Advertisment

How does Gen Z respond to ads and consume media?

According to Kantar Millward Brown's 'AdReaction in engaging Gen X, Y and Z' report, about 73 per cent of Gen Z spends time online on mobile, 72 per cent of Gen Y on desktop and 81 per cent of Gen X spends time on television

author-image
BestMediaInfo Bureau
New Update
How does Gen Z respond to ads and consume media?

How does Gen Z respond to ads and consume media?

According to Kantar Millward Brown's 'AdReaction in engaging Gen X, Y and Z' report, about 73 per cent of Gen Z spends time online on mobile, 72 per cent of Gen Y on desktop and 81 per cent of Gen X spends time on television

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | January 12, 2017

gen_z_study

Kantar Millward Brown's new study, 'AdReaction in engaging Gen X, Y and Z', reveals behaviour, attitudes and responses of Gen Z to advertising. The study will help marketers understand the similarities and differences between generations and how to effectively engage them.

The report, the first global study on Gen Z, was conducted in 39 countries. Quantitative survey results are averaged across the countries. But some findings vary country to country.

Here are some insights on how Gen X, Y and Z consume media in India.

The report classifies Gen Z as 16-19 year olds, Gen Y as 20-34 year olds and Gen X as 35-49 year olds.

How does Gen Z consume media?

In China, 'My smart phone is my personal secretary who reminds me of important things, for instance wakes me up, arranges transport, calls for food, and communicates with family and friends. It's like my own 24-hour robot'.

In Germany, 'I watch less and less TV. I prefer to stream movies and series via the internet because I can choose between huge offers and also decide when I want to watch'.

In US, 'I spent a lot of time on my phone and it is the only way I interact with certain people on a regular basis. At the same time it is often a distraction and sometimes gets in the way of more personal interaction'.

That's the way different countries consume media in this century. India too has seen a lot of online search and mobile consumption though it has a long way to go.

How media habits differ

About 73 per cent of Gen Z spends its time online on mobile, 72 per cent of Gen Y spends its time online on desktop and 81 per cent of Gen X spends time on television.

What people think about advertising

Among traditional ad formats like outdoor, cinema, magazines, television, newspapers and radio; Gen Z consumes most of the ads on television, newspapers and outdoor. Gen Y and X consume more of newspapers, television and magazines.

Preferred online ad formats include desktop display, online search, mobile display, desktop video and mobile video. Gen Z is more prone to consume desktop display and online search, while Gen Y and X consume online search.

Attitude towards branded content

Among factors like branded events, social news feeds, brand information, social celeb content, native articles and celeb content, Gen Z is more likely to consume social celeb content – as much as 66 per cent. Gen Y and X are at 78 per cent each, both consuming brand information.

Why people avoid online ads

When confronted with ads one doesn't like, Gen Z is likely to multi-task. All generations are drawing firmer lines around the places where they find advertising inappropriate, some go for ad blocking.

About 78 per cent of Gen Z prefers skipping an ad, while 69 per cent of Gen Y and 67 per cent of Gen X do the same. People block ads because ads interrupt them, annoy them, slow down their computer and many are not relevant. The same reasons apply for mobile ad blockers.

What should one do about it

One should catch people where they're watching ads – at home, in public, commuting/travelling, at school or college and at work. For all generations, consumption of ads is highest at home.

One also needs to catch people in the right mood – relaxed, looking for something interesting, bored, looking for info and looking to be entertained. For all generations, a relaxed mood scores the highest among others.

The advertiser also needs to encourage people to interact. One needs to develop content that resonates Gen Z and across generations.

Conclusion:

Generations matter: Creating advertising that works across generations is tough; getting Gen Z to engage is particularly tricky since it is more likely to skip online videos. Gen Z can't easily be pigeon-holed, but in most countries it places more value on music and social media. It is a mobile-first generation, but that is not the only way to connect with it, thus there is a strong need for media synergies across all platforms.

Media implications: Don't underestimate the power of traditional media; Gen Z is generally more open to outdoor and TV ads than to digital ads, even though it spends more time online. Stop using invasive, non-skippable online formats that are disliked by all generations, especially Gen Z. Embrace branded content, which is a more popular format. For Gen Z, make ads interactive and use innovative online formats like mobile rewards videos and sponsored lenses.

Creative implications: If Gen Z is part of your target audience, pay particular attention to music and design aesthetics. Brand of offer relatability is more important than any content formula. Advertising creative must reflect shared attitudes and values to connect with people of all ages.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Advertisment