What makes Generation Z tick? Morning Studio’s MasterClass reveals the answers – and implications for brands
September 30, 2019
SCMP Updates
Following May’s well-attended inaugural MasterClass, Morning Studio’s Michala Sabnani, branded content director, hosted the successful second MasterClass last Wednesday.
Numerous participants from a wide range of industry sectors and brand representatives from Visa, Manulife, Swire, Rolex, and Burberry attended the event at The Arcade, one of the five social hubs at the South China Morning Post’s offices in Times Square, Causeway Bay.
Featuring video game consoles, pool and tabletop football, the venue’s vibe, fueled by light refreshments, perfectly matched the MasterClass’ topic: understanding Generation Z and how SCMP reaches this audience.
This first fully digital generation – born from about 1996 onwards – lives in a world of high-speed, wireless internet, video chat, instant messaging and handheld devices.
Members of Gen Z, which has an impact on everything from technology to brands to social media, are characterised as having an eight-second attention span – four seconds less than that of millennials – and consuming an average of 3.4 hours of video content each day.
By 2020, Gen Z will become the largest generation of consumers, accounting for US$29 billion in direct spending. Research shows that 89 per cent of this age group would rather buy from a company that supports social and environmental issues than one that does not.
Victoria Ho, the executive producer of Goldthread – one of the Post’s innovative online platforms covering stories on Chinese culture, food, history, art and travel – shared insights into how to best reach Gen Z.
She used Qingdao International Beer Festival, Facekini and Influencer Li Ziqi as case studies to show what type of content successfully engages the interest of this generation.
Sabnani explained how brand advertisers can also reach this generation and used the 48 Hours in Hong Kong campaign, created for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as a case study.
She and Ho also revealed key drivers, influencing factors and gave advice on how to avoid communication pitfalls with this fastest-growing demographic.
The critical takeaway for attendees of this MasterClass was understanding that Gen Z’s intensely mobile-first behaviour is vital to appreciate the generation’s perceptions and actions as consumers from this demographic become increasingly essential for brands.
Contact Morning Studio to learn how your brand can develop a set of content and marketing tactics to better engage this tribal audience, or to discuss your next content marketing campaign.
Morning Studio uses numerous media and marketing disciplines to help businesses accomplish their brand goals by reaching their audiences efficiently and effectively.
Stay tuned for information on the third MasterClass. The Morning Studio team will soon announce details about the next marketing training session, which will be brimming with insightful advice and fresh ideas.
Numerous participants from a wide range of industry sectors and brand representatives from Visa, Manulife, Swire, Rolex, and Burberry attended the event at The Arcade, one of the five social hubs at the South China Morning Post’s offices in Times Square, Causeway Bay.
Featuring video game consoles, pool and tabletop football, the venue’s vibe, fueled by light refreshments, perfectly matched the MasterClass’ topic: understanding Generation Z and how SCMP reaches this audience.
This first fully digital generation – born from about 1996 onwards – lives in a world of high-speed, wireless internet, video chat, instant messaging and handheld devices.
Members of Gen Z, which has an impact on everything from technology to brands to social media, are characterised as having an eight-second attention span – four seconds less than that of millennials – and consuming an average of 3.4 hours of video content each day.
By 2020, Gen Z will become the largest generation of consumers, accounting for US$29 billion in direct spending. Research shows that 89 per cent of this age group would rather buy from a company that supports social and environmental issues than one that does not.
Victoria Ho, the executive producer of Goldthread – one of the Post’s innovative online platforms covering stories on Chinese culture, food, history, art and travel – shared insights into how to best reach Gen Z.
She used Qingdao International Beer Festival, Facekini and Influencer Li Ziqi as case studies to show what type of content successfully engages the interest of this generation.
Sabnani explained how brand advertisers can also reach this generation and used the 48 Hours in Hong Kong campaign, created for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as a case study.
She and Ho also revealed key drivers, influencing factors and gave advice on how to avoid communication pitfalls with this fastest-growing demographic.
The critical takeaway for attendees of this MasterClass was understanding that Gen Z’s intensely mobile-first behaviour is vital to appreciate the generation’s perceptions and actions as consumers from this demographic become increasingly essential for brands.
Contact Morning Studio to learn how your brand can develop a set of content and marketing tactics to better engage this tribal audience, or to discuss your next content marketing campaign.
Morning Studio uses numerous media and marketing disciplines to help businesses accomplish their brand goals by reaching their audiences efficiently and effectively.
Stay tuned for information on the third MasterClass. The Morning Studio team will soon announce details about the next marketing training session, which will be brimming with insightful advice and fresh ideas.
