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Did Juul Lure Teenagers and Get ‘Customers for Life’?

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Did Juul Lure Teenagers and Get ‘Customers for Life’?

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Yes teenagers have been lured into doing vape because of the different kinds of flavors it has. Vaping has made us customer's for these businesses for life. Even though vaping it's less harmful it can still make us wanting to switch for these tobacco products. These people are marketing for teenagers because we are a easier target for us teenagers so that we can be addicted to this and we can be their future costumers

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Juul is under federal investigation for marketing its discreet, flash-drive-resembling e-cigarette product to youth. Credit Credit Jason Henry for The New York Times

The e-cigarette company says it never sought teenage users, but the F.D.A. is investigating whether Juul intentionally marketed its devices to youth.

Juul is under federal investigation for marketing its discreet, flash-drive-resembling e-cigarette product to youth. Credit Credit Jason Henry for The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO - The leaders of a small start-up, PAX Labs, gathered at a board meeting in early 2015 to review the marketing strategy for its sleek new electronic cigarette, called Juul. They watched video clips of hip young people, posed flirtatiously holding Juuls. And they talked about the name of the gadget, meant to suggest an object of beauty and to catch on as a verb - as in "to Juul."

While the campaign wasn't targeted specifically at teenagers, a former senior manager said that he and others in the company were well aware it could appeal to them. After Juuls went on sale in June 2015, he said, the company quickly realized that teenagers were, in fact, using them because they posted images of themselves vaping Juuls on social media.

The former manager said the company was careful to make sure the models in its original campaign were at least 21, but it wasn't until late 2016 or January 2017 that the company said it decided the models in all Juul ads should be over age 35 - to be "better aligned" with a mission of focusing on adult smokers. Only in June of this year did the company again change its policy, this time to using only real people who had switched from cigarettes to Juul.

The company recently modified the names of its flavors - using creme instead of crème brûlée and cucumber instead of cool cucumber. Juul said it "heard the criticism" that teenagers might be attracted to the flavors and "responded by simplifying the names and losing the descriptors."

The sales campaigns for Juuls - now hugely popular with teenagers across the nation - are at the heart of a federal investigation into whether the company intentionally marketed its devices to youth. The attorney general of Massachusetts, also investigating the company, contends that Juul has been luring teenagers to try the product and has introduced many to nicotine. Her investigation will examine Juul's efforts to audit its own website and other online retailers that sell its products to see how effective they are at preventing minors from accessing Juul or Juul-compatible products. (Federal law prohibits sales of e-cigarettes to anyone under 18.)

"From our perspective, this is not about getting adults to stop smoking," the Massachusetts attorney general, Maura Healey, said in an interview. "This is about getting kids to start vaping, and make money and have them as customers for life."

And Cult Collective, the marketing company that created the 2015 campaign, "Vaporized," claims on its website that the work "created ridiculous enthusiasm" for the campaign hashtag, part of a larger advertising effort that included music event sponsorships and retail marketing. A spokesman for Cult Collective declined to comment.

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Examples of Juul's advertising from 2015. The company's current marketing is far more sober-looking, with a less colorful, more adult design.

The company, now called Juul Labs, denies that it ever sought to attract teenagers. James Monsees, one of the company's co-founders, said selling Juuls to youth was "antithetical to the company's mission."

The original sales campaign was aimed at persuading adult smokers in their 20s and 30s to try an alternative to cigarettes, but it "failed to gain traction on social media and failed to gain sales" and was abandoned after five months, in the fall of 2015, said a company spokesman, Matt David.

Mr. David said sales didn't take off until 2017, after Juul had improved its sales and distribution expertise, and, by then, had a more sober online marketing campaign.

The former Juul manager, who spoke to The New York Times on the condition that his name not be used, saying he worried about facing the ire of the company, said that within months of Juul's 2015 introduction, it became evident that teenagers were either buying Juuls online or finding others who made the purchases for them. Some people bought more Juul kits on the company's website than they could individually use - sometimes 10 or more devices.

"First, they just knew it was being bought for resale," said the former senior manager, who was briefed on the company's business strategy. "Then, when they saw the social media, in fall and winter of 2015, they suspected it was teens."

The Food and Drug Administration announced it was investigating Juul's marketing efforts in April. Juuls and other e-cigarettes are regulated by the F.D.A. as tobacco products because nicotine derives from tobacco leaves. E-cigarette users inhale far fewer toxins than do smokers of traditional cigarettes. The nicotine inhaled while vaping is less a concern for adults than these toxins, but it remains a serious health issue for teenagers, whose brains are still developing.

The Juul story highlights a central dilemma in public health. Cigarettes remain the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 people a year. But will it be possible to get people who are addicted to cigarettes to switch to e-cigarettes, which are less harmful, without enticing a new generation or non-smokers to try them?

Juul, in a letter responding to the F.D.A.'s demand for documents, said it had converted one million smokers to Juul, but the company data is drawn from self-reported surveys on its website and is unverifiable.
[Here's how schools are dealing with the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes.]
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who heads the F.D.A., declined to comment on the agency's investigation of Juul. But he has long been hopeful that e-cigarettes or other similar devices, properly regulated, will prove a safer alternative to smoking and help people quit the deadly habit. Before becoming F.D.A. commissioner, he served on the board of directors of Kure, a retailer that sells e-cigarette products.

"Two-thirds of adult smokers have stated they want to quit," he said. "They know it's hard, and they've probably tried many times to quit. We must recognize the potential for innovation to lead to less harmful products."
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But Eric Lindblom, a former F.D.A. tobacco official who heads the tobacco control program at Georgetown Law, said Juul's internal concerns about teenage use demonstrate they are in some ways "no different than the cigarette industry."

"They are going to maximize their sales and profits any way they can," he said. "They are going to do that within the law, but they are going to press the gray areas as much as they can."

Over the last three years, Juul has had a meteoric rise. It has become the dominant seller of e-cigarettes, now controlling a remarkable 72 percent of the market, according to Nielsen data. In July, the company completed a round of fund-raising for $1.2 billion, putting it in rarefied air. From a virtual standing-start in 2015, it is now valued by investors at $16 billion.

Across the country, Juuls have become so popular that "Juuling" has indeed become a verb, and officials from several state governments have sent alerts to schools warning them about the problem.

A survey of adolescent drug use last year found that 11 percent of 12th graders, 8.2 percent of 10th graders and 3.5 percent of eighth graders had vaped nicotine in the previous 30 days.

