New study to help marketers connect with younger consumers
Young people in Australia want to connect with brands the way they do people – face to face, according to new research.
Young Blood: The New Australia, undertaken by brand experience agency Amplify, also reports young people are taking on the fight for a more socially conscious and responsible Australia and if brands want to connect with this demographic, they will need to offer good experiences.
Exploring the question ‘Who are we?’ from the point of view of 18-30-year-old Australians, Amplify spoke to over 2000 individuals and took a look at the mainstream values, attitudes and behaviours of a cross section of Aussie youth, spanning ages, genders, cities, regions and socio-economic groups.
Amplify brand director, Krupali Cescau, told CMO this national study has given it unique insight into what young Aussies want, and in turn what marketers need to know to effectively communicate to them.
“We need to be wary of using insight from other Western countries or merely rolling out strategy that has been successful in other regions to connect with this savvy, woke and multi-faceted group,” she said. “Now, more than ever, young Aussies are driven by a need for human connection through physical experiences. Only 20 per cent think celebrity endorsement is important and only 30 per cent care about seeing a brand on social media, but we found that after price and quality, nearly 70 per cent think the biggest influence on purchase is experiencing a product or brand before they buy.
“This is a clear signal to marketers that young people want to connect with brands in the same way as they do people; face to face, IRL [in real life], product in hand."
Noting assumptions don’t always align with truth, Amplify originally launched Young Blood in the UK in 2016. With the Young Blood: The New Australia research, the group explored the stereotypes young Australians are saddled with and contrasted them with the realities they express.
Amplify managing partner Australia, Gareth Davies, said it quickly discovered young people are not mere followers of global trends; their influences span far and wide.
“Insight from other countries cannot and should not be used to predict their values, attitudes and behaviours and so we are so excited about collaborating with brands to give them the tools they need to authentically and accurately reach the audiences they need to get to,” he commented.
Related: In depth: The art of dealing with Generation Z
Report: GenZ are increasingly seeking ‘clicks to bricks’ and trading privacy for personalisation
New research finds passion and purpose the key to youth marketing
The research also found six in 10 believe their generation values individualism more than any other have, and seven in 10 believe they are the generation that has to take responsibility for forcing environmental change. Four in 10 feel guilty about buying things they need, and 42 per cent are fearful of their future financial position. Fewer than 10 per cent worry about immigration, 43 per cent feel powerless to change policies they disagree with and 56 per cent would buy healthier and responsibly sourced food if it was cheaper
Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO conversation on LinkedIn: CMO ANZ, follow our regular updates via CMO Australia's Linkedin company page, or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia.
In the third and final episode of our 3-part CMO50 video series exploring modern marketing and why it’s become a matter of trust, we’re delighted to be joined by Telstra’s former CMO and now digital services and sales executive, Jeremy Nicholas, and Adobe VP Marketing Asia-Pacific and Japan, Duncan Egan.
Flash back to the classic film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Television-obsessed Mike insists on becoming the first person to be ‘sent by Wonkavision’, dematerialising on one end, pixel by pixel, and materialising in another space. His cinematic dreams are realised thanks to rash decisions as he is shrunken down to fit the digital universe, followed by a trip to the taffy puller to return to normal size.
Why is it there is no shortage of leadership development materials, yet outstanding leadership is so rare? Despite having access to so many leadership principles, tools, systems and processes, why is it so hard to develop and improve as a leader?
As a nation united by sport, brands are beginning to learn money alone won’t talk without aligned values and action. If recent events with major leagues and their players have shown us anything, it’s the next generation of athletes are standing by what they believe in – and they won’t let their values be superseded by money.
