TREND #1

Social Relevancy Matters

Millennials may get credit for forcing brands to care, but it’s Gen Z that’s poised to accelerate significant social change. If given a choice between two brands, 85% of teens (versus 70% of millennials) are likely to purchase from a brand that supports a social cause over one that does not.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Unlike millennials, Gen Z believes it’s more important that they personally care about the cause a brand is supporting than it is that a company just supports a cause/any cause. Our February 2017 study indicates they feel the top issues on which brands should take a political position are climate change, women’s rights, and immigration. In contrast, our early 2016 surveys indicated young people overwhelmingly thought companies should take positions only on political issues that directly related to their business, such as minimum wage and family leave.

TREND #2

Social Media Game Changers

Media coverage about how teens love Snapchat and Instagram is ubiquitous. Our Gen Z research shows there still is a steady upward trend for Facebook. The number of brands teens are fans of on Facebook is up about 5% since last year, and the percentage of teens who are on Facebook “multiple times per day” is up to 65% from 58% only six months ago.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: You should be seeing this, too. If you’re not, consider the following to increase engagement among teens:

CONTENT: For new posts, take inspiration from the most successful content you’ve posted over the last few months.

PHOTOS: According to BuzzSumo research, posts with photos have engagement rates almost 2.5 times higher than posts without.

COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT: Shorten your posts, reply to customers, and use a call to action each time.

TREND #3

Love Me, Love My Family

According to our Year to Come 2017 Survey, 60% of teens and young adults plan to spend more time with their families next year.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Want to sell to teens? Then include their family and friends in the equation. Our research indicates a continued trend among young people—started by now-older millennials—to consider their parents among their best friends. The importance that young people place on family is being influenced by at least two factors: the growth of multigenerational households and the population growth in the U.S. of racial and ethnic minorities, who are more likely to live in multigenerational households.

TREND #4

Plan for a Different Tomorrow

By 2025, Gen Z will become the largest generation—totaling 29% of the U.S. population—according to 2015 Census Bureau statistics. The ability of businesses to anticipate where Gen Z is going and to identify opportunities to reach them will help ensure relevance and success.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Today’s teens will live in a different world, and you need to plan accordingly. Gen Z will surpass millennials as the most educated generation in history. Less than 20% of them will be married, versus 42% of baby boomers who were married in their 20s. And, most will live in cities, as for the first time since the 1920s, population growth in cities is outpacing growth outside cities.

ABOUT BILL CARTER

Since 1995, Bill Carter has helped develop Fuse into a leading youth culture marketing firm. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, including Cannes Advertising Festival and NASCAR Motorsports Forum. Fuse has been recognized across multiple media, including Event Marketing magazine’s Grand Ex Award and the Bulldog Award for Public Relations. Carter is a graduate of Gettysburg College, where he studied creative writing, and Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in sports management. He lives in Burlington, VT, with his wife and two daughters.