Juul's other co-founder, Adam Bowen, said that he was aware early on of the risks e-cigarettes posed to teenagers, and that the company had tried to make the gadgets "as adult-oriented as possible," purposely choosing not to use cartoon characters or candy names for its flavors.

The F.D.A. has ordered Juul to turn over the company's research and marketing documents, including focus group data and toxicology reports, to determine whether it intentionally courted the youth market.

The day after receiving the F.D.A. letter, Juul announced it would spend $30 million to combat underage vaping and recruited Tom Miller, the attorney general of Iowa, who helped lead the multistate 1998 master settlement with tobacco companies, to run an advisory board to counsel Juul on its efforts. Mr. Miller said recommendations might include more controls on social media marketing and better surveillance of retail outlets, but the ultimate decision on how to spend the money remains with Juul.

Mr. Miller says he sees huge potential in e-cigarettes. He believes Juul and other e-cigarette companies have already helped lower the adult smoking rate to 13.9 percent in 2017 from 16.8 percent in 2014. "The only plausible explanation is e-cigarettes," he said.

A report from Citigroup, citing Nielsen data, said that sales of traditional cigarettes dropped 6 percent in the first quarter of this year and "it's impossible to say what has caused the change for sure but the most obvious case is Juul."

Juul recently deleted months of social media posts, including ones with images of cool-looking young people vaping Juuls. This spring it made major changes to its website, which had prominently displayed a Juul surrounded by luscious-looking images of fruit and the words "Mango, it's back." The site is now a more sober-looking affair, featuring video of adults vaping with a tagline "For smokers. By design." Across the top of the page, visitors are invited to "learn about our youth prevention efforts."

Mr. Bowen, 42, and Mr. Monsees, 38, the company's founders, met in 2003 in a graduate product-design program at Stanford University, bonding over brainstorming sessions and cigarettes. Both had been smokers since their teens, and both have since quit; Mr. Monsees regularly uses a Juul.

The culmination of the program was a masters thesis, and both had struggled to find a worthy subject. In 2004, about six months before the thesis was due, they got to talking about their smoking habits and, within days, were excitedly sending emails back and forth about developing an alternative to cigarettes.

Big tobacco companies were experimenting with e-cigarettes, but there was no real market for them until around 2010, when NJoy, an Arizona company, became the industry's first darling. By 2013, e-cigarettes were a $1.7-billion-a-year business, still only a small fraction of the $90 billion cigarette business.

But then NJoy gambled on an e-cigarette that looked virtually identical to a cigarette. It was a mistake, said Craig Weiss, the chief executive who pushed the so-called cigalike strategy and now consults for Juul. As NJoy's fortuned flagged, he said he realized that people didn't want a product that looked so much like a cigarette that it still left them with the stigma of being a smoker. NJoy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016, later re-emerging.

Juul initially developed a product in 2010 that looked like a fountain pen and distributed it in specialty vape shops. Its sales grew to a modest $30 million by 2015.

Then the company found its current design, a sleek stick that looks like a flash drive, and largely stumbled onto a new way of delivering nicotine: it mixes nicotine with a chemical called benzoic acid. The result is that when Juul users inhale, they get a very quick and powerful burst of nicotine. This gives smokers a more cigarette-like experience, but medical researchers say it also makes the product more addictive for youth.

The company launched its new product in June 2015, with starter kits costing $35, and packs of four nicotine refill cartridges selling for $16 - each roughly the equivalent of the cost of a pack of cigarettes. According to Nielsen, sales in the first month were roughly $1,500 and reached over $1 million that December. It began a steady climb, and then experienced explosive growth in the beginning of 2017, with sales rising 627 percent in the four weeks ending June 17, 2017, according to Nielsen and Wells Fargo Securities.

The company said that toward the end of 2016 and around the beginning of 2017, it changed its social marketing campaign and guidelines to require all models to be over the age of 35.

In the last two months, Juul has removed the flavor focus and now uses only "real people" who have used Juul to switch from smoking cigarettes, the company said.

Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said that he was prepared to be a fan of a product like Juul if it is responsibly marketed and shown to help adults quit smoking. But he cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in 2017 2.1 million high schoolers and middle schoolers used e-cigarettes - "and the reports about high school students using Juul are rampant," he said.

Mr. Myers observed that Juul "delivers nicotine so much better than any comparable product on the market," and so its popularity means that "both the hopes of the e-cig fans, and fears of those concerned about e-cigs and kids, rise exponentially."

On Jan. 23, The Boulder Daily Camera published a front-page story about the growing concerns of local educators in Colorado about student use of Juuls.

Five days later, Carrie Yantzer, the principal at Nederland Middle-Senior High School, received an email that immediately struck her as suspicious. The writer introduced himself as Bruce Harter, a former educator working with Juul to develop an anti-vaping curriculum for schools.

[Here's why public health experts believe vaping may lure teenagers into smoking.]
"I read about the challenges you're having with Juul," Mr. Harter wrote. He offered a free, three-hour curriculum provided by Juul to discourage teens from using e-cigarettes by teaching them about their brains and giving them mindfulness exercises.

"What we've found from focus groups with teenage Juul users is that young people don't understand the dangers of nicotine addiction," the letter read. "They sometimes feel 'pushed' by friends to use e-cigarettes. We also found that they don't have operative ways to deal with stress and the emotional ups and downs of their lives right now."

Ms. Yantzer was angry. "It sounded preposterous," she said, and the company "deceptive."

She wasn't the only school administrator to get such a letter. The Boulder school district and, ultimately, the state of Colorado condemned the offer as a brand-building exercise that was tone-deaf at the very least.

"The way we see this is a fox guarding the henhouse," said Alison Reidmohr, tobacco communications specialist for the Colorado Department of Public Health. "A company that stands to profit from, and currently profit off, youth using a product can't be trusted to prevent use of this product."

Ashley Gould, Juul's chief administrative officer, said the company, because it has not built management around former tobacco-industry employees, was unaware the tactic had been used by cigarette companies. However, Juul's board of directors includes experienced investors, including Nicholas Pritzker, a billionaire whose family controlled one of the country's largest chewing tobacco companies, Conwood, which was acquired in 2006 by Reynolds American for $3.5 billion.

For its part, Juul said it was still deciding what to do with that school program. Ms. Gould said the company did not realize the curriculum would offend or that the idea harked to a tactic big tobacco companies used decades ago. "We didn't know," she said. "We should've known."

Juul has a new innovation in the works, a Bluetooth-enabled version of its e-cigarette that it hopes could push more smokers to switch without risking youth uptake. Mr. Monsees called it a "smart" e-cigarette.

