Generation Z: Four tips for future-oriented marketing

Generation Z, i.e. those born from around 1997 onwards, differs from its predecessor generations in many ways. With regard to their consumer behavior, it is particularly important to understand that they are the first generation to be born into a digitalized world. Marketers should start now to adapt to the specific needs of tech-savvy consumers who no longer distinguish between digital and analog consumption and demand a corresponding customer experience.

Steve Gershik, Chief Marketing Officer at e-commerce expert inRiver, explains how brands can successfully adapt to Generation Z consumers.

1. product information is the be-all and end-all

An inRiver study shows that over half of the 2,000 German consumers surveyed primarily use Amazon to search for products. However, it is noticeable that other platforms are also becoming increasingly important, especially for young consumers, when it comes to finding out about products and making purchasing decisions.

Whether a product is purchased depends largely on the quality of the product descriptions, images and reviews available online. The high number of returns that most online retailers have to contend with can also be reduced with high-quality product information, as bad purchases are less likely if the buyer can get a realistic picture of the item ordered.

In addition, there are more and more so-called ROPO (Research Online, Purchase Offline) consumers. In other words, consumers who research a product online before making a planned purchase in a brick-and-mortar store. Against this backdrop, brands must ensure consistent product information across all sales channels in order not to lose customers to the competition on their ROPO journey.

2. a strong internet presence

Young consumers are increasingly visiting brands' websites instead of looking for information about their products on an e-commerce platform such as Amazon. For this reason, it is more important than ever for brands to invest in a flawless design for their online presence and thus in an optimal customer journey.

The number of touchpoints between brands and consumers in the digital space is enormous and brands must ensure that they are present wherever their target groups are. To do this, it is necessary to identify popular keywords and create appropriate content. Accurate SEO marketing has a significant impact on a brand's visibility on the internet.

3. voice marketing is the future

The importance of voice control in marketing is still controversial in specialist circles. Voice assistants do not yet appear to be fully developed as shopping tools, especially as the impression often arises that Amazon has a monopoly on the technology to a certain extent.

That is at least partly true. But as we see time and again, technical progress is happening at breakneck speed. Of over 2,000 consumers surveyed by inRiver in Germany on the subject of voice control, 21% have already used the technology to place an online order. Amazon will not be able to maintain its quasi-monopoly forever and sooner or later voice assistants will be able to independently find the ideal products for their owners. It should be clear that product information will also be of central importance here.

4. use returns profitably

At the moment, more than half of 16 to 24-year-olds order products with the intention of returning them. Sometimes they want to compare several product variants with each other. But sometimes products are also ordered because they are only needed for one or a few days. To a certain extent, both represent an abuse of the right of withdrawal and cost online retailers a lot of money, but a virtue can be made of necessity: By analyzing data from returns management, it is possible to identify which customers are serial returners and for which products improved product information management (PIM) could help to reduce returns.