1. Does Generation Z
Hate our Ads?
as imagined by Gen Xers

2. Who am I?
Michael Paredrakos, online I play ….
@mpared http://thecuriousbrain.com/
I am also the Managing Director of …

3. Do I know anything about young people?

4. The answer is
No.
I know nothing about them!

5. I’m in my 40’s and my only way
to learn something about them
is by reading insights, trends and
various researches done most probably by people
as OLD as I AM

6. In my view
the biggest
problem
we need to face
as an industry
in order to understand more
young people’s attitudes today
in brands/ advertising, digital
etc..
is the
Generation Gap
between
us and them

7. Most young people,
to me at least,
seem to change
day by day.
Their mood, character, attitudes, needs
the things they consider cool
(does this word still even exists for them?),
how they use and consume digital or other channels
is always changing and evolving.

8. They are in constant flux and this why is difficult for us to target them
effectively or depict them in a way that is relevant to them in advertising.
By the time we discovered a trend
or an attitude about them …
they have moved to another thing.
The fact that our creative directors, brand managers, planners etc
are older than they are does not help things either!

9. What
Lies
Ahead
So every time you hear …
in terms of young audiences
always take them with a pinch of salt!
They are probably imagined by Gen Xers or Millennials
So be a bit critical about them…
Always note that Generations are not monoliths.
And alway wonder can a generation-level insight
really help your brand engage with such a large and diverse group of people in a meaningful way?

10. But since most of us here hope to sell
stuff to kids born after 1995/6
— the so-called Generation Z and like new generations before them, they're arriving with their
own set of attitudes and expectations around brands and advertising.
So let’s see some key insights and trends
that “might” be true
Studies highlight their buying power of $44 billion, that they’ll be 40% of the population of US,
Europe, and BRIC by 2020, and that they are naturally immune to advertising.

11. So how are kids these days?
They view their identity
as a curated composition.
All it takes to change their outward identity is a
simple swipe and an upload to Instagram
Uses Facebook as
an “information hub”
rather than an “engagement
platform”
Checks social media 100 times per day
Source: https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/research/18316.html
They are all about technology
Generation Z grew up since birth on the internet, apps, social
media and text messaging as their information streams.
Face-to-face conversation is not the usual
course of communication.
Gen Z have become
overly reliant on their
mobile devices and
they are a mobile 1st
generation
They love
ephemeral and
rarity
and are being drawn to
social media which
disintegrates and self-
destructs for privacy
They suffer from
FOMO
- fear of missing out -
more than Millenials, so
being culturally
connected is critical.

12. Less Focused .
Their attention spans might be significantly
lower than Millennials. They communicate in
bite sizes, and research studies suggest that
their brains have evolved to process more
information at faster speeds
Can’t live without YouTube and
prefer YouTube influencers to
Hollywood or tv celebs
They prefer to communicate
with symbols and images,
speaking in emoticons and emojis as
symbols and glyphs provide context
and create subtexts so they can have
private conversations.
They are far more
open-minded
and permissive
than their older
millennial counterparts
when it comes to issues
of gender and
sexuality.
They also rejected
the gender binary
while shopping
Source: https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/research/18316.html

13. So How Should You Advertise to Gen Z?
Millward Brown has just released its latest annual AdReaction study, measuring consumer attitudes and receptiveness to advertising via a survey of
almost 24,000 Gen Z (16-19), Gen Y (20-34) and Gen X (35-49) consumers in 39 countries including Greece
According to them it’s particularly tricky to get Gen Z to engage.
In the online space Gen Z are significantly more likely to skip ads, suggesting they have a lower threshold for boredom.
They are also more turned off by invasive, interruptive online and mobile formats.
This is paradoxical, given that Gen Z consumes more mobile and digital media than others, if only by modest margins.
Gen Z should (in theory) be more positively inclined toward digital ads, less interested in traditional media.
But the opposite appears to be true.
Source : http://www.millwardbrown.com/adreaction/genxyz/global/gen-x-y-and-z/how-media-habits-differ

14. According to the same report
Gen Z seem to have more positive attitudes toward selected types
of branded digital content and are also more receptive
to ad formats they could control, skip or mute
Source : http://www.millwardbrown.com/adreaction/genxyz/global/gen-x-y-and-z/how-media-habits-differ

15. What characteristics make Gen Z more positive toward ads?
The study found that Gen Z members were not as interested in ads that featured celebrities or novel technology but seem to be
more receptive to ads that offered solid creative, told interesting stories, were humorous and had compelling music.
Source: https://marketingland.com/study-gen-z-discriminating-advertising-resistant-gen-x-y-203007

