How younger demographics are altering the way marketers interact with consumers.

Each generation stitches its own unique pattern into the fabric of society, and today’s younger consumers are no different. Learning about these trends will help marketers to understand customers’ values and priorities, enabling them to make more targeted and effective decisions.

Who are the two youngest generational cohorts?

To get a sense of these trends, it is important to understand who these younger shoppers are. Although these are generalizations, the following information is a helpful snapshot.

• Millennials or Generation Y. Born in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, these people are currently the largest generation in the workforce. Technology comes naturally to them as they were raised with it, and they prefer spending over saving. More than previous generations, they seek out brands that are socially and environmentally ethical and are more likely to choose a brand based on word of mouth than as a result of slick marketing campaigns. Interestingly, they also tend to prefer businesses that consistently offer lower prices vs. flitting from one store to another for the best deal.
• Generation Z. These people born in the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s are the most tech-savvy and diverse. In spite of their relative youth, they have a lot of money to spend. However, because of the 2008 recession and the 2020 pandemic, they have become extremely frugal and conscientious about what and how they buy. They rely to a great extent on social media recommendations and reviews and reward responsive brands who enter into a rapport with them with their business.

Although only four decades have gone by since the first of the Millennials were born, they and those who came after them have brought about many changes in the ways companies sell their products and services.

How marketing strategies have changed.

Perhaps the most obvious and significant evolution in recent years is the rise of ecommerce. Although older shoppers have embraced online shopping to some extent, it is the more youthful consumers who tend to prefer buying in this way. They don’t bat an eye when encountering devices like mobile card readers and digital wallets and often become impatient with the clumsiness of cash and check transactions.

Companies that accept credit card payments are ubiquitous now, but today’s younger shoppers want more. They are also requiring choice and flexibility when it comes to how they pay. In addition to regular plastic, they demand contactless payment options for their phones and wearable devices. Additionally, the pandemic brought about a preference for buy-online-pay-in-store and curbside pick-up that seems to be continuing long after the restrictions were lifted.

The power of personalization.

Social media and the capabilities of current data analysis have transformed the ways that even humble companies interact with their customers. Modern software can analyze buying histories and people’s social media posts to make spot-on recommendations about what products they will probably gravitate toward in the future. Even the least tech-aware entrepreneur can harness the rewards that hosting pages on the major social media sites will yield. With minimal financial outlay and effort, they can engage in dialogues with shoppers, respond to reviews, highlight products, staff and brand culture facts, and even court influencers to inflate their brand even further.

The effects of time, technological advances, socioeconomic factors, and the pandemic have wrought marked changes in how consumers interact with stores and how businesses market themselves. The advent of sophisticated AI innovations is sure to bring on even more significant disruptions. But although the commerce we see in three decades will have diverged from what we have today, one thing is sure to remain the same: Customers will continue to value quality products and personalized services from brands with whom they feel a strong connection.