How Gen-Z and COVID-19 are shaping our future

If Generation Z and the COVID-19 crisis have one thing in common, it is that they are both bringing us the future. Not only under the perspective of digital transformation, but also Coronavirus is putting under a microscope what Gen-Z has always believed and preached, and it’s forcing brands to adapt to this new generation’s mindset. A while ago, you could already see Gen-Z coming relentlessly and changing everything we thought was right. Now, COVID-19 turbo-boosted this movement.

Born between 1996 and 2015, the eldest Gen-Zers are now turning 24 years old. What you may not know is that in 2019 Gen Z alone represented almost one-third of our global economy, and is expected to grow to 40% by 2020. Remarkable numbers for such a young generation. 

They were born and raised when the world was already fully digital, hence their proficiency in the internet. For this reason, Gen Z’s online behavior is unique and unprecedented, and most importantly, was slowly changing the way all generations think and act - until COVID-19 came along and accelerated the pace of this change.

Let’s first talk about the refreshingly new values Gen-Z is bringing to our culture, which already gives us some hints of how online behavior is changing. 

If there’s one trait that ultimately distinguishes Gen Z from older generations, it is the fact that they are in constant pursuit of the truth. That is why they are also known as the “True Gen”. Be mindful though that the word “truth” here is manifold and some of its meanings will be explained below.

Firstly, the True Gen is looking for their own personal truth. This means that they often question what is their own truth despite what others may think or believe. For this reason, they are not afraid of exploring other ways of being themselves.

Secondly, this generation is also very respectful of others’ truth. They appreciate diversity and they will defend everyone’s freedom of self-expression, even if it means being different from what they believe in. As a consequence, they value connecting with different truths to better understand what others are going through, and ultimately to better understand themselves. 

To illustrate, let’s take the concept of “authenticity”. As Influencer Marketing evolved, authentic content has taken precedence over the picture-perfect type of content. The more unfiltered and unedited, the more authentic that piece of content was seen, and the better it resonated with the (mostly Millennial) audience. However, what was previously understood as “authenticity” is now being reinterpreted by Gen Zers. This generation understands authenticity as being whatever a person wants to be, regardless of how close to reality it really is. Gen Zers praise freedom of self-expression so much that “authentic content” for them means sharing whatever one wants to share, provided that it speaks to this person’s truth.

In addition, in the pursuit of the truth (their own and their peers’), Gen-Zers mobilize themselves around causes they support. You probably already saw members of this generation advocating in favor of environmental issues, LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and so on. This is the purpose generation. In fact, 74% of Gen-Zers rank purpose above a paycheck when it comes to considering a future employer, and 69% are more likely to buy from brands that contribute to social causes.

So, for brands to align themselves with Gen-Z’s thinking, they need to prioritize purpose over profits, they need to put their efforts around social causes, they need to do good for the world. Wait, sounds familiar right? Because this is the exact same strategy that you are adopting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coronavirus crisis is literally forcing brands to adjust their efforts to take a more purposeful approach before thinking about financial compensation - and this is exactly what Gen-Z has always expected from them. There’s no better time than right now, in the middle of a global pandemic, for brands to speak up, stand for what’s important today, and demonstrate what they can do for those who have invested in them. 

The trick is, while the Coronavirus crisis is expected to be over (sooner rather than later), this mindset and cultural shift are not going anywhere. These are changes that are here to stay. For those brands that are able to adjust sincerely and authentically, it will be the start of a long-lasting relationship with Generation Z.

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