Why should you stop innovating whilst the technology and software markets are ever-evolving? What often slows organisations down is their outdated approach to modern challenges. Born into a technological era, Generation Z has the edge and companies need to swing that sword to their advantage. 🤺

Having processes in large B2B companies is needed, but more commonly what happens is those processes stifle innovation. In my opinion, great ideas are swift with extremely rapid evolution and Gen Z has loads of these ideas. A new generation requires new processes. Refine those ideas, utilise that fresh approach and passion to build new leaders. Take risks, put trust in your millennials to push the boundaries for you. Experiment, fail and grow then do the same again until it’s a perfect evolution. This is the agile generation at work!

Known as the Digital Natives, it won’t be long before Generation Z enters the workforce with a profound knock-on effect. They’re set to become the buyers and the entrepreneurs of the next decade, and the decade after that, they will become the industry gurus, CMOs and CEOs. But the question on everyone’s lips is; How do we reach them?

Born of a world saturated with technology, Gen Z has no knowledge of life without the iPhone, which was first launched in 2007. And they’ve never heard of dial-up internet or the Nokia 3310… Feeling old yet? 👵🏼

Well, Generation Z have been attached to their mobile devices from day one. Whether it’s through wearables, apps or virtual reality, they’re always connected. It’s a trend which has followed them into their education, with technology now forming an integral part of learning both independently and collaboratively. From modern classrooms which utilise tablets instead of books, children as young as 5 can now partake in lessons which will teach them the fundamentals of how to code. And as Generation Z come of age and enter the workplace, this will be the key to resonating with them.

How do we know this? Forrester concluded that Millennials are fast becoming the decision-makers in the current B2B environment. In 2017, the 18-34 age group accounted for 73% of B2B purchasing decisions, up from just over a quarter in 2012. It shows there’s been a huge shift in the demographics of B2B purchasing power, in a trend which is growing exponentially.

Gen Z are beginning to join this influx, and as the Digital Natives will take the lead on technology-based decisions. In fact, a recent study on the Digital Natives found that 100% of Generation Z would surf the web from their mobile device whilst in a store to look for a better price. Their awareness of the wealth of information online will translate directly into their future purchasing habits.

With 71% of B2B researchers currently starting with a generic search term instead of that for a specific brand, the real question is how to reach them during this research process.

Photograph by Home Box Office, Inc and Netflix Inc, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

Video resonates better with younger generations than any other demographic. Seven in 10 B2B buyers are watching video content throughout the path to purchase, an increase of 52% in the past 2 years – highlighting the desire for easily digestible, engaging content.

Research from Defy indicates that Generation Z already watches more content on YouTube than on TV, and could provide a huge influence on the path to purchase. Not only that but according to Variety younger viewers watch 2.5 times more Internet video than TV.

Consumers aged 13-24 watch 12.1 hours of video per week on YouTube, social media and other free online sources, and another 8.8 hours weekly on Netflix and other subscription-video services, according to a survey fielded by digital-media firm Defy Media. That’s more than two and a half times the 8.2 hours weekly they spend watching television.”

www.variety.com

Apps will also play a huge part in their journey, offering unparalleled activity compared to web pages. We hit a landmark in 2014 when mobile device users surpassed those of desktop, opening up the floor to a wide range of branded apps. In fact, according to Grail Research, 64% of Gen Z are more likely to trust the content of mobile apps from brands.

For us at Affari, we embraced the whole mantra of Generation Z from the beginning. It constantly keeps us bursting with new knowledge, ideas and gives us our innate ability to work in haste, without the loss of quality.

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