The Bluetooth-equipped Juul might provide a way for adult vapers to measure their nicotine use. It also might discourage teen use by disabling the device unless it's in the presence of its adult buyer, perhaps by linking it to the buyer's cellphone. The solution would still require effective controls on sales to minors at brick-and-mortar stores and online retail outlets.

Juul officials contend their ability to offer such innovations is hamstrung by regulatory policies. The company is building a high-powered operation in Washington to help it navigate such issues. It's run by Tevi Troy, a political strategist who worked with Dr. Gottlieb, the F.D.A. commissioner, at the Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush and who wrote an opinion article with him for The Wall Street Journal.

The company has also hired Jim Esquea, who was an assistant secretary at the health department during the Obama administration, and Gerald Masoudi, a former F.D.A. chief counsel.

The company is also ratcheting up its lobbying efforts. It has reported spending $450,000 on lobbying so far in 2018 - substantially more than the $120,000 reported spent for all of 2017. It also recently started a political action committee, although no donations have yet been reported. In June, Kevin Burns, Juul's chief executive, gave $50,000 to the Republican congressional leadership fund.

The centerpiece of Dr. Gottlieb's tobacco control strategy is a plan that would potentially greatly benefit e-cigarette companies, including Juul. It would require tobacco companies to reduce nicotine levels in traditional cigarettes so much that they were no longer addictive. The proposal is still in the early discussion phase, with the tobacco industry strongly opposed. But it would potentially make Juul, a potent nicotine delivery device, far more appealing to smokers.

Mr. Monsees, a Juul co-founder, says he believes that e-cigarettes are a key to reducing smoking, and can be profitable without sales to teenagers.

"Yes, I want to make money," he said. "I'm on the board with a fiduciary duty that obligates me to make money."

But he added, "The best investor return in the long term comes from more adults turning away from combustible cigarettes."

Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks contributed reporting from Washington.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Investigators Ask if Vaping Ads Tried to Hook Teenagers for Life. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Did Juul Lure Teenagers and Get 'Customers for Life'?

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The e-cigarette company says it never sought teenage users, but the F.D.A. is investigating whether Juul intentionally marketed its devices to youth. Juul is under federal investigation for marketing its discreet, flash-drive-resembling e-cigarette product to youth.

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Teenagers have some of the most bad years of their lifes because we face many problems when we were teens much like I'm facing problems right now. People who were teenagers have faced with much of their time with shool stressing about their problems that they have such as homework we have to stress about projects and other stuff. Also we face problems about losing a fellow parent or family member.

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Thinking about the lives of young people today and what they need most.

By Kathleen O'Brien

Ms. O'Brien is a staff editor for the Opinion section.

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Elsie Fisher as Kayla in the film "Eighth Grade." Credit Credit Josh Ethan Johnson/A24

I watched the superb movie "Eighth Grade" this week, a film about the awkward inner life of a girl about to finish middle school. Her agonies made me squirm and recall my own emotional roller coaster at that age. The mom in me wanted to let her know that everything would be O.K.

So this weekend I wanted to share some favorite recent pieces on the fraught teen years. Several I found revolved around the anxiety many teens feel. What can adults do to understand what they are going through? What should we remember as we try to guide them through rough times? These might be a starting point for answers.

Other writers were grappling with issues like racial bias and the cultural forces that contribute to school shootings. All I could think was that our young people deserve a better world than the one we're leaving them - and I hope we can create it. One of my favorites in this collection argues for lowering the voting age to 16. A little power at the ballot box could go a long way.

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Credit Anna Parini

Teenagers are struggling with anxiety more than any other problem, perhaps more than ever before, the psychologist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary writes. There's a good chance that it is anxiety that is driving teenagers (and the rest of us) to escape into screens as a way to flee fears.

There is a darker side to adolescence that, until recently, was poorly understood: a surge during teenage years in anxiety and fearfulness, the psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman writes. Largely because of a quirk of brain development, adolescents, on average, have a harder time learning how not to be afraid than either children or adults.

Also from Laurence Steinberg: We lament the delayed entry of young people into adulthood. But prolonged adolescence, in the right circumstances, is actually a good thing. It fosters novelty-seeking and the acquisition of new skills.

Josephine Sittenfeld, a photographer, was sorting through her high school bedroom and created this poignant photo essay about what she discovered. "My takeaways from a weekend visiting my former self? I was boy-crazy. I worked really hard in school. I yearned for a bigger, more exciting life."

After the March for Our Lives rally, the historian Jon Grinspan wrote about times that young Americans changed the country's politics, even in periods of bleak partisan divide. Will they do it again?

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Opinion | Weekend Reads: Those Terrible Teenage Years

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Thinking about the lives of young people today and what they need most. By Kathleen O'Brien Ms. O'Brien is a staff editor for the Opinion section. I watched the superb movie "Eighth Grade" this week, a film about the awkward inner life of a girl about to finish middle school.

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Move Over Millienials, Here Comes Generation Z

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Move Over Millienials, Here Comes Generation Z

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Generation z has been using social media for most of the time because we have been getting use of gadgets so much that we are use to it. Many of the generation z has been using are phones for are own entertainment so we can keep are mind off things. Generation z has been given technology so we can be better and smarter to make are country much greater for are nation.

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Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z (Published 2015)

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Hear the word "millennial," and plenty of images spring to mind. There's Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, in his hoodie, earning his first billion by the age of 23. There's Miley Cyrus, preening for the cameras in a flesh-baring act that recalls a Snapchat sexting session.

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The New Rules Of Style, According To Generation Z

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The New Rules Of Style, According To Generation Z

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Generation z style of clothing has been getting alot of attention and that's because of the new gen. Generation z focuses on what people would want them to wear by their choice but mostly now girls would want to wear yoga pants or teared up pants or track pants either way its a trend for them. guys and girls in gen z have their looks because of brands that are popular.

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The New Rules Of Style, According To Generation Z

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Since every company is focused on millennials, why should the fashion industry start thinking about the next generation? Well, Generation Z is changing the fashion industry, and they are changing it fast.

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Z Wore It Best: What Gen Z Wants From Fashion

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Z Wore It Best: What Gen Z Wants From Fashion

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gen z wants to have something to wear clothing that is relaxing because the clothing will be too tight what they really want is to wear something that looks good but not anything that's tight. They are trying to find attractive clothing to wear so they can look really nice. Futher more that gen z wants to keep improving styles so they can be better.

