching, engaging visual content. Its characters are cute and visually appealing and the content is relatable.

Also Read: Varun Kandhari on driving conversations around different products under the Mars Wrigley umbrella

Influencers open the door to interaction

According to a recent report, 3 out of 5 consumers are likely to try products based on influencer recommendations. Many customers on social media rely on influencer recommendations when researching and even making decisions about what to buy.

GenZ finds influencers more relatable and are more inclined to try their suggestion. Look for influencers who share the same problems or hold the same opinions as GenZ consumers. By collaborating with GenZ influencers on social media, you can give your brand a face that your customers will recognize. You can advertise your product in a video or social media post, or hold a contest for followers of your influencers.

SUGAR Cosmetics has been actively working with influencers. Right from lipstick swatches to product launches - the brand has been leveraging the creator economy to reach the right audience.

Vineeta Singh, CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics, highlights that the best way to work with this cohort is to find the right fit, as opposed to selecting an influencer who is popular. “As a brand, if you are not feeling the pressure to always work with the most talked about ‘influencer’ then you will be fine. Work on the right fit for the influencer and consumer. Say no to all the noise and everything else that’s happening, and you will be fine.”

Communicate your core values

GenZ is acutely aware of environmental and socioeconomic issues. Not only do they care about these but they also prefer to be on the frontline to create a change. This segment prefers engaging with brands that uphold social responsibility and reflect the values that matter to their audience.

According to a recent study by Forbes, GenZ shoppers prefer to buy sustainable brands and are most willing to spend 10% more on sustainable products. 

Brands like H&M are increasingly wearing their opinions and values like sustainability on their sleeves and supporting diversity, promoting social causes, and beyond.

Memes can go a long way...

Memes have evolved from jokes to a vocabulary in itself - an instrument that people use to communicate how they're feeling, what they believe in, and even what they stand for. Memes present a trendier, more engaging aspect of brand encounters that doesn't appear scripted and make for a good content hook.

Aman Gupta, Co-founder and CMO, BoAt, said, “Memes are an extremely interesting content format and are most representative of youth lingo and appeal. #SharkTankMemes is the perfect example, as people meme-d moments and dialogues from the show on Instagram, and pushed it to pop culture status. Creators are certainly flag bearers of this meme-language and I hope the trends from Instagram provide the structure for people, communities and brands to think about memes more intentionally.”

Netflix uses memes to promote its shows or movies. In fact, it is a common practice now for long-form content creators to circulate a few meme templates, urging their fans and followers to make memes and tag them.

Zomato's meme game is also widely known.

In many ways, marketing to GenZ can be quite different than the other age groups - this is an active generation, on top of everything, and prefers to voice opinions. They can tell when something is fake or exaggerated. While communicating with them, it is integral that brands remain genuine and speak a language that resonates with them.

Influencer marketing meme marketing Marketing strategies Gen Z marketing