Tapping into the teen market at any point is no easy feat, but particularly today when describing Generation Z. This generation - those born between 2000 and 2025 - are the post-Millennials. The group is now nearing adulthood and, most importantly, an age where they can spend independently of their parents.
The Business of Fashion highlights the top ways to attract this demographic to brands:
1. Be tech-savvy
This age group has been raised with digital at their disposal - it’s second nature to them. 92 per cent of US teens go online daily with Fitch executive strategy director Piers Guilar commenting: “They have no idea there’s been a technology revolution. The old rules of retail no longer apply. Teenagers don’t distinguish between buying online, looking at things on Twitter and buying in a bricks and mortar store.”
2. Value for money
Teens are spending less altogether than previous generations. Ernst & Young deems the age group “more self-aware, self-reliant and driven”, making them more critical of what the product is worth, and just how much they are willing to spend.
3. Authenticity
Gen Y has an increased interest in educating themselves on the backstory of brands - fashion and style is no longer about fitting in but instead choosing products that are reflective of individual identity. Director of consultancy firm The Futures Company Rob Callender comments: “They’re interested in saying ‘I have chosen this brand because this brand shares certain commonalities with my outlook and my lifestyle and my priorities’.”
4. Shareability
What really attracts the teen market? How shareable it is for social media. According to a 2015 survey on Piper Jaffray, Generation Z’s favourite app is Instagram, influencing just what and how they are purchasing. Ernst & Young’s executive director of growth strategy Marcie Merriman summarises: “If it’s not shareable, it didn’t happen. Experiences define them much more than the products they buy.”
5. Effort
Teens today are spoilt for choice and it is much harder to stand out from the pack. Guilar comments: “[This generation] take inspiration from thousands of places online - Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat - and they mix and match.” It takes effort and powerful social media strategy to entice the age group, with Ernst & Young’s report commenting: “Retailers will be required to use every tool at their disposal to deliver experiences shoppers cannot live without.”