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From combat boots and mini skirts to acid wash jeans and high top sneakers, fashion trends are always changing, especially by generation. As we've been doing a lot of research into what Gen Z likes to see in marketing campaigns, we've also noticed other differences. The emerging debate of "Millennials vs. Gen Z" wouldn't be complete without a look at the fashion industry.

Millennials (currently ages 22 to 37, more or less) and Gen Z (11 to 21 years old, give or take) differ in many ways, including how they dress. Growing up with different economic and social factors impacting their lives, the two generations simply think about fashion differently.

Here are three key differences between millennial and Gen Z style.

1. Gen Z wants to feel relaxed.

Millennials are apt to dress in ways they believe may help them excel, whether in the workplace or on date night (think clean, conventional shirts and not-too-high heels). Gen Z values comfort and function. For millions of teens today, flowy fabrics are in, tight dresses are out.

Gen Zers are more interested in cultivating a spontaneous aesthetic than a perfect put-together look and tend to take a casual approach to style. They operate from an eclectic collection of easy-to-wear, sometimes mismatched, oversized pieces they can throw on and run around in from morning to night.

Athleisure is particularly popular, led by classic streetwear brands like Supreme, Vans, Champion, and Adidas, since outfits can go from gym to office to dinner and still look great. Apparel that can fit into any context at any time of day lets Gen Zers work, study, and play without the need for a wardrobe change.

2. Gen Z wants to look unique.

Limited edition merchandise, impromptu collaborations, one-of-a-kind items. In this regard (as opposed to how, with socio-political issues, they value inclusivity), Gen Z is into exclusivity - when there are fewer items available, for a short period of time.

These digital natives, adept at sharing their lives on social media across , have no desire to run into someone (literally or digitally) with the same t-shirt from XYZ fast-fashion brand. For them, looking different (cool!) is paramount, and looking weird (even better!) is attractive. It means you're confident enough to be unique.

Diversity, , and authenticity are just three elements of their all-together-now ethos. Shapeless T-shirts, sweatshirts, dresses, and other low-key staples like denim appeal to Gen Z because they're effortless and without pretense, which is exactly what they aspire to be.

3. Gen Z wants to represent reality.

Since they believe so strongly in owning one's individuality, Gen Zers are attracted to confident, feel-good, body-positive images. Regardless of size, race, and gender (including non-binary identification), they want to see everyone represented in a clothing line. With every gender-fluid piece, they're dismantling traditional notions of what it means to have "great style".

The post-millennial generation doesn't believe perfection exists and expects brands to represent a realistic view of how real people wear real clothes. When it comes to how they decide what clothes to buy, advertisers would be wise to note that Gen Z doesn't look at models in magazines. Gen Zers listen to more relatable influencers, if not their peers.

Furthermore, brands that embrace diversity and also support socially responsible processes like sustainable manufacturing and transparent supply chains are solid Gen Z gold. Just look at how many mission-driven startups are on the rise.

Gen Z's Fashion Mantra: Whatever You Are, Be a Good One

Just like generations before, Gen Z sees fashion (whether consciously or not) as an extension of their values. For them, simplicity is akin to transparency, unique items represent individuality, and ungendered apparel invites inclusion. Ultimately, Gen Z wardrobes run parallel to their world views: ultra-realistic and ever-connected.

Advertisers who want to focus on marketing during high times for fashion should pay special attention to spring, when every age group sheds their winter wear for lighter clothing. In the US, average order values in the apparel category reach their annual highest peaks in April and May with increases of 24% and 22% respectively, over January. From seasonal peaks to generational preferences, brands that want to win the most sales should be mindful of all these trends.

For more on Gen Z, download our eBook.

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Z Wore It Best: What Gen Z Wants From Fashion Brands

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From combat boots and mini skirts to acid wash jeans and high top sneakers, fashion trends are always changing. As we've been doing a lot of research into what Gen Z likes to see in marketing campaigns, we've also noticed other differences. Here are three difference between millennial and Gen Z style.

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youtube has been giving generation z a lot of entertainers from different spectrum's. These Youtube entertainment channels have different kinds of subjects the have music, gaming, vlogging and many more that entertain us teens as viewers to give them support. We have different kinds of interests in youtubers but as long as they get are attentions then we will be watching them for a very long time.

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Queen - Under Pressure (Live At Wembley Stadium, Saturday 12 July 1986)

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NO MATTER HOW YOU DEFINE IT, GENERATION Z CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOUTUBE

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NO MATTER HOW YOU DEFINE IT, GENERATION Z CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOUTUBE

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Teeagers can't live without youtube a survey has been taken by the and 95% of the teenagers say that they can live without youtube. Youtube has been in their social media for a such a long time and they have been attached to youtube more than anyother social media account their is. Generation  is much to attached with this social media account and will always use it.

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Generation Z is the demographic cohort after the Millennials, which is sometimes called Generation Y. There are no precise dates for when the Gen Z cohort starts or ends, which explains why two recent studies use different definitions. But, no matter how you define it, Generation Z can't live without YouTube.

Generation Z: OK With Branded Content

One of the studies was conducted by Defy Media for Adweek. They surveyed a group of 1,452 teens ages 13-20 about what they think about social media platforms, digital video, and the new breed of online celebrity. This survey found that YouTube is a regular part of their media diet, with 95% turning to it. The next most popular platforms are Instagram (69%), Facebook (67%), Snapchat (67%), and Twitter (52%). These teenagers were also asked, "Which one could you not live without?" And 50% said YouTube, 15% said Snapchat, 9% said Instagram, 9% said Facebook, and 6% said Twitter.

The survey also found that teens trust social stars as much as (and sometimes more than) "mainstream" celebrities (like actors, singers, or reality stars). These teenagers were asked, "Which kinds of celebrities would you trust for advice about buying" a variety of items. For tech gadgets, 70% said online celebrities, while 21% said mainstream celebrities. For beauty products, 48% said online celebrities and 44% said mainstream celebrities. However, for clothes or accessories, 43% said mainstream celebrities, and 41% said online celebrities.

The majority of Gen Zers are cool with almost any type of celebrity branded content, but they prefer when it's disclosed. (Their parents and teachers should be proud.) In fact, 79% said they are always or sometimes okay when a celeb talks about why they like or use a brand. And 62% said its totally or somewhat okay when a celeb talks about their political views. (And you thought that only late-night comedians had discovered that politics was cool.)

