Study: the influence of social networks on the consumption of Gen Z

Contents

Gen Z consumes via social networks
A less suspicious relationship with personalized ads
What Gen Z expects from brands

Gen Z consumption is a hot topic for many brands. Often considered demanding, this generation – the first born with the Internet, from the year 2000 – seems to have acquired different habits from those that preceded it. But what are the real behaviors and expectations of zoomers in terms of consumption? Are the purchasing methods so far removed from those adopted by their elders? This is the question that the Tinuiti marketing agency wished to answer in a study entitled From A to Gen Z, which compares the consumption habits of different generations. A total of 5,000 Americans of all ages were surveyed between February and April 2023. Here are the results!

Gen Z consumes via social networks

Unsurprisingly, members of Generation Z use social networks massively and this trend has an influence on their consumption habits. Thus, among beauty product consumers, 65% of zoomers made a purchase after seeing a product on social networks, compared to only 26% of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964, see featured image). The differences are of the same order for consumers of food products or over-the-counter health items. Conversely, for these same products, television seems to have an equal impact on zoomers and baby boomers.

In terms of social networks, it is TikTok, followed by Instagram, which represents the space in which Generation Z discovers the most products. For baby boomers, the discovery is done more via Facebook. In addition, the study reveals the importance of influencers in the transition to purchase. In fact, 87% of Gen Z beauty consumers purchased an item based on an influencer recommendation. The figure rises to 78% for consumers of health products and 86% for consumers of food products.

A less suspicious relationship with personalized ads

Social networks are particularly good at advertising thanks to personalized ads based on user behavior. However, privacy concerns have led the European Union, through the DSA which recently came into force, to require many platforms to allow users to opt out of recommended content.

According to the study, zoomers are less reluctant than their elders to allow platforms to access their data to offer targeted advertising. In fact, 36% accept ad tracking, compared to only 12% of baby boomers. They are also less likely to clear cookies from their browsers.

Receiving personalized ads is also better accepted by Zoomers across all digital channels. This data is particularly marked for social networks: 39% of Gen Z respondents say they feel comfortable with the idea of receiving personalized promotional messages on social networks, compared to only 23% of the oldest generations.

What Gen Z expects from brands

In its survey, the Tinuiti agency also looked at the expectations of Generation Z vis-à-vis companies. While it is common to say that Gen Z attaches great importance to brand values, the study seems to confirm this hypothesis: 74% of respondents say that brand values have an impact on the purchasing decision. , compared to 69% for millennials (generation Y, born between 1980 and 2000), 63% for generation X (born between 1965 and 1979) and 60% for baby boomers.

On product pages, zoomers, like baby boomers, place great importance on consumer reviews. But, unlike their grandparents, the visual dimension is just as crucial: 50% of young panelists say that photos are useful in deciding to make a purchase, compared to 27% of baby boomers.

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