We have all heard the term Millennials, but do you know the name of the generation after them? Let’s talk about terms we do know thus far. Baby Boomers are the generation of people born right after World War II from dates 1946-1964. The following generation is called Generation X, these were the people born between the 1960s to the 1980s. The demographic cohort following Generation X is the Millennials, which were born in the early 1980s to late 1900s. Now we are up-to-date to our next demographic which ranges from the mid to late 1990s to mid-2000s, and these are now known as Generation Z.
Generation Z share similar characteristics to the millennial’s but compared to other generations, they have been introduced to the Internet at a young age. They were brought up in such a time where technology boomed, and have been engulfed in social media since an early age. They are the largest and most ethnically diverse generation the United States. Generation Z compared to other generations are innovators and know what to expect when it comes to technology. This demographic is big on following the newest trends, they always have their notifications on, prompting a quick response to their favorite YouTube video, a friends' Snapchat snap, or retweeting a viral video.
This changes things up for advertisers and marketers as well. They really have to be two steps ahead of this generation, because unlike past generations, they have the power of the Internet at hand. I love how Angela Fernandez, a lead of Engaging Gen Z group at Ketchum puts it, “The tables are at stake, if you’re not creating a conversation, that two-way dialogue, if your brand is not accessible and authentic and transparent, those are the things that Gen Z are used to and they’re going to expect from brands.” Generations Z have seen the good, now they just want to be wowed. Angela Fernandez mentions to AdAge that she once heard a person from this demographic say, “If you’re 40 years old and you think this idea is a really good Gen Z idea, you’re probably wrong.” Want to read more about Generation Z check out this article by AdAge titled “The ABCs of Gen Z”, the link is below.
http://adage.com/article/digital/abcs-gen-z/311999/