Conversations and trends are happening, and it doesn’t require a brand to be present to do so. That’s why, when marketing to Gen Z, brands need to be part of the conversation and not try and drive it.
It’s true that language and style matters, which means copy and creative need to come from those in the know, which in turn means companies must have Gen Z’ers working on campaigns. By having Gen Z directly in the saddle, or at least having someone entrenched in what’s happening online, you ensure your brand speaks to this audience in a way that resonates.
A big part of this is being authentic and not forcing your way into the conversation. This is, admittedly, tricky for marketers, since Gen Z can sniff out those trying too hard. In the long run it means not simply jumping on the bandwagon because it’s the cool thing to do, but reframing and repositioning your brand to align with the direction that your Gen Z audience is taking.
Take the risk and follow the audience
When it comes to Gen Z, not only has the audience changed but so have the platforms. TikTok has taken over, while Facebook’s Threads have now also made an appearance. With this has come a change of media consumption habits, and any company still believing they can run a 30 second TV spot on TikTok to build an audience is in for a surprise.
With an average view time of 3-6 seconds, content for newer platforms is very different. Not only does language need to be taken into consideration but also the whole arc of an ad: hit the audience at the start and build on the momentum from there.
That said, the best types of ads on TikTok are those that do not come across as one. The music, the cinematography and the production (or lack thereof), should make you believe you’re viewing just regular, captivating content – that’s the approach that lands and really resonates with a Gen Z audience.
It will, however, take some time to understand the new platforms and the different approaches needed for them. However, the worst mistake brands can make is to simply dismiss these out of hand, with a common problem being that those at the top believe, “because I’m not there, my audience isn’t either”.
Be authentic when you show up
If the decision has been made to follow Gen Z to where they are, it’s good to go in with a plan. While it’s easy to jump onboard the latest TikTok challenge, the question should not be if you can, but rather if you should.
2020’s Jerusalema dance challenge is a good example. Many companies that participated in the challenge simply did not have a brand that resonated with it.
When showing up and trying to talk to Gen Z, companies need to have people in decision-making spaces who are knowledgeable (and brave) enough to ask, “Are we really being authentic to ourselves and what our brand purpose is?”
If the answer is no, then be assured that the audience viewing your content is going to pick this up straight from the bat.
Here your brand should be your north star – identify those spaces which make sense for your brand while still coming across as genuine to the Gen Z audience. For many brands this could mean rather tapping into smaller communities with shared values.
Getting it right
A good example is Doritos, which homed in on gamers with their loud crunching of chips in the middle of the game while on microphone. This led to their sponsoring the aptly named Crunch Cup gaming tournament in 2022, again sponsoring it at this year’s event held at ComicCon Africa.
Getting it right is not easy, and brands are often caught out being inauthentic or trying to drive the conversation instead of being a part of it. It’s particularly difficult to get it right if there are no Gen Zs on the team to help in the decision-making process.
This is why I believe the MMA SA’s Youth Development Board is so important as it not only represents the MMA SA’s purpose of architecting the future of marketing, it also drives the growth and empowerment of younger leaders in the modern marketing space, essentially enabling the architects of the future of marketing.
And who better to market to Gen Z, than Gen Z itself?
A Gen Z’er himself, Takalani Masikhwa is a digital strategist for Mindshare South Africa and chair of the newly created MMA SA Youth Development Board. He is an award-winning digital strategist and aspiring captain of industry striving to be the very best at what he does. He aims to become the go-to person for all things media and business consulting. It’s not all always work – he enjoys curating music, taking leisurely walks and spending time with people.
