GENZ OF INDIA
Part 1
A short peek into the lives of Gen Z in India today
About the study:
Gone are the days when millennials were the most targeted young group by brands. The oldest of the millennials are today in their mid 30s! It’s now time to understand the new youth segment: the Gen Zs. In our new series, Intro to the Gen Zs, we’re doing just that. We’re taking you on a 101 tour of the Indian Gen Z, spilling the beans about everything from their values to relationships to aspirations.
This is Part One of the series.
Methodology:
Qualitative groups across Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata
Quantitative: 2729 number of respondents, across 50 cities
SEC A, 18-21y/olds M | F
5 BASIC THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE INDIAN GEN Z
#1 Gen Z = Tech Babies
The mind of a young person today is shaped by forces that are dramatically different compared to the generations before them. They were born into a time when technology was emerging, and they grew with tech, simultaneously and parallely. From early stages of life, be it for school projects or keeping in touch with friends, their access and reliance on mobile devices, technology and the Internet, has molded their thinking and their world view.
They see tech as the pivotal element that enables connections, squeezes the world into a smaller place, and empowers them with multiple choices/ speedy solutions. Therefore, inherently this generation comes with certain expectations from life:
What does this mean for brands?
Connect with the tech babies generation in an organic way→ this means getting up to speed, if not being ahead of the curve, when it comes to tech. Be it through instant gratification, multiple choices or advanced tech, enabling and meeting the basic expectations of these tech babies will help with connecting with them in an organic way.
#2 Innately Explorative
Growing up, Gen Z wasn’t limited to the town they were born in: they were born into the world, as global citizens. From an early age, having instant access to anything, anyone, anywhere in the world has thrown open their horizons.
This broadened exposure has made them see and connect with more than who and what they’re physically surrounded by. Their circle of influence is beyond just their college or their city- it’s a global circle of influence. They influence and are influenced by ideas, thoughts, products, and trends across the world on a regular basis. This exposure is one of the biggest reasons they describe themselves and their generation as open minded.
What does this mean for brands?
Connect with them through an open mind, with values that could be traditional but also global in spirit. Brands that adopt an open, non judgmental attitude in their communication tend to resonate with this generation more.
#3 Multiple choices = Way of life, Not a bonus
GenZ’s inherent need and habit of being explorative comes from being born into a world with multiple choices. Therefore, having multiple choices for everything is a base level expectation for anything they consume. Whether it’s which ice cream to eat, who/how they choose to date, or which show/movie to watch: the need and expectation for choice is apparent. They have been raised in a world of plenty and such is their expectation of any brand, service or commodity they consume.
While multiple choices are an ask, they sometimes tend to lead to a problem of plenty. It can range from everyday, small choices like which movie to watch tonight, to larger, more stressful issues like which subjects to study in college. This is when a little curation could really go a long way in helping them. Often, this is somewhat of a game changer for a brand/ service: it can become the main reason to pick one brand/service/product over another.
What does this mean for brands?
Offer multiple choices, but also aid in curation: solve the problem of plenty, by helping in decision making. This curation could be through multiple channels: be it via brand communication, social influencers, or curation built into an experience (like an app), there are many ways to help the consumer choose the right option for them.One such example of curation that helps makes decisions can be seen in the Top Ten in India Feature that Netflix introduced a while ago.
#4 Always On, Always Connected
Unlike previous generations before them, this instant connection generation has never experienced anything but instant and constant connection, making this always-on feeling is second nature to them. From very early in life, they have had the ability to make new connections with not just their neighborhood or school friends, but a world much larger than they have physical access to. Connection and information is not just something that makes life convenient. For them, connection and information are the key milestones to empowerment. They use it to move forward and progress.
They believe that internet + positive attitude + hard work = infinite possibilities
43% of Gen Z admits that they’re on social media to make new friends
80% feel it is important to always be updated with trends, news and pop culture
What does this mean for brands?
Empower this always-on gen with the information and connections they need to make an optimal choice that is personalized for them. Simple features such as recommended for you, or your friends recommend these items, can make a shopping experience on an app feel like a more connected feeling, rather than an isolated feeling.
#5 The Fact Check Gen
87% say that they think of themselves as a ‘practical’
person who prefers to make realistic decisions
This generation grew up in tumultuous times– big shifts in politics scenarios, global recessions, etc. So while optimism, positivity and open-mindedness is their baseline of operation, naivete is not the modus operandi. This is the sensible, pragmatic generation, because they are also the most clued-in, highly aware generation. With information and news from around the world being so accessible, in various, digestible formats (not just as ‘boring’ long-format newspapers or thick encyclopedias), researching anything before making any decisions is key.
In fact, today, all this access feels like an information overload, and they have realized that they need to sift through what they consume, insisting on proof of concept before accepting/ believing something.
This has caused an inherent trust deficit, making them want to fact check/ review everything- from it’s a piece of news or a newly released movie or an upcoming Tinder date. Not knowing is not an option. In their world where everyone has almost similar access to info, naivete is seen as laziness.
89% say that when they read news on social media,
they always try to fact check it by making sure it’s from a credible source
What does this mean for brands?
Approach them with logic and fact: this impresses this generation more than fairytales, drama, and/or tall claims.
A good example of this is: In a world full of fake news and messaging forwards, The Quint, a general news and opinion website has a section called Webqoof that helps verify fact from fiction. Readers can write in here with messages/forwards that claim to be “news”, and The Quint will verify it through trusted sources and publish the truth of the matter.
Gen Z is a super dynamic and differentiated segment of our population, so Grapevine Insights routinely conducts dipsticks and studies to understand different aspects of their lives. We pride ourselves on delivering insights that are both powerful and actionable. If your business wants to learn more about how it could best interact with Gen Z, we can help. You can get in touch with us at kanika@thegrapevine.co.in