Engaging GEN Z through Experiential Marketing

Marketers face a multitude of challenges in the Digital world. In a world of increasing digital devices, constant movement between digital devices and lower attention spans, the marketing effort is spent at grabbing attention and increasing engagement!

Importance of Gen Z

IBM Institute for Business Value conducted a research titled, “Uniquely Gen Z”, which reports that Gen Z represents USD 44 billion in purchasing power. The study found that Gen Z is a market of high but fickle spenders but lack in strong brand loyalty.

Secondly, the Gen Z population is exploding! Today, one in every three humans on the Earth belongs to Gen Z cohort. Thus, connecting with this influential group with an increasing spending power and high volume, would continue to gain in importance for retailers and businesses.

Why are Gen Z more challenging than other cohorts?

Generation Z was born in mid 1990’s and raised in a world where the presence of technology was aplenty and the internet was a norm. Gen Z has seen the highest number of technological devices around them and so they can switch between 5 screens at the same time. Thus, it is challenging for brand solution providers and marketers to know how to reach them with the right content, at the right moment and in the right way.

Gen Z are more vocal in voicing their opinion than other generational cohorts! Unlike other cohorts, Gen Z were raised in a world of personalisation and if they experience a brand that is not customized to meet their needs, Gen Z don’t hesitate to air their opinion through popular digital channels.

Research shows that Gen Z has an attention span of 8 seconds, which is 4 seconds less than Gen Y or Millennials! However, Gen Z today make up almost 40% of all consumer market around the world! Thus, brands can ill afford to ignore Gen Z!

What makes Experiential Marketing engaging?

It is important to note that Digital marketing has worked well for millennials but marketing to the Gen Z needs to go beyond digital marketing. Thus, Experiential Marketing that relies on providing sensory, emotional and cognitive value to the consumer thereby, leading to synergy between brand’s meaning and consumer perception, is the most appropriate way to capture the imagination of Gen Z.

Direct contact with Consumers

Whether it is a Snapchat filter or fighting aliens wearing Oculus VR Headset, Experiential marketing manages to make consumers a part of the process rather than an outreach strategy. In turn, this level of direct contact forges a long-lasting connection for the brand with the consumers!

Multi-sensory experience

“When I hear, I forget. When I see, I remember. When I do, I understand.”- The Chinese proverb shows the importance of senses in the process of learning! Experiential Marketing involves many senses at the same time inorder to induce learning and understanding the brand, it’s positioning and form a sense of belongingness in the mind of the consumer that has it’s impact in the long term.

Renders Brand as Authentic and Credible

The overall behavioural pattern of Gen Z reveal that they actively choose brands that provide value and make this world a better place to live. Thus, by immersing Gen Z consumer in a perfectly executed experiential marketing outreach, a positive relationship emerges that is characterised by trust and advocacy.

Conclusion

The world of marketing has witnessed an evolution from 1-way communication via Traditional Marketing strategy to democratisation of information via Digital Marketing strategy and finally building Brand experiences via Experiential Marketing Strategy. When the evolution of marketing is juxtaposed with the Gen Z mindset and consumption patterns, there emerges a perfect engagement strategy of a brand with Gen Z through Experiential Marketing.

At Atthah, we specialise in building immersive brand experience eco-systems thereby that tickle the senses and create a positive brand recall! If you are looking towards creating an immersive brand experience, you may contact us at ask@atthah.com