Name: How to reach Gen Z using consumer research insights
Uploaded: 2022-09-23T12:43:37.090Z
Duration: 549.75
Description: Millennials offered brands consistent loyalty and a preference for physical stores. But capturing Gen Z's attention and retaining their loyalty is harder. So how can consumer research help to guide brands towards a comprehensive understanding of this generation? Anastasia Pelot, Content & Marketing Manager at Ypulse, talks through her data-driven insights to truly understand this generation.

Understanding Gen Z In Consumer Research-1.m4v

Gen Z.vtt

English

{{00:00:27}}
Hi, I'm Jordan Thorne and
we're here at TMRE 2021.

{{00:00:30}}
Today, I'm joined by Anastasia Pelot.

{{00:00:32}}
She's the content and
marketing manager at Ypulse.

{{00:00:34}}
Anastasia, thank you
so much for joining us.

{{00:00:36}}
Yeah, thank you for having me.

{{00:00:37}}
So, Anastasia, maybe we could
start talking about some of

{{00:00:40}}
the trends that you're noticing
with the Gen Z market right now.

{{00:00:43}}
Absolutely.

{{00:00:44}}
So one of the most important things
that I think brands need to realise

{{00:00:47}}
about Gen Z, is that they want
to see themselves represented,

{{00:00:51}}
even more so than millennials.

{{00:00:53}}
And it's important to realise
that they are the most

{{00:00:55}}
diverse generation to date.

{{00:00:57}}
That means their race and ethnicities,
but it also means their body size.

{{00:01:01}}
It also means their abilities and it
means their gender and sexualities.

{{00:01:04}}
So they want to see
themselves represented.

{{00:01:06}}
But more importantly, they
want to see themselves

{{00:01:08}}
represented in an authentic way.

{{00:01:10}}
And they're okay with brands not
having had that history, but they

{{00:01:14}}
want brands to be accountable.

{{00:01:17}}
They want to see themselves
represented, not just through memes

{{00:01:20}}
and TikTok, but in an authentic
way, that feels like that's me.

{{00:01:24}}
That's what I look like.

{{00:01:26}}
That's what my friends look
like, instead of just stigmas

{{00:01:29}}
and stereotypes of Gen Z.

{{00:01:32}}
And, you know, obviously capturing
Gen Z's attention is getting a lot

{{00:01:35}}
harder for, you know, many businesses
and really gaining their loyalty

{{00:01:40}}
as a business is even tougher.

{{00:01:43}}
What are some of the top examples
that you've seen around how a

{{00:01:46}}
business can identify Gen Z's
expectation, and sort of best

{{00:01:49}}
approach them to create that loyalty?

{{00:01:51}}
Absolutely.

{{00:01:52}}
So understanding their values, like
I was saying staying accountable

{{00:01:56}}
and staying authentic is important,
but also staying transparent

{{00:01:59}}
about your business's values.

{{00:02:01}}
They don't want to just see
that you are using a marketing

{{00:02:04}}
campaign to reach them.

{{00:02:05}}
They want to see that your
business is built around these

{{00:02:08}}
values that are important to them.

{{00:02:10}}
They want to see that you're
treating your employees well.

{{00:02:13}}
They want to see that the way
that you produce your product

{{00:02:17}}
is ethical and sustainable.

{{00:02:19}}
They want to see a full business
model and not just a marketing

{{00:02:22}}
campaign of trying to reach them.

{{00:02:25}}
They can see through
that really easily.

{{00:02:27}}
They've had ads thrown at
them their entire lives.

{{00:02:29}}
So they just, they understand that
businesses are there to make money,

{{00:02:32}}
but they want to see how it's a
full-scale of how these brands

{{00:02:38}}
are actually treating people well,
their employees and trying to be

{{00:02:42}}
transparent when we're talking to them.

{{00:02:44}}
Yeah, that makes sense.

{{00:02:45}}
You know, you mentioned how
diverse Gen Z as a market is,

{{00:02:49}}
size, you know, sexual orientation.

{{00:02:52}}
So as we sort of talk about, you know,
brands and sort of creating surveys

{{00:02:57}}
for particularly gender fluid consumers
who recognise a need to be included

{{00:03:02}}
more than just the male or the female.

