It’s virtually September, which suggests it’s the unofficial begin of the style new yr. It’s the time when magazines boast their huge fall points, New York Style Week is on the horizon, and types make their plans for the months and yr to come back. For Scott Woodward, CEO and Chief Artistic Officer of SEW Branded, a model advertising and marketing consultancy, this implies he’s serving to his shoppers set the methods and ways to succeed in their shoppers and, as ever, Gen Z is at all times prime of thoughts.
“I’ve by no means seen the variety of articles, analysis and protection on a phase in my whole advertising and marketing profession,” says Woodward of {the marketplace} give attention to this era. “I feel manufacturers, luxurious vogue and in any other case, have fairly an obsession with this era as a result of they’re the primary digitally native era and there may be a lot to be taught on find out how to converse to, and with, them. This issues as a result of it informs find out how to converse to the generations who come after.”
An entrepreneur, marketer, and Adjunct Professor at Parsons College of Design, Woodward has spent his profession on the C-Suite stage of most of the world’s most acknowledged vogue and magnificence manufacturers corresponding to Calvin Klein, Ray-Ban, and Movado Group and has helped A-list celebrities, corresponding to Girl Gaga, obtain their communications objectives.
In an interview, Woodward shares what makes Gen Z tick, which manufacturers are literally connecting to them, and why authenticity is all the pieces.
Gen Z Are Extra Savvy Than We Assume
In line with Woodward, Gen Z is smarter than we give them credit score.
“They’re very delicate and conscious, and they’re very, very shiny. They know when one thing is being greenwashed and know that placing a supermodel in an advert selling a $9.99 swimsuit doesn’t change the truth that it’s quick vogue,” Woodward says. “They’re about authenticity and genuinely residing out their values—a lot in order that my college students at Parsons didn’t even need the course syllabus printed on paper, they solely need digital variations.”
That is all to say that Gen Z can see by way of a model’s social causes and charitable collaborations that are designed solely as advertising and marketing ways. They simply determine when an organization’s actions don’t mirror the values they profess and can see proper by way of something inauthentic.
Woodward cites the instance of The Hole. “Whenever you have a look at an organization like The Hole, who could do a marketing campaign that’s empowerment-themed, however in apply the interior construction of the corporate fails in areas like environmental impression or labor circumstances which, even at the moment, lack transparency across the whole provide chain,” he explains.
“Dwelling as much as a model’s values all they approach to their govt administration groups and throughout all an organization’s manufacturers in a company has to sync up and match what’s in outward client campaigns. Gen Z needs actual and genuine, they usually know when they’re being advised a narrative.”
Social Media: The Good Cop
Woodward is a self-proclaimed fan of considerate market analysis to assist drive technique. Though, on this age of social media, Woodward has seen how it may be used to successfully interact with a Gen Z viewers to garner a stage of understanding round actions, corresponding to product launches, with immediacy.
“With interactions on digital platforms corresponding to TikTok and Instagram, manufacturers are capable of have their questions answered extra instantly than conventional focus group testing,” he explains. “Take, for instance, Kylie Jenner and her cosmetics empire. In concept, she will put up a query to her followers asking, ‘Which shade?’, and she or he instantly is aware of which new nail polish so as to add to her line. All manufacturers now have the capability to do that by way of their channels.”
Social Media: The Unhealthy Cop
Whereas social media is a quick method for manufacturers to interact with and measure audiences, for Gen Z it shifted your entire panorama and they’re totally different individuals altogether consequently. As the primary digitally native era, their factors of view on life embody concepts corresponding to ‘the person as superstar’ which led to the rise of the influencer. Though the negative effects of social media aren’t at all times so rosy and the analysis clearly factors to its unfavourable impacts corresponding to decreased and disrupted sleep, melancholy, reminiscence loss, and poor tutorial efficiency.
“I’ve labored on youth empowerment applications to handle the toll social media has taken on youthful generations, together with one with Girl Gaga when she launched Born This Means,” Woodward shares. “After I grew up, if there was bullying it was one-on-one in a hallway. It was not coming into my life in any respect hours by way of a telephone because it does now. And advertisements had been solely on billboards or on the pages of Particulars and GQ. It’s so far more complicated, layered, and complex now.”
