As this demographic group enters adulthood, they will soon become the most significant stakeholders in media consumption and hold the most purchasing power. In response, many brands are taking note of their habits and preferences.

In addition to being the most diverse generation, Gen Z has an impressive ability to adapt to technological advancements and changes. Their social media activity allows them to change the paradigm of society at the click of a post or a video upload. They enjoy interactive, culturally relevant content across a variety of platforms.

Yet while it can be easy to locate Gen Z online, it’s more challenging to capture their attention and even more difficult to obtain their loyalty. That’s why brands are seeking to understand this demographic group’s media consumption habits to encourage and secure buy-in.

Gen Z’s media consumption habits reveal ideal times for engagement

Gen Z has a circadian rhythm of sorts when it comes to the times they access different platforms, according to a recent study from Publicis Media and Vevo. And while Gen Z’s viewing is spread across devices, it should be no surprise that most of their viewing happens on a smartphone (44%).

The study’s insights, drawn from over 2,000 online interviews with people ranging from ages 13 to 54, help highlight the behavioral differences between Gen Z (13-26), millennial (27-40) and Gen X (41-54) consumers. Breaking down these media consumption habits is also uncovering some surprising trends.

For instance, while Gen Z primarily engages with TikTok in the morning and views YouTube in the afternoon, a large portion watch content on-demand through connected TV (CTV) services. In fact, nearly one-third (29%) of Gen Zs’ time spent watching video content happens on a TV screen.

Understanding Gen Z’s rhythmic approach to media consumption can help brands reach consumers at optimal times. These insights can also enable marketers to implement tactics that engage Gen Z consumers more effectively.

Gen Z is connecting with authentic content creators and brands

Knowing what time of day to reach Gen Z is essential, but understanding who they respond to is even more vital. They’re specifically turning to brands, creators and influencers that foster authentic connection.

Gen Z’s ability to self-produce content pieces has also fueled this desire for authenticity. For instance, 48% of the content Gen Z consumes comes from content creators versus professionally produced content. In addition, research from Cassandra found that 89 percent of young consumers said it’s crucial that influencers are approachable, shedding more light on the qualities Gen Z is looking for in their preferred content creators.

Bretman Rock, a beauty influencer, leaned into these qualities to reach 8.78 million social media subscribers and eventually produce a TV show, ‘Following: Bretman Rock.’ Similarly, musical artist Lil Yachty connected with audiences via memes …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron