Even without the disruptions brought on by the pandemic last year, Gen Z are of particular interest to brands for their increasing spending power and propensity to be connected to online platforms throughout the day. Defining a winning post-pandemic marketing strategy for Gen Z is the ultimate challenge and opportunity for brands looking to engage these young Americans.
In a new analysis from YouGov, we look at key advertising trends derived from our Gen Z research over the past few months. The topics include young Americans’ perceptions toward various types of ads and general attitudes toward advertising.
such as those found on social media and websites. Roughly three in five Gen Z adults say they find social media ads (61%) and online ads (59%) untrustworthy. That’s nearly twice the number of those who do deem these types of ads as trustworthy.
While Gen Z certainly has its trust issues with social media ads,
no other generation uses TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube at the rate that Gen Z does. This generation’s likelihood to stay connected throughout the day presents a tremendous opportunity to brands that can win this generation’s trust.
Audience data from YouGov reveals Gen Z stands out for their receptivity toward advertising in general, especially when compared to Americans overall. Below are some key insights into the Gen Z mindset on advertising over the past year:
Despite the negative outlook toward website and social media ads, these two channels remain key to getting in front of Gen Z. Marketing to younger consumers will be tricky; they tend to be more online-savvy and that comes with its challenges, but we can meet the moment using always-on data to track brand perceptions and keep a pulse on hot-button issues and trends.
Now, more than ever, brands should participate in back-and-forth dialogue with young consumers to understand what they want. It’s the way forward to build up brand voice and foster trust among Gen Z.