As someone born on the cusp of Millenial and Generation Z (yes, I was taught both cursive and typing in the 5th grade) I often see these different modes of interacting with the world in my friends, family and even myself.
A huge thing for the Gen Z-ers and something we hear thrown around a lot is the concept of “authenticity”. I want to break this buzzword down to start to digest why, in fact, authenticity is so important and why we should be talking about it.
While millennials “came of age” in the 1990s/early 2000s, Gen Z-ers, born from 1995-2010 are essentially read-to-go digital users. This is the first generation to grow up truly interacting, daily, with the internet, social networking, etc. And not just networking via IM; with Snapchat, Instagram, and many other platforms bringing features like face filters, music integration, gameplay and so much more. For a generation saturated with images, messages, branding, filters, etc – authenticity becomes something we crave.
Authenticity in the sense of, don’t tell me your brand is great (as all brands do) but rather, show me why your brand is great. It’s a given that you will send me personalized emails after I look at a product (after all, we are all tracked and our data sold to marketers anyway), but what are you going to do with that data to benefit me? Authenticity is going beyond the tools, so it’s no secret to any Gen Z-er that the new digital tools open up an entirely new world; but it’s all about using them fluidly with purpose and intent.
You’ve heard us mention them… often; but what can we say, they’re killing it. Glossier is a great example of this. Self-reflexively using the tools of, in this example, Instagram, to connect with real humans. At Serotina, this human-to-human connection of social is something we’re always stressing with #KEEPSOCIAL.
Essentially, the Gen Z generation can see right through all of the *BS* of a conventional marketing campaign. They want to see the real self, the real brand. They want to see how this can connect to them and their own lives. So, don’t be afraid to take off the filter every now and again and show us the real #BehindTheScenes. We’re here for it.
Thanks for reading, what did you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time,
✨Ellie
@SerotinaMedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
