The problem - How do we get a notoriously complex demographic to engage with market research?
The challenges - Gen Z are game changers and are approaching pretty much everything differently than the generations that went before them. The preferences and attitudes that are inherent to this generation make engagement with market research much more challenging. Here a few reasons why -
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Shorter attention spans – traditional approaches to market research often fail to hold Gen Z attention, and completion is less likely as a result. There is a desire for fast, interactive and visual approaches that don’t feel outdated.
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Scepticism towards brands and institutions – Gen Z are highly sceptical when it comes to sharing personal data, and are unlikely to do so if they don’t see a benefit or suspect their information may be misused.
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Preference for authenticity – Gen Z prefers genuine interaction over formal communication. Experiences perceived to be transactional or impersonal won’t resonate.
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Values alignment – brands that aren’t perceived to reflect personal core values are not of interest to Gen Z consumers. There is a desire for legitimate authenticity, inclusivity, diversity and sustainability over more traditional commercial agendas.
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Digital fatigue – this generation is over-saturated with ads, surveys, social media, etc making them more selective about where they direct their attention. Research may not rank highly on their list of priorities if it isn’t rewarding.
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Appropriate incentivisation – Gen Z expect immediate and tangible rewards for their time. If incentives, monetary or experiential, don’t feel worthwhile, they are unlikely to engage.
Brand Jar’s solutions - By 2025 Gen Z will represent 25% of the global population. Counting them out of market research is not an option, particularly as in the years to come Gen Z will be the ones shaping the future economy and consumer landscape.
Brand Jar have seen great success in engaging Gen Z participants in research by adopting the following approaches -
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WhatsApp - Brand Jar uses Whatsapp as our primary way of sending questions to participants. It has proven to be popular with Gen Z, as well as many other demographics, as it is easy to use, an inbuilt part of many people’s day-to-day communication and there is no need to download an additional app or learn a new interface. We believe that the simplicity of engaging with research through Whatsapp has significantly reduced the drop out rate of Gen Z participants.
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Pace - Strike while the iron is hot! Getting surveys to participants quickly when they are engaged is vital. Whatsapp allows for rapid responses, whenever and wherever is convenient, which means you can capture feedback at the point of peak engagement.
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Question and response variety - creating interesting and engaging surveys will ensure better responses and more valuable insights from any generation. Keeping question types varied keeps surveys interesting. Gen Z grew up on social media and are generally at ease with creating video, so don’t miss the opportunity to ask for selfie video answers which can produce powerful and valuable verbatim.
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Water tight GDPR - Gen Z are more aware than ever about how their data is collected and used. Brand Jar clearly informs participants about how their data will be used, stored, and shared. It’s not only the right and legal thing to do, a commitment to data protection fosters trust which is more likely to lead to more honest and valuable insights.
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Paying incentives quickly - Making sure that the participant receives incentives as quickly as possible makes for a more positive research experience and acknowledges the value of that person’s time and perspectives.
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Offering unincentivised research - It may sound counterintuitive, but when the motivation for taking part in research is a passion or investment in the subject matter, contributing to the process can be rewarding enough. This can be particularly appealing to Gen Z audiences who value the chance to contribute and shape areas they are engaged with.
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Lead with purpose - Though not always an option, where possible, sharing the reason and the aim of research can be incredibly appealing to Gen Z audiences, and more likely to get them onboard. Understanding the purpose of a piece of research and how their feedback will be shared can be a real motivator.
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Share results - Again, it’s not always possible, but sharing the results of research with participants can increase their feeling of investment in the process. Knowing that they have played an active part in improving or changing a brand can be a game changing element in producing Gen Z trust and commitment to market research.
While it’s not always easy getting Gen Z participants on board with research, employing some of the tactics above can make a significant impact, and have certainly made a difference for Brand Jar. Ensuring there is a Gen Z voice in market research will ensure that the consumers of tomorrow are being factored into the perspectives of today.
