Connecting With Gen Z Consumers When Everything Has Changed

Connecting With Gen Z Consumers When Everything Has Changed

As an industry we are used to talking about how everything is changing. Every year brings new proclamations. But in the past two weeks in the US and in the world, the media industry has actually changed. Nielsen has said that staying put in our homes can lead to almost 60% increase in the amount of content we watch. 

We at Collab see this happening in real time across our digital content network. This is partially driven by Gen Z. This is their first national emergency and they are turning to the platforms they know and trust. On YouTube Collab content saw week on week growth of more than 25%. That is across the hundreds of millions of weekly views on Collab channels. With more people spending time on TikTok the trends are emerging faster than ever, which is incredible since TikTok was already the fastest moving platform for trends. 

This is a moment no one could have prepared for. As individuals, our lives are being turned upside down. As marketers we are thinking about how to do the right thing and how to do it the right way. So how do we connect with younger consumers now, a group that is so important to keep informed for everyone's safety?

A few things to keep in mind. Younger consumers have always been sensitive to relevancy and authenticity. That is true now more than ever. They are looking for messages that speak to them now. Brands like Coke, Nike and Dettol have shown how to create new smart messaging that does not require traditional production.

For entertainment brands like Disney - news about content is relevant, especially as video consumption continues to rise. Consumers really want to know Frozen 2 is available on Disney Plus three months early.

While traditional content production is on hold, Creator content is thriving. Creators work alone or with tiny crews, so they can safely continue to produce content for digital platforms. Younger consumers already watch more Creator content than anything else, and will be craving new content. 

For many brands, working with these Creators offers a way to tell the right types of brand stories while traditional production is at a halt. Whether it is messaging to help people through this hard time, like GM, or delivering some much needed laughs, consumers will be watching.

We are all in this together and working together we can ensure both the important and entertaining messages reach the hard to reach yet critically important audiences.

Great insights Dave Rosner. And fully aligned.

Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Others also viewed

Explore topics