For me, the most fascinating findings were about the different ways that Generation Z uses different platforms. For keeping in touch with friends, 35% use Snapchat, 28% use Facebook, and 18% use Instagram. For catching up on the news, 23% use Facebook, 23% use YouTube, and 14% use Twitter. (Gen Z keeps up with the news! Who knew?) For a good laugh, 51% use YouTube, 11% use Instagram, and 9% use Snapchat.

For shopping recommendations, 24% use YouTube, 17% use Instagram, and 16% use Facebook. And for how-to info, 66% use YouTube, 9% use Pinterest, and 6% use Facebook or Google+ (a tie). (Hey, Gen Z has grown up in an entirely digital world, so they have a very sophisticated understanding of the best uses of more than half a dozen social media platforms. Maybe it's just old Baby Boomers who assume that one size fits all.)

GenZ: Social Video First

But wait, there's more! A second study by Leflein Associates for Fullscreen surveyed over 1,200 participants between 13 and 17 years old (Generation Z) and between 18 to 34 years old (Millennials). Yep, they used a different definition of Generation Z. But, they also found that Gen Z actually wants your branded content, social first is preferred, and influencers are still celebrities.

Now, younger audiences are an important target for many brands, but not all brands recognize that there are actually two very different generations (depending on your definition) within that broad umbrella - in this case, Gen Z (13-17) and Millennials (18-34) - with two very different sets of social media habits. Brands should not assume they can target both groups in the same way.

Millennials are now relatively "old school," with a higher preference for "traditional" platforms (including "traditional digital" platforms) than their Gen Z counterparts. Gen Zers are shifting away from text-based online content in particular, in favor of streaming content - especially video. (My oldest son is 34. He teaches history at a high school in Boston, and he's invited me to talk to a couple of his classes about the Vietnam War - which heated up back in the "old days" when I was in high school about 50 years ago. So, I've met Gen Z face-to-face and know that they are different from Millennials.)

Now, when most marketers talk about how brands can best reach and engage with "young people," they usually mean Millennials - because most marketers are over 35 years old. I know this is changing, but at least this used to be true. As it turns out, Gen Z is even more receptive to engaging with brands through social channels than Millennials are. In fact, they're adept at fueling brand conversations by spreading the word throughout their social circles.

Like the Adweek study, the Fullscreen study found that influencers play a significant role in defining what youth audiences like, view, and buy.

But the Fullscreen study dug deeper and found that Gen Z prefers to watch, rather than read. They view digital video and short form clips almost six times as much as they read traditional digital publishers/blogs. It's critical to note the dramatic rise in short-form video, a new format that has emerged and evolved alongside social platforms. While longer-form formats are still preferred for traditional entertainment genres like sports, comedy, and film, short-form plays a pivotal role for beauty, fashion, and how-to's - and even general entertainment.

And like the Adweek study, the Fullscreen study found that one size does not fit all when it comes to social platforms. Despite its reputation as a social home for older folks, Facebook still dominates for entertainment, socializing and utility for Gen Z. For socializing, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram take center stage. And for utility, more task-specific platforms like Twitter and Pinterest come into play.

So, what's the net-net? If you're an older video marketer - either a member of Generation X or even a Baby Boomer like me - then what are the key takeaways? Well, here are a few bullet points, which Gen X marketers seem to prefer:

Follow Gen Z to where they lean in and live their lives.

Don't be afraid to be a "social-first" marketer.

Choose and use your social platforms wisely.

Find your audience's passion. It may not be your brand.

Work with influencers to build credibility and find common ground with Gen Z.

Create compelling, share-worthy content - just like a true friend would.

Takeaways for Baby Boomers

Or, if you're a Baby Boomer who prefers narratives, then here are the top three takeaways that you can take to the bank.

First, it's important to recognize that Gen Z is not only the first generation born into a post-Google and social media world, but also the most diverse generation yet. And as Pete Stein, the General Manager of Fullscreen, has observed, "Their continued inclination towards social content on their mobile phones - first seen in Millennials - is changing the way that content is consumed, shared, and even created. Growing up in a completely digital world, they expect to have direct access to friends, celebrities and brands - and they expect all three to interact and share content in a way that's relevant to their own personal interests and passions."

Second, it's also important to understand that we aren't living in an era of increased media fragmentation - because fragmentation assumes that the same audience is being broken into small pieces. We're living in an era of increased media segmentation, and brands are discovering that the best way to build deeper customer connections is to create content that is tailored to different segments. As Maude Standish, the Vice President of Programming Strategy at Fullscreen, has noted, "This is particularly true when marketing to Gen Z, who grew up with the internet and are not only demanding that all brands entertain them, but also that entertainment shifts to behave like a friend - it's also why influencers are so effective in selling to this generation."

And third, that old notion that one size fits all wasn't true even in the Mad Men era. Although most marketers back in the old days used the 3 television networks to reach roughly the same general interest audience, some pioneers used scores of special interest magazines like Car and Driver to reach targeted segments like auto enthusiasts. I know because my dad was the director of marketing at Oldsmobile back in the 1980s when I started working for Ziff-Davis, which had once published Car and Driver magazine. So, that's one of the untold stories that I'd like to share with younger marketers who are trying to reach newer generations. Get it? Got it? Good.

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No Matter How You Define It, Generation Z Can't Live Without YouTube

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Generation Z is the demographic cohort after the Millennials, which is sometimes called Generation Y. There are no precise dates for when the Gen Z cohort starts or ends, which explains why two recent studies use different definitions. But, no matter how you define it, Generation Z can't live without YouTube.

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generation z has been using the news as a part of social media when they get the news from social media but atleast they get up to date with it. Teens have been getting more up to date then some parents that don't watch the news as much.We will keep using social media to be keeping up with the news.

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The latest news, videos, and discussion topics on Generation Z

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this is a valuable news source that talks about what gen z is really dong in it's early years and older years of growing up. Gen z has alot of news on themselves plus we have alot of stuff going on in are lives of the new generation. We wilalways have problems as the new gen ad we will always have news to tell to people that they do not know of.

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Generation Z videos and latest news articles; GlobalNews.ca your source for the latest news on Generation Z .

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gen z has been playing video games due to the fact that video games has been getting a lot of better graphics. Video games have helped gen z with skills that we need such as hand eye coordination and stopping depression and dyslexia. Its been proven that video games have made us much greater than  the other generations so far due to the fact that video games have given us skills that we need.

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Dive Brief:

Generation Z and millennials highly prioritize personalized brand experiences, according to a study from loyalty program firm CrowdTwist. Seventy-five percent of the age groups said they're willing to share personal information in exchange for a customized digital experience.