16. So how can brands relate better
to the first generation of kids
who learned to swipe before they could wipe?
Generation Z
has little to
no impatience
for things that
don't work
as intended.
If something doesn't work,
they're gone. If something
is slow, they'll move on. If
something errors out, they
won't come back.
This is a huge reason why
big brands are (and those
that aren't, should consider)
spending money on building
exceptional and cutting
edge mobile , digital,
phygital experiences.
Generation Z
doesn't pay
attention to ads.
They pay attention
to value.
They want resources, channels
and profiles that give them
what they’re looking for,
whether that is entertainment,
knowledge or tutorials.
If you put too many gates in
front of them, they won’t even
bother complaining. They’ll just
move on and find the next great
resource..
If your advertising strategy
entails mobile pop-up ads or
banners, you are way, way
behind
Generation Z watches a whole lot of online videos.
32% of Generation Z watches videos online for an hour or more, per day,
with 30% watching two hours of video, and 21% watching three hours.
That's a lot of video.
If your brand isn't investing in this medium,
again, you aren't paying attention to where things are headed.
It's going to take you a bit of time to figure out what kinds of videos resonate with your target audience
source: https://www.inc.com/nicolas-cole/5-things-brands-can-do-to-attract-generation-z-as-consumers-and-potential-employ.html

17. Generation Z truly wants to impact the
world for the better.
This is a trend that began with Millennials, but will only
gain momentum as Generation Z begins to step into the
workforce.60% of Gen Z-ers want their career and
everyday work responsibilities to impact the world. 76%
said they are also concerned about the planet, and are
conscious of humanity's impact.
If you want to succeed in retail,
you need to realise that 55% of
Gen Z-ers would rather buy
clothes online.
You have to acknowledge that more
than half of your consumers are at home
browsing your online catalog. If your
mobile site is clunky (or worse, cluttered
with annoying pop-ups, click baits ) then
you've already lost.
No you were
not downloaded!
You were born!
A survey conducted last year by digital
agency Deep Focus found that
63% percent of Gen Z prefers
to see “real” people in ads.
79 % of Gen Z is interested in VR
According to a study conducted by Greenlight VR and
online research firm Touchstone Research, 79 percent
of U.S. internet users 10 to 18 are interested in VR—
6% points more than millennials.
Generation Z wants to participate
Don’t expect Gen Z to simply sit back and watch, on Facebook or
anywhere else. Based on a global study , PR and communications agency
Zeno Group believes companies must give Gen Z “a job to do” and “let
them be brand advocates.” Interactivity and content collaboration,
therefore, are key content principles.
source: https://www.inc.com/nicolas-cole/5-things-brands-can-do-to-attract-generation-z-as-consumers-and-potential-employ.html

18. Don't underestimate the power
of traditional media;
Gen Z are generally more open to outdoor and TV ads than to digital
ads, even though they spend more time online. Stop using invasive, non-
skippable online formats which are disliked by all generations, especially
Gen Z. Embrace branded content which is a more popular format.
Make ads interactive and use innovative online formats
like mobile rewards apps.
Pay particular attention to music and
design aesthetics of your creative and
If you have budget always test
and research your ideas with them
You have 8 seconds
to engage them
When developing video, ensure ads
deliver early impact
and intrigue to avoid being skipped
Your targeting
needs to change.
It has to be either
behavioural or needs-
based, but not
gender/age specific.
Time is important to Gen Z, and every
second counts. So for your brand to ask
them to sit through a 30-second
advertisement is a big ask.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t, or won’t, pay attention
to worthwhile content.
Note that this is the same generation known for watching
hours of live video-game streams and 20-minute YouTube
beauty tutorials through to the end.
Don’t spend
your money
on celebrities
try to engage
them with youtube
micro influencers
Brand marketing
and storytelling
needs to be 5-screen:
phone, computer, TV, tablet,
wearable, and brand
engagement needs to be
live-streaming video

19. So what do you think?
Does Generation Z hate our Ads?
You decide…

20. Further reading
http://www.millwardbrown.com/adreaction/genxyz/global/home
https://www.wired.com/story/generation-z-stereotypes/
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/03/03/generation-z-12-important-things-companies-need-to-
understand/&refURL=https://www.google.gr/&referrer=https://www.google.gr/
https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/research/18316.html
https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/research/18316.html
https://www.inc.com/nicolas-cole/5-things-brands-can-do-to-attract-generation-z-as-consumers-and-potential-employ.html
http://www.v12data.com/blog/marketing-gen-z-massive-generation-will-be-coming-age/
https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/research/18316.html
http://www.jcdecaux.com/blog/gen-z-and-advertising-its-complicated
http://mandmglobal.com/gen-z-consumers-favour-advertising-co-creation-claims-study/
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/11/generation-z-avoids-advertising-uses-ad-blockers-and-skips-content.html
https://www.marketingdive.com/news/why-gen-z-might-signal-the-end-of-demographic-targeting-as-we-know-it/506796/
http://time.com/4433964/teens-social-media-advertising/
https://marketingland.com/study-gen-z-discriminating-advertising-resistant-gen-x-y-203007
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2017/09/05/5-common-mistakes-cmos-make-when-creating-ads-for-young-people/#480f0f385d65
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/299570
http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/still-obsessing-over-millennials-here-are-6-rules-reaching-generation-z-164882/
http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/what-brands-need-know-about-gen-z-reach-new-generation-consumers-175745/
http://adage.com/article/agency-viewpoint/gen-z-hates-ads-love-videos/309105/

21. Thank youfor your time :-)