Generation Z: Strongest Influence to Marketing Trends

MANILA-based PR firm BrandSpeakAsia said only 2% of its Coffee Talk attendees, a University Workshop Advocacy on Branding and Marketing, still read the printed papers as around 96% of its audiences get information and inspiration online through blogs and social media platforms.

Coffee Talk attendees are university students aged 16 to 23 and are all members of the Generation Z.

Leigh De Armas, BrandSpeakAsia’s President and CEO, says that, “This generation will never know a world where they could not talk to their parents through video calls, chat with their friends the shortest through emojis, and connect to someone on the other side of the world easier than making a phone call itself.”

As an industry expert in Public Relations, Branding, and both Traditional and Digital Marketing, De Armas talked about how Generation Z influences the Digital Market Trends during ADCON 2019 at District 21 Hotel, Iloilo City last March 30, 2019.

ADCON is an annual advertising conference hosted by University of the Philippines Visayas Marketing Society Inc. and MarketXV that aims to equip future business leaders with brilliant minds and brave hearts to take bold actions that will disrupt the future of the business landscape.

The conference was attended by more than 270 delegates and also featured other industry experts in marketing such Christina D. Lao, Marketing Director of McDonalds Philippines, Chris Manguera, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Marketing and App Product at Mynt Globe Fintech Innovations Inc., and Julius Ivan Cabigon, Creative Director of Mobext Philippines among others.

According to De Armas, “The Generation Z is a highly collaborative, surprisingly independent, creative and fun bunch of people who has changed the digital marketing trends of today. They are quick-witted and decisive, highly entrepreneurial and prepared for a global business environment more than they know it.”

Being a mother of 5 Digital Natives with ages ranging from 3-18 years of age, De Armas notes that aside from her 15 years of industry experience, her first-hand experience and observation on how her children consumes online information and how this affects their household decisions gave her valuable insights on how Generation Z influences the Digital Marketing Trends.

Children exposed to smart gadgets and the Internet used to have a negative connotation but, as De Armas has observed with her own children, their attention span may be at 2 seconds per page but it has cultivated an ability to discern value and interest at a faster pace than any previous generation.

Generation Z is flipping through and analyzing content at light speed, so to let your brand stand out, it must present its value as quickly and efficiently as possible. Through this fast and wide exposure to information, Generation Z are conversation starters who always want to independently try out new things and even start their own businesses both online and offline.

De Armas further adds, “Marketers should now leverage on digital technology to reach the Generation Z but still apply the oldest principle in marketing which is to be authentic. Whatever method and form of communication it may be, this generation would know if they are being sold to or being offered something valuable and beneficial. It’s the latter that will make your campaigns effective.”