Sixty-three percent of Gen Z participate in at least one loyalty program, whereas 71% of millennials do. The majority (64%) of both age groups could be persuaded to shop with a brand if they have a loyalty program, per the study. For Gen Z, 40% reported playing games as the preferred way of earning loyalty points, and they're almost 50% more likely that millennials to write a product review in exchange for points.

Despite being digital natives, 57% of Gen Z prefer shopping in stores over online, a percentage slightly higher than that of millennials.

Dive Insight:

Millennials and Gen Z are high-value audiences for marketers even though they often wield less spending power than older age brackets. Despite Gen Z's reputation for being less brand loyal than other age groups, nearly one-third of the young consumer segment participate in at least one loyalty program, signaling to brands the continued importance of these programs. However, marketers should consider specific behaviors of this cohort when it comes to how they participate, such as their preference for playing games or writing product reviews in exchange for brand loyalty points, which differs from millennials and other previous age groups.

One commonality between the two demographics uncovered by the CrowdTwist study is the willingness to share personal information if it means receiving a more personalized digital experience. This signals a growing opportunity for marketers as data technology improves and younger demographics grow their financial power and introduce newer shopping behaviors into the mix.

The ability to connect with Gen Z on a more personal level has the added benefit of drawing in a consumer base that is willing to pay more for luxury brands - a shift from their millennial counterparts who prefer discounters. Per a recent study by the IBM Institute of Business Value and the National Retail Federation , Gen Z is also eager to interact with brands outside the storefront.

Brands looking to build relationships with the young generation would do well to reach them on mobile and social media, as the generation converts twice as much as any other generation on and the majority (80%) are influenced by social media when making purchase decisions.

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Study: Gen Z more likely to play games, review products for loyalty points

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Generation Z and millennials highly prioritize personalized brand experiences, according to a study from loyalty program firm CrowdTwist. Seventy-five percent of the age groups said they're willing to share personal information in exchange for a customized digital experience. Sixty-three percent of Gen Z participate in at least one loyalty program, whereas 71% of millennials do.

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Will Gen Z be the one to save the environment?

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Will Gen Z be the one to save the environment?

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their has been signs that generation z has been picking up previous problem that they can solve from other generations left off or  gave up on. Generation z has shown true compassion into climate change for example in a research study shows that 26% of 16 to 19 year olds have engaged in their community in some way of volunteer work. When it comes to change to the environment  many members of generation z are calling on the national and global leaders to make sure the future of this planet is in top priority.

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At a time when many citizens seem to have given into despair, there are growing signs that Generation Z (born mid-1990's through 2010) is picking up where previous generations left off or gave up. More and more young people are showing up where it counts in the fight to save the environment, and it's starting to look like they are in it for the long haul.

Do they have what it takes to make lasting change in reversing the effects of pollution, excessive consumption and climate change? And can they do it on their own?

There's little doubt that Generation Z has demonstrated inspiring displays of passion when it comes to climate change. After all, they will face the full impact of radical changes to our environment much more than the generations before them. Some even go far as to refer to them as "The Post-Apocalyptic Generation."

One strong indication of Generation Z's passion for solutions to climate change comes with their enthusiasm for Elon Musk's company Tesla. They rate Tesla as one of the "coolest" companies on the planet. An example of this is the incredible surge of interest and enthusiasm amongst the young public for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and its famous Rocket Man passenger. Not since the days of NASA's moon program have young people treated those involved with a space program like rock stars, and a lot of that has to do with Tesla's progress and dedication in finding workable alternative energy solutions. Generation Z has also demonstrated lasting passion in other issues related to climate change like pollution, clean water, animal rights and land conservation.

In addition to being passionate about the key issues, it's clear that Generation Z is actively thinking about the future, as well they should. The marketing research group Sparks and Honey discovered in a recent study that an impressive 26% of 16 to 19-year-olds are already engaged in their community in some way through volunteer work. They also found that social entrepreneurship is one of the leading career choices for this generation.

When it comes to climate change and the environment, many members of Generation Z are calling on national and global leaders to make the future of this planet a top priority. In a study presented to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2016, a survey entitled 'Masdar Gen Z Global Sustainability Survey' revealed the top priority of more than 5000 members of this generation spread across 20 countries. 40% reported climate change as their top priority, beating out the economy, terrorism, poverty, and unemployment. While 81% of them believe the private sector should lead the way in shifting to cleaner technology and 84% want governments to support alternative energy options, 59% members of this generation want to work in sustainability. The percentages of young people leaning towards careers in sustainability are even higher in emerging economies.

What matters though is whether this generation can make a meaningful impact and whether they will be able to do it before it is too late. Thankfully, there are already signs of progress around the world paving the way for Generation Z in many areas affecting climate change. For example, alternative energy production is already having a drastic impact in many industrial sectors with $286 billion invested globally in alternative energy sources versus $130 billion in fossil fuel production. Investments like this have a trickle-down effect throughout the private sector down and eventually lower the costs for personal consumption as well.

When it comes to generational shifts, it's worth remembering that every new generation seems to resent previous generations for the state of their world. Likewise, it's common for older generations to view our youngest citizens as entitled, self-centered, and naive. Neither of these old stories tends to serve greater society well, particularly when cross-generational solutions are needed.

While it is heartening to see the passion and engagement Generation Z has for climate change, we must remember that we are running out of time to get solutions into place. If Generation Z is to be indeed the generation credited with saving the environment, it will need to be with the help of companies, organizations, and governments full of engaged citizens of every age.

The Thrive Global Community welcomes voices from many spheres. We publish pieces written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don't necessarily reflect our own. Learn more or join us as a community member!

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Will Gen Z be the one to save the environment?

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At a time when many citizens seem to have given into despair, there are growing signs that Generation Z (born mid-1990's through 2010) is picking up where previous generations left off or gave up. More and more young people are showing up where it counts in the fight to save the environment, and it's starting to look like they are in it for the long haul.

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Generation Z: The kids who’ll save the world?

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Generation Z: The kids who’ll save the world?

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Gen z has been learning about are environment that quickly enough that they have been volunteering to help the environment even more than the other generations have been. We have also been using social media to help with are environment to inform people that we need to take care of are planet.

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Linda Manziaris, 14, a jewellery entrepreneur from Toronto, gives half of her profit to charity. Ann Makosinski, 16, from Victoria, created a flashlight that is powered by the human hand. Shawn Mendes, 16, from Pickering, Ont., went from posting Vine videos online to international pop stardom. Hannah Alper, 11, an eco-blogger from Toronto, has addressed stadium-sized crowds across North America.

