**How to Optimise Brand Performance Strategies to Reach Gen-Z Consumers**
Gen-Z, born between 1995 and 2009, constitutes 30% of the global population and wields a staggering $450 billion in spending power, according to the BBC. As this group grows in influence, fashion and beauty brands are sharply focusing on strategies to engage them effectively.
Aligning with Gen-Z’s core values, which include authenticity, trust, and community, is key. This generation favors content that educates and entertains them across various social media platforms. The challenge lies in capturing their attention quickly, with studies indicating that Gen-Z consumers lose focus on ads after just 1.3 seconds.
To decode the complexity of connecting with this dynamic consumer segment, Sophie Soar from BoF held a discussion with Alison Bringé, CMO at Launchmetrics, and Shaina Zafar from UTA Marketing. Their insights are condensed here to guide your brand engagement strategy.
### Understanding Gen-Z Influence
Shaina Zafar elucidates that Gen-Z’s influence extends beyond their spending power. They are cultural tastemakers who initiate trends adopted by older generations. This cohort, often termed the generation of memes and movements, uses social media to express identity and build global communities. As the most diverse generation, their impact on societal norms and trends is substantial.
### Effective Engagement Tactics
Alison Bringé suggests that brands should focus on the right voice, channel, and audience using Launchmetrics’ Media Impact Value (MIV) algorithm to measure brand performance. This holistic approach helps brands understand which channels and voices yield the highest engagement and ultimately conversion.
Zafar emphasizes the role of cultural and political narratives in shaping micro-communities around niche interests. These communities can be found on platforms like TikTok, Twitch, Discord, and Reddit, offering brands unique opportunities to engage.
### Transparency and Purpose
Gen-Z values brands that are transparent and stand for something beyond profit. Zafar notes that Gen-Z conducts thorough research to vet brands, making it essential for companies to clearly articulate their core values. Transparency, even when campaigns do not initially succeed, nurtures trust and can secure Gen-Z’s loyalty.
### Practical Measurement
Bringé stresses the importance of measuring campaign impact accurately to allocate resources wisely. Launchmetrics’ MIV provides a monetary value for social interactions, allowing brands to compare performance across channels.
### Co-Creation with Gen-Z
Zafar shares the success story of Coach’s sub-brand Coachtopia, designed with inputs from a community of Gen-Z fashion enthusiasts. This partnership approach led to the collection selling out multiple times, illustrating the value of treating Gen-Z as collaborative partners rather than passive consumers.
### Celebrity Influence
Bringé highlights that involving celebrities can amplify brand engagement, as seen with Doja Cat’s impactful appearance at the Schiaparelli show. The key lies in leveraging this “echo effect”, where the community actively engages and recreates content, fostering deeper brand interaction.
### Concluding Insights
In conclusion, brands must strategically balance engagement efforts across owned and paid media, refine measurement criteria, and maintain transparency to resonate with Gen-Z. Employing these strategies will ensure brands not only connect with but also sustain loyalty from this influential generation.
