We have never been faced with a generation of consumers that is as informed and as mistrustful of advertising as we are with Generation Z.
We have never been faced with a generation of consumers that is as informed and as mistrustful of advertising as we are with Generation Z.
This necessitates changing the game completely, and higher education, as an industry, needs to be quick to respond to these marketing changes.
Virtually raised by the internet, Generation Z, comprised of young adults born after 1995, is the most tech savvy and the quickest to reference whether information is true.
Being raised in the age of the internet also means that from a very early age, this new generation of consumers has been inundated with ads, and they are not buying it.
The approach for these younger, tech-savvy consumers up to this point has been to use short videos, keep content light and humorous and to opt for ads that are not skippable.
While this approach may be good from the perspective that your content will be seen, it doesn’t mean that it will be well received or met with any action.
To put it bluntly, Generation Z is onto us. As a result, those in higher education must evolve to meet them.
An authentic approach to marketing was exactly what the millennial generation wanted, and the same holds true for Generation Z. They want to see real students, real campus events and zero stock photography.
But to really drive home the approach of using authenticity as a marketing strategy for prospective students, try focusing on the why of your messaging, rather than the what.
This will help enforce your philosophy without appearing too salesy. Now, you are speaking their language.