Kids these days.

These exceptional young Canadians are all part of the post-millennial generation. It's a cohort of kids that doesn't have a definitive name yet, but some have dubbed it Generation Z (as in, the generation after the large and influential Generation Y). These are the under-18s, kids growing up in an era of global economic turmoil and climate change. Despite their youth, the digitally sophisticated, socially conscious high achievers emerging from this group are causing some people to wonder: Is this the generation that will solve the world's problems?

"I think our generation is really socially conscious, environmentally friendly and they are really global thinkers," says Linda Manziaris, the 14-year-old social entrepreneur and founder of Body Bijou and this year's Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Startup Canada Awards.

Linda donates 50 per cent of the profit from her online jewellery business to Girls Helping Girls, which was started by her 16-year-old sister, Susanna. So far, the not-for-profit has funded school building, teacher training and 20 scholarships for girls in South Africa, Kenya and Jamaica.

"[Our generation] sees a problem and they want to fix it, they aren't leaving it for someone else to fix," Linda says.

For the most part, Gen Z is made up of the offspring of Generation X, or the "baby bust" generation, the group born after the baby boomers, says David K. Foot, demographer and author of the seminal book on 20th century demographics, Boom Bust and Echo. This means Gen Z is smaller in number than the robust millennial, or "echo," generation.

"Because they have been in much smaller classes in elementary school, they have already experienced the advantages of being in a smaller group," says Foot. "When they apply to college or university, there's going to be less competition within their group, and they are going to have a higher probability of getting into college or university if they want to."

Gen Z kids are digital natives, and can't remember a world without the Internet, smartphones and social media. They have technological skills that are totally intuitive and surpass those of their parents, says Don Tapscott, chief executive officer of Tapscott Group in Toronto. He says that instead of a generation gap, we now have a "generation lap," where kids are lapping their parents on a digital track.

"This is the first time in history when children are an authority about something really important," he says. "I was an authority about model trains when I was 11. And now you've got this 11 year old at the breakfast table who's an authority on this mobile revolution that's changing commerce, government, publishing, entertainment, every institution in society."

In 2008, Tapscott published Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World, based on a $4-million study of the millennials, encompassing 11,000 young people in 10 countries aged 11 through 30. Though he notes that there hasn't yet been a major study on today's under-18s yet, Tapscott says many of the characteristics of this younger group are the similar to the millennials, only intensified. Tapscott favours the term "Generation Mobile" rather than Gen Z, to reflect them being constantly connected, wherever they are.

"My generation, [the boomers], grew up watching 24 hours of TV per week. We were the passive recipients of TV," Tapscott says. "[Gen Y] was the Net Generation, they came home from school and they would not turn on the TV, they would turn on their computer, reading, organizing, communicating. These kids you're writing about, they don't come home and turn anything on, because they are turned on all the time."

A 2012 study by the U.S.-based marketing company JWT found that kids aged 13 through 17 valued their Internet connection more than going to the movies, getting an allowance from their parents, attending a sporting event or having cable TV. But not everyone has seen this ubiquitous connectivity as a positive thing. For example, author Mark Bauerlein, in his The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future, argues that cyberculture is turning young people into "know-nothings."

"The advent of digital technology is having an impact and creating a whole bunch of worries," adds historian, economist and demographer Neil Howe. "It creates real developmental difficulties when so much of your stimulus is digital."

But Tapscott disagrees that this new digital era is hurting kids.

"A lot of people say that this is creating an army of narcissists doing selfies and tweeting and so on, that they are Net-addicted, they are glued to the screen, they are losing their social skills, that they don't give a damn. But if you look at the data, it doesn't support any of that," he says.

"It's not the dumbest generation, it's the smartest."

Craig Kielburger, co-founder of youth development charity Free the Children, works with socially conscious young people every day. He says that this generation is tremendously engaged in social activism. (And he should know, he became an activist when he was just 12.)

In the coming months, Free the Children plays host to "We Day" events all over North America and Britain, attended by tens of thousands of youth to kickstart a "year of action" through their year-long "We Act" program, which encourages young people to support the causes that are important to them.

Kielburger says his organization has dubbed Generation Z the "We Generation," to contrast with the "Me Me Me" moniker that was thrust upon the millennials.

"They are still young, but I believe we are seeing a shift from the 'Me' culture to young people who are more aware of their environment and how their choices impact the world around them," he says. "These are young people who are very much looking at how they can do good in the world."

Kielburger says this generation's digital skills are partly responsible for their zeal for activism, because it's given them the ability to interact with the world and other activists like never before.

"This generation is growing up in the shadow of 9/11, growing up with global issues like climate change and poverty dominating the news, at a level where they understand how interconnected we are in this world," he says. "In previous generations, there was a feeling that when you were young, you were a passive bystander, an adult-in waiting, but today because of technology, young people have this sense of self-confidence and a belief they can change the world."

Case in point: Hannah Alper, the 11-year-old Toronto-based eco-warrior and activist. Her popular blog, Call Me Hannah, is a document of her environmental concerns and the people who inspire her, and she has been a We Day speaker at rallies across the continent. Hannah says she was motivated to start her blog at 9 because of her love of animals.

"I realized that animals rely on the environment and that they rely on us to help the environment," Hannah says. "I did some research and found out there were so many problems in the world, littering, pollution, global warming, climate change, and we need to fix it. And I thought a younger voice could help spread the word.

"When you publish a blog, it's everywhere and anyone can see it and get inspired and motivated."

Whether it's to further a cause, start a business or pursue a dream, Gen Z's technological know-how has improved their ability to get their message out. Budding pop star Shawn Mendes first gained an enthusiastic online following when he posted Vines (six-second videos) of himself performing cover songs. The attention he got won him a record deal, and his song "Life of the Party" became a top-10 hit in Canada and the United States. Though he knows that Vine was his ticket to reaching an audience, Shawn says he knows that social media has its pros and cons.

"Yes, you can get a cover of yours across the world in literally minutes and you can share it across the world very quickly, but you also have to be very careful about what you do because if you say one bad thing, it can get across the world in minutes," says Shawn, fresh from an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Gen Z is learning a lot more about the world, more quickly than past generations, Shawn says, because it's become so easy to access information.

"If you're online, you're reading about world issues every single day. But it's intense. If you get too in depth with the crazy things that are on the Internet, you're going to start to freak out, so you just can't think about it too much, basically."

Sanjay Khanna, futurist and visiting scholar in strategic foresight at the University of Toronto's Massey College, has dubbed Generation Z "GenStressed." Though he agrees that this generation's digital skills have many benefits, he also thinks Gen Z's knowledge of the world's problems could outstrip their ability to change things.

