Gen Z Marketing: What’s trust got to do with it?

Gen Z marketing strategies that actually work are a hot topic in organizational development discussions. What do Gen Zers want? Why aren’t they responding to advertisements? How can organizations reach Gen Zers? Unfortunately, many marketing professionals try to capture the elusive Gen Z cohort’s attention through digital marketing gimmicks - throwing all resources behind “a flash in the pan” social media trends that are here today and gone tomorrow. This type of reactive marketing “strategy” isn’t sustainable and, in most cases, isn’t successful in building long-term connections with Generation Z. Instead, a successful Gen Z marketing strategy will start and end with trust - an organizational characteristic that’s hard to fake with vanity social media metrics. For Gen Zers to trust an organization, the organization must demonstrate a real commitment to fulfilling its mission in an ethical and responsible way. 

Who is Generation Z?

Generation Z (Gen Z) is currently the youngest of the adult generation in the United States. Members of this generational cohort are often referred to as “Gen Zers.” While there is some variation in the cutoff dates for generational cohorts, Gen Zers are frequently categorized as people born between the years 1997 and 2012. Gen Zers differ significantly from their predecessors- the Millennials - in terms of attitudes, interests, and priorities. For example, Gen Zers are noted as having shorter attention spans than observed with other generations and are described as being “immune” to traditional advertising methods. Additionally, Gen Zers prioritize privacy, prefer social media apps with ephemeral content, and utilize technology in a distinctly different way than Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. These generational differences have extensive implications on what marketing strategies are effective (and which ones are not!) when attempting to reach the Gen Z audience. 

Generation Z: True Digital Natives

While people often refer to Millennials as being the “tech generation,” Gen Zers are the true digital natives. In 2023, Gen Zers will be approximately 11-26 years old. Most Gen Zers don’t remember a world without the internet, smartphones, or social media. In fact, many Gen Zers had an extensive digital footprint before they even started their first social media profile, as their parents - Gen Xers and Baby Boomers - had posted content about them on social media. This early exposure to the digital realm has greatly influenced Gen Zers’ attitudes toward technology and its role in their lives. Gen Zers want social media to enhance their lives - not hinder them. They prioritize privacy more than Millennials and seek to use technology to improve real-life relationships. 

Gen Zers spend hours online daily; however, they allocate their connected time differently than previous generations. In 2018, Pew Research reported that Gen Zers had higher social media usage rates than Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. Notably, Gen Zers avoid spending time on the social media apps that their parents frequent, such as Facebook. Instead, Gen Zers are avid users of social media apps offering more ephemeral content, such as Snapchat, BeReal, and TikTok. Additionally, they are increasingly reliant on social media apps to research organizations by sourcing user-generated content - content Gen Zers may view as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional marketing content. 

Learn more: Marketing to Gen Z vs. Millennials

The Trust Factor

In their relatively short life, Generation Z has experienced many disruptive events that have shaken their trust in people and organizations. The Great Recession, Global War on Terror, and COVID-19 pandemic are just a few of the global, life-altering events that left many Gen Zers questioning organizations and looking for alternative options for support. As a result, this generational cohort is highly skeptical of the status quo. Gen Zers are distrusting of established organizations in many sectors - public and private.  From their perspective, the established way of life has resulted in many costly and destructive events. Additionally, Gen Zers are incredibly resourceful, and may feel younger organizations are more trustworthy than tenured entities. 

According to Pew Research, young adults report much lower levels of trust in business, law enforcement, military, and religious leaders than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. This declining trust is thought to negatively influence Generation Z recruitment by government agencies and the military. If Gen Zers don’t trust an organization, they aren’t going to support - patronize or work for - the organization. This lack of trust can negatively impact organizational recruitment and retention, from both customer and employee perspectives. A truly effective Generation Z marketing strategy will focus on building trust - the foundation from which all organizational and community relationships are built.

Learn more: Restoring Public Trust through Social Media

Gen Z Marketing Strategies That Actually Work

Marketing will only work long-term if the target audience trusts the organization that’s doing the marketing. Fortunately, good marketing can go a long way to establishing or rebuilding trust with target audiences. Therefore, organizations that want to reach Generation Z should prioritize the development and implementation of trust-building outreach strategies in their overall marketing initiatives. External communications that foster trust have the potential to lay a foundation for long-term engagement across multiple generations, including Generation Z. 

3 Key Elements of a Trust-Building Marketing Strategy:

Demonstrate trustworthiness via social media.

For people to think that an organization is trustworthy, the organization must demonstrate that it is actually trustworthy (there’s no shortcut on this one!). Social media provides organizations with an excellent platform in which to demonstrate their trustworthiness. Organizations can use popular social media platforms to provide the community with a “behind the scenes” look at leadership, operations, and project teams. The utilization of storytelling communications strategies can help organizations establish positive connections with social media followers.  Additionally, social media can be used to highlight the organization’s mission and impact on the community. How did the organization positively contribute to community members? How has the organization made our world a better place? 

Prioritize two-way communication methods in the marketing mix. 

Modern marketing isn’t one-way broadcasting like television, radio, and newspaper ads. Instead, a successful modern marketing mix includes many elements of two-way communication - communication that allows organizations to distribute information and receive information from their target market about offerings and services. Organizations that are serious about strengthening public trust will prioritize two-way communication in their marketing mix. Instead of simply broadcasting information about the organization, a successful, trust-centric organization will look for ways to solicit and support conversations with the public. This could include engaging on social media comments, installing chat box options, and establishing a media monitoring system to track what’s being said about the organization online and in the community. When utilized effectively, digital communications can be a great way to humanize the organization and strengthen community relationships.

Learn more: Social Media Secrets for Long-term Success

Don’t forget about user-generated content on social media. 

Approximately 40% of Gen Zers report using social media to research the “real scoop” via user-generated content on organizations they are considering working for, patronizing, supporting, etc. Instead of reading the organization-authored or posted content about their offerings, Gen Zers look to social media content posted by individuals about the organizations on popular social media platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. User-generated social media content is regarded by many social media users to be more authentic than organization-authored content. Organizations that want to increase trust should be aware of what user-generated content is posted online about their entity, and have a response plan in place to mitigate negative content that may circulate and diminish public trust in the organization, its people, and its mission. 

Learn more: 3 Ways User-Generated Content Impacts Organizations

Gen Z Marketing Strategies - Next Steps:

Becker Digital specializes in generational marketing campaigns and digital strategies. We help mission-driven organizations connect with Generation Z on and offline. Our team of experienced consultants specializes in bridging digital divides and engaging diverse audiences. Contact us today to discuss your organization’s mission and goals.

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