{{00:03:05}}
How do you think that, you know, you
can help brands sort of get better

{{00:03:08}}
insights from those kinds of markets?

{{00:03:11}}
So it's important to list some
of the labels that they go by.

{{00:03:17}}
There's obviously male, female, there's
trans, there's non-binary, but then

{{00:03:20}}
also, so it's in the wording that you
need to be respectful, but it's also

{{00:03:25}}
in offering an other option and then
asking them to define themselves.

{{00:03:30}}
You don't need to know all the labels
that they go by, but understanding

{{00:03:34}}
that they might go by a label that
you might not have already put down,

{{00:03:37}}
and understanding, and if you start
it really early in the process, you're

{{00:03:42}}
setting a tone of respectfulness with
them and you're understanding what

{{00:03:45}}
kind of scope that you're working with.

{{00:03:47}}
It's incredible insight on how
to sort of approach that with

{{00:03:51}}
something newer, you know.

{{00:03:53}}
What have you sort of observed
around some of the biggest

{{00:03:56}}
changes in the market research
community because of the pandemic?

{{00:04:00}}
Absolutely.

{{00:04:01}}
So I think everything is sort of
overlapping, right, with zoom, it

{{00:04:06}}
made our lives so much more a part
of everything we do during work.

{{00:04:11}}
And so mental health, I think, has
been a really thorough through line

{{00:04:16}}
for, especially the Gen Z market.

{{00:04:18}}
And so that kind of colours the
way that we talk to them and we can

{{00:04:22}}
speak with them more transparently
about their experiences and

{{00:04:27}}
they want that transparency
when we're talking to them.

{{00:04:30}}
So the pandemic obviously
changed a lot for them.

{{00:04:33}}
We're asking questions that we wouldn't
have even thought of pre-pandemic.

{{00:04:37}}
But what's also important is to
remember that as the world changes

{{00:04:41}}
so quickly because of the pandemic,
we're also thinking about what their

{{00:04:49}}
feelings and thoughts and attitudes
are before the vaccine can be totally

{{00:04:52}}
different after they get the vaccine.

{{00:04:54}}
If they said, I'm not sure if
I'm ever going to want to go

{{00:04:56}}
out again, they get the vaccine,
they may feel totally different.

{{00:04:59}}
So we're asking a lot of the same
questions, but it's changing really

{{00:05:02}}
quickly because the pandemic made
the world change really quickly.

{{00:05:05}}
And how has Ypulse, you know, utilising
that information once you sort of

{{00:05:09}}
get these changes, what comes next?

{{00:05:12}}
Yeah, absolutely.

{{00:05:13}}
So we do larger scale research for
the trends in general, but then

{{00:05:17}}
we also check in with, we have a
platform called PULSE, so the Pulses

{{00:05:21}}
are just like quick checking in.

{{00:05:23}}
Is this still resonant for you?

{{00:05:25}}
Is it a larger trend?

{{00:05:26}}
Is it a, you know, a
changing fad right now?

{{00:05:32}}
So it's understanding the larger
trends and then understanding

{{00:05:36}}
how those fads fit into them.

{{00:05:39}}
Great.

{{00:05:39}}
I'm actually gonna throw one.

{{00:05:40}}
Oh no, no.

{{00:05:41}}
I'm not gonna throw one
more, this is part of it.

{{00:05:44}}
So, you know, as you mentioned,
obviously, the markets are very

{{00:05:48}}
diverse, how has your team, and
you know, Ypulse in general sort

{{00:05:53}}
of been embracing and emphasising
diversity and inclusion as it

{{00:05:57}}
relates to market research?

{{00:05:58}}
Yeah, absolutely.

{{00:05:59}}
So as I was saying, understanding
that Gen Z is incredibly diverse,

{{00:06:04}}
understanding some of the labels and
the categories that they consider

{{00:06:07}}
themselves to fit into, but then
also allowing for them to answer,

{{00:06:12}}
if they don't fit into one of
the labels that we have for them.

{{00:06:15}}
And then we can use that going
forward, if we're seeing enough

{{00:06:17}}
people answer what label that
they fit into, we can use that

{{00:06:21}}
in future surveys as an option.

