By Sean Riley, CEO of Ad Dynamo by Aleph
Globally, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) makes up about one-quarter of the planet’s population. In many African countries, the ratio may be even higher. In Nigeria, for example, it’s estimated that between 25 and 31% of the population fall into the Gen Z category. At a minimum, that’s 50 million people in Africa’s most populous country.
For businesses, this age category represents a massive opportunity, especially as growing numbers of Gen Zs enter the workforce. But they cannot simply adopt a business as usual approach and expect things to work out. With many never having experienced a world without the internet or mobile phones, they’re more connected and savvier than consumers in previous generations might have been. They are also highly selective about which apps and services they use.
It’s therefore critical that brands not only tailor their messaging to suit Gen Zs but work to ensure that they meet them where they are.
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Embracing generational shifts
For many brands, that may mean advertising on platforms they don’t have any previous experience with. Most of us have, at some point over the past few years, probably read articles about how young people are abandoning a popular platform because it’s “uncool” or because it’s the one their parents use (some might argue that’s the same thing).
While the blanket statements made by such articles should always be taken with a pinch of salt – there are older people who are early adopters and young people who really do want to keep in touch with their extended families – there is undoubtedly some truth to them. If there weren’t, then those platforms wouldn’t keep changing their interfaces to be more like the ones that young people are flocking to.
There’s evidence that these trends hold as true for African markets as they do for the rest of the world. In Nigeria, for example, Snapchat (one of the platforms most associated with Gen Zs) has around 9.5 million users. As such, it accounts for 8.7% of the local internet user base. That’s roughly equivalent to the number of Instagram users in the country, meaning that it should at least command the same amount of attention from advertisers.
It’s also worth noting that, at a global level, Snapchat is still growing steadily, with the total number of users that marketers can reach with ads on Snapchat increasing by roughly 27 million (+4.7%) in the three months leading up to July 2022.
As the number of Nigerian internet users continues to grow – the country is set to add some 35 million new internet users by 2026, according to Statista – it’ll also likely skew younger. That in turn means that the platforms used most by young people will only become more important.
The right messaging on the right platform
But it’s not enough for advertisers to simply ensure that they’re on the same platforms as their potential Gen Z customers. They also have to reach them with the right messaging at the right time.
Take Spotify for example. People under 35 (a metric which includes both Millenials and Gen Zs) make up 71% of its Spotify Free listeners. That makes it an ideal target for any advertiser trying to reach them. But those advertisers should also know that 71% of Gen Z users listen to it in order to reduce their stress levels. Even more (73%) say that they feel more centred and happier when listening to music.
As such, any advertiser that puts out something stressful or anxiety-provoking is likely to be viewed unfavourably. By contrast, any advertiser that understands and feeds into these needs will do well. The same holds true if they play into the fact that 62% of Gen Zs believe that streaming platforms have shaped how they discover and connect with a broader culture or 61% use music streaming to learn about cultures that differ from their own.
Authenticity & approach
When brands are considering the right fit platforms to reach Gen Z’s, they need to realise that authenticity in approach is as important as the platform is. Snapchat’s rise to popularity is largely attributed to short live, expiring content. This content is often imperfect and raw, making it authentic and real – something that Gen Z’s relate to. As Marshall McLuhan famously said, “The medium is the message.” Not all content can be successfully repurposed across different platforms, and each platform needs its own thoughtful, purposeful consideration when planning how a brand will connect uniquely with that particular audience.
In markets where Gen Zs make up an increasingly large slice of the consumer pie and are driving economic growth, it may even be the difference between simply surviving and long-term thriving.
