Generation Y and Z: marketing and storytelling dynamics

The marketing world focuses on drawing attention to your products and converting that attention to action. In doing this, you might have tried various classics like fear, shock, and urgency, but those tactics are limited. Your ultimate goal isn't to only draw your audience's attention but to also retain it. This is where storytelling comes in. Storytelling is the magic tool that attracts your audience and keeps them hooked.

People are looking for ideas and products that can add value to them everywhere you go. As a marketer, your job is to draw their attention to those products and convince them to purchase your products. However, it would be best to remember that you're marketing to humans, and humans mostly find value in the things they can relate to. That's why you need storytelling. Storytelling adds the human element to your content, making it more authentic. It also shows your audience that you understand their needs and are ready to serve them. To know more about the power of benefit communication please read my article in this link

With this, it sure seems like storytelling is the real deal, and it is. However, you must also know how to tell a story. You can’t just tell a story blindly without considering the needs of your audience. Certain factors come to play. One of them is the generation that your audience belongs to. What Generation Y is interested in is different from what Generation Z is interested in. You need to understand these disparities when marketing, which this article will address.

I will try to explain some factors to consider when marketing to these generations, which will help achieve a better delivery and drive your audience to action.

Buying Behavior

In every marketing endeavor, it’s crucial to understand the marketing behavior of your audience. Millennials (Generation Y) are all grown up now; most of them are graduating college, entering the workforce, and renting or purchasing homes. At the peak of this is social media. Social media has become the most important marketing channel to this generation. Because of this widespread use of social media, Millennials are more likely to buy from a brand their friend recommended rather than one they saw in an advertisement. They also value convenience, cheap but quality products and are most likely not looking to explore

On the other hand, Gen Z is less attached to specific brands because they prefer to explore various options. Although they're price-conscious, they aren't price-centric like other generations. So, they're more likely to go for quality products, notwithstanding the price.

Products Interest

When trying to get across to millennials and Generation Z, you also need to consider that their product interests differ. For example, more millennials have children, so they're more interested in camping products because they can use them to go camping with their children. Furthermore, millennials are more interested in non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Research shows that about 23% of millennials collect NFTs, while only 4% of Generation Z are involved with NFTs. This shows that Gen Z is more interested in electronics and technology, health and wellness, and education. In contrast, millennials are interested in traveling, skincare, houseplants, cars, etc.

Type of content

Generation Y and Z's preferred content is mostly similar. Social media is your greatest friend when marketing to these generations. You can utilize platforms such as Instagram and Facebook for both millennials and Generation Z. However, it's mostly Generation Z that uses Snapchat and Tiktok, so that should be your medium if that's your target audience. Another similarity between these two generations is that they are quickly drawn to content that speaks on various social issues. Since more attention is now on social issues worldwide, content tailored around that will effortlessly attract your audience.

Finally, the best way to get through to this generation is through an ad that features their favorite media personalities. Therefore, they're more inclined to buy products marketed by influencers.

Bottom Line

Storytelling is the backbone of every marketing experience. With it, you can elevate your brand to the next level. Without it, you're missing the most crucial aspect of marketing: the human element. However, you shouldn't engage in storytelling blindly. As easy as it seems, you still need to consider your consumer's generation, buying behavior, product interests, and preferred content. This gives you a clearer picture of the kind of story to tell and the best delivery to use.