{{00:06:24}}
Because yeah, they're like 51%
of Gen Z is identifies as BIPOC.

{{00:06:29}}
So black, indigenous, people of color.

{{00:06:30}}
That's more than any
generation before them.

{{00:06:32}}
Like we really have to focus on that
diversity and inclusion in surveys,

{{00:06:37}}
and brands need to understand
that that has to be a part of

{{00:06:39}}
their brand values going forward.

{{00:06:41}}
Do you find it's challenging to make
sure that the voices, the data, the

{{00:06:46}}
insights that you get are diverse?

{{00:06:48}}
Is that a challenge or do you find
that based on maybe the market

{{00:06:51}}
you're looking at that it's easier?

{{00:06:54}}
I think we have to remember that
although market research is about

{{00:07:00}}
finding those patterns, we can't rely
on stereotypes, especially with Gen Z.

{{00:07:05}}
They're so different from each other
and from different generations that we

{{00:07:10}}
have to find ways to be representative
of obviously the larger population,

{{00:07:14}}
coming up with statistics and data
that represents a large enough

{{00:07:18}}
portion of the population, while
still understanding the different

{{00:07:21}}
categories that they fit into.

{{00:07:23}}
A lot of them overlap.

{{00:07:25}}
Yeah, so I think that kind
of answers that question.

{{00:07:28}}
Yeah, that was great.

{{00:07:29}}
And just to finish off, what will
be in your opinion, sort of that you

{{00:07:35}}
observed maybe this year, over the
last coming years, what will be the

{{00:07:38}}
biggest trend in 2022 that marker
researchers should be looking out for?

{{00:07:43}}
I think mental health
is going to be huge.

{{00:07:46}}
Both in terms of how brands speak
to Gen Z, but also in the kind of

{{00:07:51}}
products that they're releasing.

{{00:07:53}}
You know, we saw this actually,
someone referenced it yesterday

{{00:07:56}}
in a presentation, Google put
out a how to transition from

{{00:08:01}}
your old phone to a new one.

{{00:08:03}}
And it was like a mindfulness video.

{{00:08:05}}
So you can, you even if your
product doesn't directly relate

{{00:08:09}}
to mental health, there's ways
that you can still speak about it.

{{00:08:12}}
And Gen Z wants to
see that from brands.

{{00:08:14}}
They want to see, like, you know that
we're really stressed out, right?

{{00:08:17}}
A lot has happened in
the past few years.

{{00:08:19}}
How are you addressing it?

{{00:08:20}}
But also like, are you
understanding my experience?

{{00:08:23}}
And how are you going to talk about it?

{{00:08:25}}
Like, Pizza Hut had a weighted blanket,
you know, so it doesn't seem like it

{{00:08:29}}
would fit into their product offerings,
but it actually makes a lot of sense.

{{00:08:33}}
They just want to feel heard, Gen Z.

{{00:08:35}}
Talking to them about their mental
health, even if it doesn't seem

{{00:08:39}}
like that might fit into your
brand, totally the way to go.

{{00:08:43}}
Amazing.

{{00:08:43}}
Well, that's some really interesting
insights and that's the first I've

{{00:08:47}}
heard around, you know, mental health,
which I think is an amazing and sort

{{00:08:51}}
of something that has touched everyone.

{{00:08:54}}
Absolutely.

{{00:08:55}}
Absolutely.

{{00:08:56}}
So I can imagine that
more things will come.

{{00:09:00}}
Thank you, Anastasia,
it's been a pleasure.

{{00:09:03}}
Thank you.

Hi, I'm Jordan Thorne and
we're here at TMRE 2021.

She's the content and
marketing manager at Ypulse.

Anastasia, thank you
so much for joining us.

So, Anastasia, maybe we could
start talking about some of

the trends that you're noticing
with the Gen Z market right now.

So one of the most important things
that I think brands need to realise

about Gen Z, is that they want
to see themselves represented,

And it's important to realise
that they are the most

That means their race and ethnicities,
but it also means their body size.

It also means their abilities and it
means their gender and sexualities.