"Global economic uncertainty combined with climate change will make it tough for them to believe their quality of life will improve enough via their digital skills alone," Khanna says. "I think it will be psychologically and economically precarious, and I think there will be a rise in mental health issues."

Not everyone will be able to shine in these precarious times, adds Khanna, so older generations will need to have greater sensitivity to Gen Z's emotional and psychological well-being because they are so aware and they do want things to be better.

"GenStressed will need strong leadership and social-support networks at vocational institutes, colleges, universities and in the workplace," he says. "There will be so many who, if we aren't careful, will be left behind."

Despite his optimism about Gen Z, Tapscott says there are issues to worry about. "I worry about the quality of our public discourse, as many of our traditional media institutions fail. And we have a model of pedagogy in the schools that is appropriate for the 15th century, and the idea that the teacher is the source of all knowledge - I think [Gen Z] is questioning that."

Though it's impossible to know what this generation will or not achieve, Tapscott has high hopes for Gen Z's future.

"They are disproportionally affected by this economic crisis, and they are inheriting this world that is pretty horrific," says Tapscott. "But from everything we know about them, they have the smarts, the connectivity, the good values and the will to not only carve a reasonable life for themselves, but also to bring about change in society."

For her part, Hannah is confident that her generation can make a real difference.

"We are a generation that cares, it's true," she says. "There are so many do-gooders, and so many amazing minds in this generation that have already accomplished so much. I think our generation will be the one to change the world."

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Generation Z: The kids who'll save the world?

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Linda Manziaris, 14, a jewellery entrepreneur from Toronto, gives half of her profit to charity. Ann Makosinski, 16, from Victoria, created a flashlight that is powered by the human hand. Shawn Mendes, 16, from Pickering, Ont., went from posting Vine videos online to international pop stardom.

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Engaging Generation Z: Marketing to a New Brand of Consumer

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Engaging Generation Z: Marketing to a New Brand of Consumer

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businesses have been trying to market their business by using platforms that Gen z uses such as youtube, Twitch, and Snapchat. They have been trying to get some connection with gen z  to get are attention with using again social media also using people who can reflect to us making us wanting to wear the clothing that they are trying to market. How they try to market their clothes by what I mean people that can reflect to us is using teens are age that can get us to buy the brand.

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Generation Z is widely recognized as the next consumer powerhouse. Now all 22 or younger, Gen-Zers are expected to account for about 40 percent of all consumers by 2020.

That's a lot of emerging shoppers. It won't be long before understanding the Gen-Z perspective will be a key to marketing success.

Research already points to some fundamental differences between Gen-Zers and their generational predecessors, the millennials. Influenced by their awareness of terrorism and the Great Recession, Gen-Zers are more interested in participating in social activism and working for their success.

Another significant difference is Gen Z's multifaceted approach to social media. Gen Z uses different platforms for different activities. On Instagram, they showcase their aspirational selves; on Snapchat, they share real-life moments; on Twitter, they get the news; and on Facebook, they glean information, according to a study recently conducted by Response Media, the Atlanta-based digital customer-relationship-management agency I lead.

In other words, Gen-Zers fragment and focus their social media time-they share certain types of content on particular social channels. All of this is done in quick touches, or micro-interactions, that might last only a few seconds. They're also frequent, with some Gen-Zers checking their social media accounts as often as 100 times per day.

Gen-Zers are clearly engaged with social media. It's time for marketers to learn how to reach them.

Connecting with Generation Z

While there's no question that Gen Z can be reached on social media platforms, the group's social media behavior creates some pitfalls for marketers. Brands that don't adapt to the way Gen Z consumes messages will lose market share. For example, marketing emails to Gen-Z consumers that don't tell a quick story with relevant value might be ignored by consumers who are eager to check out the next message.

Brands also might be misunderstood if their messages don't communicate with Gen-Zers in the right way. Companies' marketing messages need to be clear about what they stand for so that their brands are not interpreted as uninvolved in or opposed to social causes important to Gen-Zers.

When it comes to communicating with these consumers, it's all about the fit. Marketing posts must be tailored to each social media platform while keeping the overall message the same across the web.

Social media managers and marketers must know which platforms are used for what and ensure that their brands' messaging is succinct across all of them. You might have only a few seconds to grab a Gen-Zer's attention, after all: While a millennial or Gen-Xer might stop for a moment to read a longer post, Gen-Zers want to get straight to the point and move along to the next post.

If you're unsure where to start or how to improve your social media marketing, consider the following approaches that tap into Gen Zers' core characteristics and encourage engagement:

Involving Gen-Zers in the message catches their attention: If Gen-Z consumers help produce or create the message, they'll be more responsive to it. Hollister implemented this approach successfully: Its Snapchat geofilters provide a real-life take on the brand that both relies and focuses on the Gen-Z shopper, rather than just throwing an ad in front of the Gen-Z consumer. Snapchat geofilters are participatory in the way consumers share the experience with the brand, thus connecting with Gen Z.

Highlighting real people is another promising approach: Not models-real teens. Like teenagers throughout the generations, Gen-Zers are looking for authenticity and people who reflect their own lives. Consider the Dove campaign for Real Beauty: It moved away from idealized female beauty standards and instead celebrated women's beauty through videos, activities, tool kits and products. While that campaign didn't initially target Gen Z, it shows the power that authenticity can wield in the marketplace.

Expect Gen-Zers to look for social responsibility, as well: That said, Gen Z considers providing good value for a fair price a socially responsible behavior that delivers a greater good. Beyond that, studies have shown that Gen Z is interested in racial, gender and income equality, as well as environmental issues. Standing up for these values is becoming a differentiator for brands. For example, DanoneWave-parent organization of brands such as Silk, Dannon yogurt and Horizon Organic-is raising its profile by pursuing a "B-Corp" certification that requires it to meet stiff social and environmental performance standards.

As Gen Z comes of age, marketing teams will have to adapt and learn to communicate in new ways on social media. Messages will need to be customized, snappy and socially meaningful to successfully engage an audience that's already starting to dominate the market.

Continue Reading

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Engaging Generation Z: Marketing to a New Brand of Consumer

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Generation Z is widely recognized as the next consumer powerhouse. Now all 22 or younger, Gen-Zers are expected to account for about 40 percent of all consumers by 2020. That's a lot of emerging shoppers. It won't be long before understanding the Gen-Z perspective will be a key to marketing success.