Prominent Discussion: 2025's Marketing Shift Towards Generation Z's Influence
Nohar Zmora heads the marketing department at Kaltura. She is committed to aiding marketers in crafting innovative and data-driven digital encounters that cater to the creative and data-driven preferences of the Gen Z demographic.
The millennial generation has long held the spotlight as a primary target market, with brands tailoring their marketing tactics to align with their values, aesthetics, and digital habits. However, Gen Z's influence is rapidly increasing, bringing distinctive expectations, behaviors, and values that demand a shift in marketing strategies. The coming years will be a period of transformation for marketers who choose to embrace this change and integrate Gen Z's perspective into their operations.
As we navigate this transition, we must consider the following question: How do we devise and execute campaigns that resonate with a generation our teams may not fully comprehend yet? For companies like mine, the solution lies in a three-pronged approach: Hiring Gen Z individuals and younger Millennials across departments, amplifying authenticity through diverse voices, and implementing flexible, multi-channel marketing strategies.
Step 1: Incorporate Gen Z Talent into Every Department—Not Just Marketing
While many companies are recruiting Gen Z talent for marketing roles, to truly connect with this generation, it's crucial to look beyond hiring them as content creators or social media managers. Incorporate their viewpoints at all levels and departments—in research and development, design, customer service, or sales. Their insights will be instrumental in aligning products and messages with the nuanced requirements of today's emerging consumers.
I have made it my goal to recruit a diverse mix of younger team members across positions. Their fresh perspectives are indispensable, and our company needs to familiarize itself with Gen Z's needs, preferences, and expectations. Their input on aspects ranging from user interface design to user experience has already proven to be invaluable. While they may make me feel a bit out of touch, their enthusiasm for innovation, creativity, and collaboration more than makes up for it.
It is essential to set aside stereotypes. Many experienced professionals might question whether younger hires truly understand the company's needs or can effectively sell its products. With proper training and guidance, they can be molded to meet the company's objectives and contribute an edge of innovation. Finding candidates who share the company's vision is crucial, and their enthusiasm to learn is often unmatched. New hires (regardless of age) thrive on feedback, and Gen Z hires are no exception, so provide guidance and empowerment to innovate while taking advantage of their unique perspective and energy.
Step 2: Genuine Expression Is Essential—It's More Than Just a Choice
Today's consumers, including Gen Z, are adept at detecting disingenuousness and are turned off by overly polished or rehearsed corporate messaging. They value transparency, sincerity, and diverse voices that reflect authentic experiences and perspectives. To connect with this demographic, brands need to prioritize genuine storytelling and develop campaigns that feel relatable and inclusive.
In practice, this means embracing a more conversational tone, welcoming apparent imperfections, and when possible, collaborating on content creation with influencers or showcasing user-generated content. Gen Z is less interested in being spoken to than in feeling engaged. Use real voices in ads, incorporate customer feedback, and highlight issues that matter to them, such as sustainability, equality, and social responsibility.
In our campaigns, we focused on storytelling by highlighting the creators and communities using our products. Rather than simply promoting our technology, we aimed to demonstrate how it was being utilized in ways we hadn't anticipated. This approach resonated with Gen Z because it provided value and fostered authentic connections rather than merely selling features.
Step 3: Utilize Cross-Platform Flexibility for Maximum Impact
Gen Z's use of multiple platforms for various purposes and comfort with AI-powered tools are two of its defining characteristics. They seamlessly navigate between TikTok, YouTube tutorials, Snapchat, and platforms like ChatGPT to assist with tasks such as drafting essays. Successful marketing strategies for Gen Z need to be agile and cross-channel, reaching them where they are at any given moment with content tailored to each platform's unique style, tone, and the content they may already be engaged with.
Beyond selecting the right platform, agility means staying responsive to emerging trends and cultural moments. As marketers, we must be prepared to adapt our strategies quickly. We must abandon rigid, top-down campaign structures in favor of agile workflows where we can adapt, remix, and respond to evolving trends and consumer needs in real time, and Gen Z's facility with AI can help make that happen. A misstep from an influencer? Time to pivot with a new mini-campaign. The discovery of an up-and-coming TikTok star? Reach out to them directly. Brands that can navigate at the breakneck speed at which Gen Z consumes digital content hold the potential to build affinity and engagement.
This necessitates a new approach to measuring and evaluating results in real time, allowing for adjustments on the fly. Gen Z values innovation and change, so to maintain their interest, you need to constantly experiment, test, and iterate. Once again, Gen Z team members prove their worth in this area, as they not only understand the platforms but are also more attuned to the latest trends and what will resonate.
Our crew and I chuckle that right as we wrapped up redesigning marketing tactics for Gen Y, we're back at it. However, this time around, it seems like more than just a generational transformation. Gen Z is unlike any other: They're incredibly linked, well-informed, and unapologetic about expressing their desires. They're not just interested in purchasing from companies; they want to embrace them. By 2025, firms that can grasp this embrace—through initiatives that are genuine, swift, and thoroughly collaborative—will be the victors... at least until Gen Beta reaches their spending years.
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Nohar Zmora's focus on hiring Gen Z individuals and younger Millennials across different departments is a crucial step in understanding and connecting with this generation's needs and preferences. This approach allows the company to benefit from their unique perspective and energy, helping to create more innovative and data-driven digital encounters.
Embracing Gen Z's perspective and integrating it into marketing operations is essential for companies seeking to connect with this generation. By hiring Gen Z talent across various departments, companies can ensure their strategies are grounded in an understanding of Gen Z's needs, preferences, and expectations.
