Since mid-June, Kenyans have been engaged in mass protests against proposed tax increases and the administration of President William Ruto.
While the Kenyan protests are currently grabbing headlines, they speak to a global desire for change among Gen Zs around the globe. In addition to Gen Zs taking part in climate and other protests, a new study by Society Watch and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) shows that members of this cohort are more willing to express their moral convictions through civil disobedience than older adults.
More specifically, the research indicates that they’re half as likely (16%) to believe that the law should always be followed than older generations (32%).
That strong sense of social justice has significant implications for brands and other organisations looking to talk to and connect with Gen Zs. Far from being able to use the same old tactics, they’ll have to meet Gen Zs where they are, with messaging that resonates with their values.
The social justice imperative
As Glenn Gillis, CEO of impact games studio Sea Monster points out, brands and global organisations are increasingly aware of this imperative.
“Today’s consumers expect brands to make an effort towards improving the world, and the forward-thinking ones are taking notice,” he says. “Customers demand it. So, instead of just pushing price and product and chasing profit margins, more and more brands are devoting efforts towards aligning their brand purpose with a greater societal one.”
Of course, that alignment will fall flat if consumers don’t feel like they’re actively contributing to that change. According to Gillis, that means focusing not just on traditional communication channels but on digital ones that consumers love engaging with over a prolonged period. Games, in particular, have a powerful role to play here, he says.
Gaming is not a niche
“Gaming has become an integral part of the media landscape, with estimates that the number of gamers in the world will reach 3.6 billion by 2025,” he says.
“It’s already bigger than the TV and music industries together, and brands certainly pay a lot of attention to those sectors. Gaming is not a niche. The audience of every brand is gaming in some form or another already, and brands are keen to tap into this massive, engaged audience.”
The Sea Monster CEO notes, however, that brands must ensure they’re focused on using games the right way. That means moving away from the historic approaches of sticking adverts into pre-existing campaigns or advergames that are simple “spin and win” mechanisms.
A real shift
Fortunately, there is another approach that puts users at the heart of the marketing experience, and that gets people to lean in and actively engage rather than sit back.
“What we’re seeing now is a real shift towards brands incorporating gaming into their core marketing and communication strategies as part of the modern marketing mix,” says Gillis.
“So many brands are creating apps and more recently web-based gaming experiences that plug into their larger digital ecosystems. Or they are making games in persistent virtual worlds on platforms like Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite – all with the aim of better constructing experiences that are meaningful.”
It’s an approach that he believes could help brands and consumers play a much more active role in changing the world for the better.
Leveraging gaming power
“Brands and big businesses, like every one of us, are not exempt from our global crisis, which the UN’s 17 SDGs aim to address,” he says. “In fact, they have a huge role to play in shifting the dial towards creating a better future for current and future generations, which is why they are increasingly being held to a higher standard.”
Gillis points to Sea Monster’s own experiences as an example of how brands can leverage the power of games as a medium to make a positive impact, particularly with young people.
“Probably half of the many games we’ve made at Sea Monster have been with financial institutions,” he says. “No one wakes up in the morning wanting to learn how to budget. But people often wish that someone could help them learn to manage their finances better.
“Playing RPGs has taught many people much more about saving money than the informative commercials and learning pamphlets produced by banks (and certainly more than some textbooks)!”
Entering a dialogue
The same should also be true for other sectors, he says.
“We want to see more fashion brands using games that explore the impact of fast fashion and showing us how they’re working towards a more sustainable and ethical model,” the Sea Monster CEO says. “We want supermarkets making games where we learn about food security, where our food comes from and about nutrition. And where are the news networks sponsoring games in the fight against disinformation and the need for media literacy skills?”
Ultimately, games allow brands and organisations to enter into a dialogue with their customers which can tap into Gen Z’s desire for change in a way that’s mutually beneficial.
Brands, Gillis concludes, should not view games as, “just another disposable ‘marketing’ expense, but rather as a way to connect with their audiences in a meaningful way, build trust and mobilise their communities around the change that needs to happen in the world.”
