Targeting Gen Z: Awesome is for Everyone...but Maybe Not?

Awesome screen. Awesome camera. Long-lasting battery life. These are three things are the only things repeated over and over in Samsung’s influencer-filled TikTok-style ad and that’s what they would like you (or more likely, a social-savvy Gen Z teen) to know about its Galaxy A series of phones — specifically, the newly announced Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71. It is filled with excessive “teen” energy and I must admit, it is a great piece of marketing because it will guarantee you will watch it, as jarring as the ad may be, and will be able to name those three features of the Galaxy A line phones.

In this 50-second film, Gen-Z was definitely the target audience they had in mind. This young, digitally savvy customer base who grew up with mobile phones and iPads, don’t ever remember a time before the internet – unlike millennials. This target demographic also makes up 32% of the global population and five strategies that have been successful for marketing to this audience are the following:

1.       Selling experiences, not products

2.       Video, video, video – (with awesome screen, awesome camera, long-lasting battery life)

3.       Rethink the major influencer campaign

4.       Engage with customers

5.       Highlight your dedication to privacy

Additionally, the attention space of a typical Gen-Zer is no more than 8 seconds, which is surprisingly 4 seconds less than your typically millennial. It’s all about grabbing their attention in this short amount of time, otherwise you’ll be forgotten forever.

Targeting the youngest customer market segment by tweaking your digital marketing strategy can surely boost brand trust and loyalty with your Gen Z audience, but it can maybe eave the rest of your market audience dazed, confused and surprised – maybe it did work for Samsung. You tell me.