The problem, as Woodward sees it, is that whereas social media is a helpful communication software, its unfavourable impression on psychological well being can’t be ignored. But, it’s nonetheless crucial to Gen Z so there’s a steadiness to be struck.
“After I hearken to my college students, they’re below a number of stress relating to social media,” Woodward says. “So we’ve got to create an setting for them that’s protected, that is not imply, and that is kinder to assist them navigate all these new insights and adjustments in our society as a result of we will not escape that they use social media day by day.”
Prime Gen Z Shopper Traits
“They’re all about high-quality, are very delicate and conscious, and require aggressive pricing,” Woodward says. “Additionally, considered one of their North stars, completely, is saving the planet. They give the impression of being to manufacturers corresponding to Patagonia which lives its eco-centric values at each contact level and whose founder gave the corporate away to a belief so its future income may battle local weather change.”
The Metaverse Is Not It, But
Woodward hardly denies the draw the Metaverse and its alternate realities have on its contributors, though so far as Gen Z is anxious, they’re not shifting to the Metaverse fairly but.
It’s not an all-encompassing world the place the capital constructed on-line can be utilized throughout your entire area. For instance, an outfit purchased on Fortnite can’t be worn at a Taylor Swift live performance within the Metaverse or in a Roblox setting. So what’s the purpose of getting issues there if it doesn’t carry that means in all places within the Metaverse? In case you purchase a Ferrari within the Metaverse then, as a possession you personal, it ought to have the ability to be used anyplace and in all places in the identical method we use our possessions in the actual world. These examples solely scratch the floor of problems with commerce within the Metaverse.
“It’s additionally necessary to do not forget that Gen Z got here up through the pandemic and they’re hyper-aware of escapism. If you’re transported to a runway present in a special universe, is it a approach to escape what you’re experiencing in actual life, and what does that imply? Gen Z needs to be current once more in actuality, not escape it,” he says. “It does appear that the Metaverse is value exploring and has potential, admittedly we’re not there but. Even when we had been, all of it comes again to find out how to discover it authentically.”
Who’s Getting It Proper?
NIKE
“After I turned International Director of Picture at Ray-Ban, Nike was the mannequin I revered when it got here to promoting, branding, PR, retail and merchandising, and I nonetheless revere them at the moment. They’re genuine of their stand on social points and stand agency on subjects such because the setting, feminism, LGBTQ rights and racial points. They do that with lovely and strategic imagery and messaging corresponding to standing behind Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee—whether or not you agree with him or not—and why he demonstrated his considerations. Their 360-degree print, television and in-store advertisements are perfection.
Nike’s response to George Floyd’s demise was breathtaking. It was a Don’t Do It slogan consisting of solely phrases, no photographs, relaying their message in opposition to a black background. It was impactful and genuine and exhibits they keep on with their model voice with ardour. As normal, the artistic was flawless. Nike is aware of Gen Z commits to supporting manufacturers that stand for equality and social justice and it’s not a attain for them as that’s been their voice since inception, so the authenticity is inarguable.”
HIMS & HERS
“I’ve watched this model since launch and their staff did an important job with Millennials and now they’re targeted on Gen Z by way of collaboration with related manufacturers corresponding to REVOLVE. Their communication feels genuine, like a pure extension of their values, whereas delivering on the promise to actually remedy issues for this era corresponding to psychological well being points. Their communications are natural and environment friendly and youthful shoppers are positively responding.”
MARC JACOBS HEAVEN
“I can’t sum it up higher than Vogue on how effectively Marc Jacobs appealed to this phase when he launched Heaven:
This case examine on Jacob’s method to model extension is an instance of how he speaks the exact language of this client phase, who’ve responded extremely. It’s a mixture of imagery, popular culture, counter tradition and zeitgeist which symbolize his model and who he’s as a designer which is just a little little bit of a insurgent but undeniably sensible. I like the artistic and what he has performed to boost his model, identify and picture with out diluting the primary Marc Jacobs line.”
