Pieter Paul Verheggen: “ Generation Z is both locally and internationally oriented. Thanks to social media, distance no longer plays a role and international contacts can feel close, but local contacts can also feel very international!”
Jos Ahlers, author of Generation Z
Does Generation Z still believe in the value of money as a means of transaction or are online credits becoming increasingly important?
Pieter Paul Verheggen: “Money remains the most important means of transaction for the time being, but there is a good chance that Generation Z in the Western world will also see online activities (credits, points and other rewards) as a means of exchange.
René Boender and Jos Ahlers: “We didn’t look at this explicitly in our research. But indeed, you see an increase in barter, points systems and ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’. Take a system like Couchsurfing , for example . There’s no money involved at all.”
How does Generation Z view politics and democracy?
Pieter Paul Verheggen: “It is evident that Generation Z will follow politicians much more (online) than older generations.”
René Boender and Jos Ahlers: “These networkers have difficulty with hierarchical systems and representative democracy. Transferring power to someone else, who will arrange it for you, is not something they do easily. They want to be in control, to have a say and to make decisions. At the moment we do not yet have the systems to deal with this, but we will have to actively look for solutions. The ball is in the court of politics and public administration.
How do you reach Generation Z?
How can the younger generation best be inspired: online or by real life people?
Pieter Paul Verheggen: “The younger generation is used to getting its inspiration from different angles. Look at the reactions to the death of Steve Jobs or the impact of The Voice of Holland on the number of talent shows. Moreover, the difference between online and real-life is becoming a less relevant distinction.”
René Boender and Jos Ahlers: “Here it is suggested that the online and offline worlds are two different things. For Generation Z, this dichotomy does not apply. The world is the world and the world is both online and offline. Real life people can also be found croatia phone number list and followed online and virtual characters (think of the band Gorillaz) also appear in real life. It is also about inspiring people who can be approached both online and offline. Ultimately, the story that is told is central.”
Will they still be able to be captured with (online) advertisements or are online recommendations the most effective?
Pieter Paul Verheggen: “This will be a mix of both advertisements and recommendations. However, the nature of the advertisements will have to change to captivate young people (Generation Z): less pushy and more informative!” The most recent book by Motivaction (Lampert/ Spangenberg) also gives a number of tips to reach Generation Z:
Provide structure and tell it like it is: that is what they are asking for;
Make 'real' contact, for example, talk about your life wisdom;
Offer challenges that go further: for example, as an employer, offer much more than just a salary but also facilitate substantive growth and excellence.
René Boender and Jos Ahlers: "Generation Z is not very different from other target groups. Recommendations, especially from people you know, almost always do better than advertisements. Communication remains custom work. We can give a few tips: