Connecting with Generation Z & Beyond Both Online and Offline

It seems like Gen Z is in headlines or trending on Twitter every day for one reason or another. This middle-part loving, flared jeans wearing, emoji discerning age group is capturing the attention of the public at large and especially marketers because of their unique taste, opinions, digital expertise, media consumption and more.

We’ve collected data, provided insights and are sharing actionable takeaways in our new eBook, “Gen Z & Beyond: An Advertisers Handbook,” to make reaching and engaging with this age bracket as strategic and impactful as possible for advertisers.

Click the button below to download our eBook or read on for a sneak peek.

How to Connect with the Digital Natives

Generation Z (also known as Gen Z, iGen or Centennials) are the age group of people born after 1996—making them the first age group to be raised alongside technology their whole lives, which is why these tech wizards are understood as “digital natives.”

Since Gen Z is so comfortable on digital platforms and technology, brands have a huge opportunity to connect with this demographic using valuable and authentic information and interactive online experiences.

Not only does Gen Z reach for their phones and other technology to connect through social platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat and more, they also utilize use the internet as their preferred learning environment.

Due to the independent nature of technology, this generation is full of self-learners who are typically comfortable absorbing information online instead of in a traditional classroom setting. Not only does Gen Z embrace online engagement, they also are keen on digital participation and interacting with brands on social media.

The Importance of Omnichannel & Gen Z

Although Gen Z uses technology almost instinctually, there is also great potential for brands to connect with this age cohort outside of the home.

In a recent Quotient survey, 90.4% of consumers of all age groups stated they still make a grocery shopping trip at least once a week. More than one third (36.5%) of respondents stated they venture out twice or more often each week, and 53.9% leave once.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Gen Z respondents reported the smallest change in shopping behavior during COVID—with less than half indicating they shifted their shopping from in-store to online.

Our survey also revealed how valuable it is to capture consumers’ attention when they leave on pointed trips right now, particularly the Gen Z audience. Sixty percent of the Gen Z era are either extremely likely or somewhat likely to be persuaded into making a purchase decision after seeing an out-of-home (OOH) ad.

As eCommerce sales continue to rise and the line between the online and offline experience converges, Gen Z consumers anticipate and expect to consume products and services at any time or place.

Especially for the Gen Z audience who so effortlessly and frequently consumes online content, the online-offline boundary virtually doesn’t exist—which underscores the value and importance of omnichannel marketing to this particular audience.

For more information on omnichannel strategies, check out Quotient’s page here.

For actionable takeaways on how brands can meaningfully connect with Gen Z through seamless online and offline experiences, authentic and personalized content and more, check out our eBook below.