Gen Z are eating it up: The tricks to brand creativity

As the next generations step into leadership roles, marketers are swapping polished campaigns and corporate speak for more relatable campaigns that attract a digital audience.

Online content is becoming more important than traditional means of brand messaging when it comes to customer engagement and organisational viability, with 88 per cent of Australian B2B marketers believing an ability to influence younger audiences will determine business success.

This sentiment stems from workforce changes, with LinkedIn platform data revealing a 10 per cent increase in Millennial and Gen Z leadership representation over the past 10 years.

While this data may seem expected as populations age, the research also pointed to shifting dynamics whereby leaders and founders themselves are younger – both in tech and non-tech industries.

Given these factors, it would make sense that marketers are achieving success catering to younger generations, with 74 per cent of B2B marketers agreeing that content is more effective at turning awareness into consideration, and a third saying that expert voices have the biggest impact at the consideration stage compared to the awareness stage.

Brand marketing in recent times has become distinct for its more relatable, practical, and sometimes disruptive nature. In action, this may look like a rebrand, more immersive storytelling, or marketing that has become part of internet culture, such as the wildly successful Dumb Ways To Die campaign by Metro Trains Melbourne.

Similarly, brands and bodies are seemingly developing their own social media personalities, with prominent companies such as Woolworths, Duolingo, and even the NSW Police Force known for engaging with social media content in a witty, engaging way.

Further, 84 per cent of marketers believe Gen Z buyers are more likely to consider a brand validated by someone within their professional community, and 75 per cent agree credibility is becoming more important than visibility.

The findings suggest that digital fluency, practical and actionable conversations, expert advice, and frank communication will be the most important and effective skills moving forward.

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions director Andrea Rule explained how younger audiences are exhibiting increased marketing scrutiny.

She said: “Today’s buyers look to their community of peers and experts to help them make decisions, and that’s why focusing on just visibility without credibility in your marketing strategies falls short. Right now, there is no more valuable currency in the world than trust. The brands that win will show up creatively, through the people and channels their audiences trust most.”

Rule noted that adoption of the platform’s Thought Leader Ads has grown nearly 40 per cent year on year and delivered up to twice the number of clicks compared to single-image ads.

At the same time, C-suite-level executives anticipate increased AI search optimisation investment and expert content at 46 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively, revealing how impactful these shifting dynamics are.

Lindsay Bennett, Ideally communications and content lead, said: “We’re moving into an era where the people around a brand can be just as influential as the brand itself.”

“Younger buyers are looking for expertise, perspective and proof, which means executives, employees, customers and creators are becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing mix. The brands that do this well will embrace a diversity of voices and perspectives, rather than simply asking people to amplify the company line.”

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