Top 5 Gen Z Marketing Campaigns

Generation Z are the youngest consumers but do not be mistaken, they are not a demographic to ignore. In fact, today they hold $44 billion in buying power and by 2020 are expected to control 40% of all consumer shopping. Gen Z is described as anyone born after 1998, which means the generation’s oldest members can be found studying at colleges and universities or entering the workforce. According to 93% of parents, Gen Z children and young adults are influencing the needs and purchases in households across the country.

Just like their Millennial predecessors, Gen Z is not only largely online, but spends a considerable amount of time there: Nearly 100% of Gen Z consumers aged 16-22 own a smartphone and spend more than 4 hours per day online. When brainstorming about how to bring your brand to Gen Z, keep in mind that social media marketing truly epitomizes meeting people where they’re at. Once you’re there, you want to express your message in short, shareable content that resonates with a younger audience. Below are our top five marketing campaigns that excel at reaching out to Gen Z.

When thinking of a notable social media personality, look no further than Kylie Jenner. The young “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” personality started her company five years ago and today Kylie Cosmetics boasts 21 million instagram followers. The brand has stayed ahead of the curve in social media trends, such as in this campaign where users apply Instagram filters to try on, and share, looks.

Since its onset, Kylie Cosmetics has been centered around customer engagement. Practices like utilizing the comment section on posts to attract new ideas or product names have been successful in fostering brand loyalty and recognition.

The takeaway: Kylie Cosmetics further establishes the trust and loyalty it has with fans by engaging with them on social media as much as possible and delivering personalized experiences like their cosmetic filter. Most important, the brand obsesses about measuring the results of their marketing efforts. To learn the most important digital marketing metrics to measure, watch our webinar.

The money management assistant Cleo has reimagined the otherwise taxing experience of budgeting. Its AI chats are designed to be personable and have a sense of humor — ultimately, users are able to ask specific questions about their spending habits and get instant responses. The brand’s decision to launch a “Roast Mode” demonstrated its understanding of younger audiences. Avoiding overly cliche words and phrases, chats with the app are light-hearted and often funny.

The takeaway: Show, don’t tell. Creating short and shareable content is going to increase your chances of Gen Zers sending your ad to their friends (which is something they actually do).

The founders of Jerry Media, the company behind popular Instagram accounts @f**kjerry and @jerrynews, were already well-known on social media and decided to tackle the first full-scale digital launch of a spirit. Jerry Media excels in creating short and shareable content, and they have brought that strategy to their Tequila brand. While the tequila market, and alcohol industry in general, are often described as being oversaturated, that is not necessarily a disadvantage when appealing to younger markets that have not yet established brand loyalty.

In this campaign they bring short and shareable content offline. In doing so, they expand their brand beyond their direct followers, and point new customers towards their social media profiles. Noting they are looking for “DMs” to help hire a Chief Marketing Officer is a method of steering customers towards their social media profiles.

The takeaway: To resonate with a younger audience, transparency and humor are key. When it comes to being memorable, a good punchline is an easy pathway to success.

Gen Z and Millennials alike have been the recipients of widespread criticism of being the Me Generation (see Time Magazine’s Cover). Young people have been called lazy, obsessed with technology and social media, and of course, unable to buy a house because they've spent all their money on avocado toast. Playing into that ideology is, broadly speaking, something to avoid at all costs in social media marketing.

The British Army’s ads did an excellent job of redefining perceived flaws of the Me Generation. In doing so, they shed a light on strengths of younger generations that are often overlooked. This is excellent example of motivating your audience.

The takeaway: Building a loyal relationship with your audience starts with empowering them.

Earlier this year Beyonce released her documentary, Homecoming, and suddenly nothing else mattered. What made this release an instant success from a marketing perspective was its seamless engagement on multiple platforms. Her documentary featuring her performance at the Coachella headliner was available on Netflix and the audio for it was put on Spotify in its entirety. This strategy ultimately made her content widely accessible and shareable. As a result, she was able to attain massive attention on social media.

The takeaway: This is another example of go where you will be found. Make your product accessible and give people something to talk about. Social media will take it from there.

To learn how to effectively measure your Gen Z campaigns, be sure to also watch our webinar: Digital Marketing Metrics That Matter.