Generation Z is fast becoming the most coveted of marketing audiences. Unfortunately, it is also one of the hardest to reach. Gen Z is incredibly media savvy, so the challenge for marketers is trying to connect with an audience that already knows every marketing trick in the book. If you aren’t direct with your messaging, you’ll quickly lose Gen Zers’ attention, not to mention their trust.
On the flip side, this also presents a unique opportunity to come up with more strategic ways to reach your audience and grow your company. Gen Zers differ from previous generations in many ways, but there is one audience that can help you connect with them like never before: their teachers.
Speaking to a new kind of consumer
Generation Z breaks the mold many times over — and not always in ways that you’d expect. For instance, it’s no secret that Gen Zers are digital natives, yet the vast majority of them (about 74 percent, according to Business Insider) prefer to communicate with the people they work with face-to-face rather than online.
Digital and media savviness makes Gen Z consumers more wary about commercials and advertisements. An insincere or out-of-touch marketing message is like a repellant, automatically driving their attention away.
But, one thing that doesn’t change through the ages is the vital role that teachers play in young adults’ lives.
Teachers don’t just educate their students; they also influence the way their charges view the world and themselves within it. As role models, teachers are among the most trusted voices in any Gen Zer’s life. Teachers are also a powerful group of consumers. Reach out to them successfully, and you can tap into a valuable resource for reaching Generation Z as well.
According to MDR, a division of Dun & Bradstreet, a teacher’s influence extends beyond the classroom. In MDR’s “Teachers as Consumers” report, managing director Aaron Stibel notes that 47 percent of teachers interact often with their peers on social media. An additional 44 percent admit wanting to purchase something after seeing it online. Their recommendations extend outward to Gen Z students and their parents, making kids more willing to try the products their teachers advocate.
Why does this matter to marketers,…
