Each generation has been brought up with completely different technologies and advancements at their fingertips. From VHS to iPads, the technology we interact with and how we interact with it determines a lot about our generations. And more importantly, understanding how each age group interacts with your digital marketing can mean the difference between a failed and successful campaign. So, how will the next generation interact with technology?

The current generation most digital marketeers are using as their target markets is generation Z, the post-90’s babies who grew up in the transition stage, who went from flip phones to iPhones and saw the rise and fall of DVD stores. This generation has been predicted to be even more influential to the entire population than millennials and they don’t care about quantity or quality, they care about the values behind a product or service. They understand the difference between ‘buying because you can’ and ‘buying because it adds value to their lives’. Generation Z has been called the quiet younger sibling, sitting peacefully at the dinner table and learning from the mistakes of the millennials as they fight with the older generations. This means marketing to them can’t follow the usual guidelines. Half-baked slogans and cliché images simply won’t do for this generation.

Generation Z doesn’t rely on words. Saying you’re a thought leader and expert in your field simply won’t work because they’ve heard it all before. Having grown up during the advent of social media marketing, odds are there isn’t a go-to tag line or generic campaign that they haven’t heard before. Being sincere is the only way to get through, they hold their community close to their hearts so if it comes out that your business somehow hindered a single persons livelihood your hard-earned reputation is going to be thrown out the window at a surprising speed. Marketing can no longer take the stance of ‘I’m right, they’re wrong and here’s why’ your messaging needs to be inclusive. Coming across as isolating any part of their community can turn on you very easily, and because they’ve grown up in this technological era they know exactly how to turn a company’s reputation on its head in a digital minute.

Generation Z isn’t anything to be afraid about though, they’re the simple children who grew up in the limelight of their extroverted and over-the-top older siblings. The only difference between those who came before them and generation Z is that they’re tired of talking about changing the world and actually want to put a plan into action. If you’re struggling to put your actions where your words are, especially over the digital space, let Polkadot Digital take over the complications between generations. Whether your CI needs a change of scenery or your mailers are losing potency, we know how to get your views and values across to every generation.