So they want to see
themselves represented.

But more importantly, they
want to see themselves

And they're okay with brands not
having had that history, but they

They want to see themselves
represented, not just through memes

and TikTok, but in an authentic
way, that feels like that's me.

That's what my friends look
like, instead of just stigmas

And, you know, obviously capturing
Gen Z's attention is getting a lot

harder for, you know, many businesses
and really gaining their loyalty

What are some of the top examples
that you've seen around how a

business can identify Gen Z's
expectation, and sort of best

So understanding their values, like
I was saying staying accountable

and staying authentic is important,
but also staying transparent

They don't want to just see
that you are using a marketing

They want to see that your
business is built around these

They want to see that you're
treating your employees well.

They want to see that the way
that you produce your product

They want to see a full business
model and not just a marketing

They've had ads thrown at
them their entire lives.

So they just, they understand that
businesses are there to make money,

but they want to see how it's a
full-scale of how these brands

are actually treating people well,
their employees and trying to be

You know, you mentioned how
diverse Gen Z as a market is,

So as we sort of talk about, you know,
brands and sort of creating surveys

for particularly gender fluid consumers
who recognise a need to be included

How do you think that, you know, you
can help brands sort of get better

So it's important to list some
of the labels that they go by.

There's obviously male, female, there's
trans, there's non-binary, but then

also, so it's in the wording that you
need to be respectful, but it's also

in offering an other option and then
asking them to define themselves.

You don't need to know all the labels
that they go by, but understanding

that they might go by a label that
you might not have already put down,

and understanding, and if you start
it really early in the process, you're

setting a tone of respectfulness with
them and you're understanding what

It's incredible insight on how
to sort of approach that with

What have you sort of observed
around some of the biggest

changes in the market research
community because of the pandemic?

So I think everything is sort of
overlapping, right, with zoom, it

made our lives so much more a part
of everything we do during work.

And so mental health, I think, has
been a really thorough through line

And so that kind of colours the
way that we talk to them and we can

speak with them more transparently
about their experiences and

they want that transparency
when we're talking to them.

So the pandemic obviously
changed a lot for them.

We're asking questions that we wouldn't
have even thought of pre-pandemic.

But what's also important is to
remember that as the world changes

so quickly because of the pandemic,
we're also thinking about what their

feelings and thoughts and attitudes
are before the vaccine can be totally

If they said, I'm not sure if
I'm ever going to want to go

out again, they get the vaccine,
they may feel totally different.

So we're asking a lot of the same
questions, but it's changing really

quickly because the pandemic made
the world change really quickly.

And how has Ypulse, you know, utilising
that information once you sort of

So we do larger scale research for
the trends in general, but then

we also check in with, we have a
platform called PULSE, so the Pulses

Is it a, you know, a
changing fad right now?

So it's understanding the larger
trends and then understanding

Expert Insight

Millennials offered brands consistent loyalty and a preference for physical stores. But capturing Gen Z's attention and retaining their loyalty is harder. So how can consumer research help to guide brands towards a comprehensive understanding of this generation?
Anastasia Pelot, Content & Marketing Manager at Ypulse, talks through her data-driven insights to truly understand this generation.

Data

Market research

Gen Z

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Anastasia Pelot

Content & Marketing Manager

No stereotypes; Gen Z's want to be represented authentically. Anastasia shares her insights, driven by data, about what brands need to be accountable for when speaking with Gen Z's.


Gen Z trends

More than understanding Gen Z's values, brands must stay transparent. Learn how to keep in line with what younger consumers are interested in.


Getting their attention

Recently, there has been more diverse and inclusive research. Learn how Anastasia captures authentic insights from their consumer base.


More robust insight data from gender-fluid audiences

The world changed quickly because of the pandemic, and as a result, Gen Z's behaviour changed at the same pace. Learn what should be done to keep up with the constant changes.


Post-pandemic shift and how it was addressed

Understanding that Gen Z is diverse is only the beginning. Anastasia emphasises the importance of allowing kids to identify themselves as they see fit.


Making the voices heard

Gen Z's want to know that brands understand their experiences in life which is why brands trying to connect with these consumers will address mental health issues more and more.
