Four things we learnt from Gen Z market research participants

Originally written 5th July 2018

The term Generation Z refers to those born in 1995 or later - making them the generation that are coming of age now.

In fact, Gen Z are expected to account for 2.56 billion of the global population by 2020, making them the influencers of tomorrow.

That means they are a really important demographic for qualitative market research because we need to understand their habits, behaviours and what makes them tick as their spending power and influence continues to rise.

But it’s not just about us understanding them - there’s also some really important things we can learn from Gen Z too…

4 lessons we have learnt from Gen Z market research participants:

Lesson One: Embrace social media

Generation Z have never known a life without social media – and their huge presence online means they’re much more accessible than previous generations.

Whilst platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are still relevant, this generation is crazy for all things visual, making platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat important too. But what can we learn from this? That it’s time to take a leaf out of Gen Z’s book and really embrace social media.

From targeted recruitment to feasibility testing, social media is a powerful addition to the modern researcher’s toolkit.

It allows you to target specific people more easily than ever before, so you can make sure you’re reaching the right people for your research – and because of Gen Z’s tendency to share on social, by embracing social media you can also potentially reach greater numbers than ever before too.

Lesson Two: Keep things interesting

Generation Z are known for their short attention spans.

In fact, if you thought Millennials were bad, you’ll be shocked to hear that Gen Z have an average attention span of just eight seconds. You can’t really blame them: they live in a world of continuous updates, and because of platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram Stories, they are used to information that they can process right away.

Because of the sheer volume of content they consume on a daily basis, they prefer short, sharp visual content that keeps them interested. So what can we learn from this? That in qualitative market research we need to keep things interesting.

Short, snappy tasks that let people be creative are the way forward, instead of more traditional questionnaires or focus groups. The moral of the story: if you want to keep your respondents engaged, you need to offer a variety of tasks that engage and excite.

Lesson Three: Keep it quick

Along the same lines, Generation Z are always on the go. They’ve grown up with technology and high speed internet, which means they expect things to work straight away – and if they don’t, they will assume it’s broken or that there’s something wrong and swiftly move on.

So what’s the lesson for market researchers? That if you want success with the future generations, your research needs to go off without a hitch.

But this isn’t something that just applies to Gen Z market research – as online research becomes increasingly popular as a whole, it’s more important than ever before to make the right software choices.

Start from today and make sure that you always thoroughly test your software before your research begins to iron out any problems and prevent any delays.

By ensuring your research goes smoothly you can boost engagement and deliver more insightful results than ever before – and we don't know about you, but we think that’s quite a worthwhile lesson.

Lesson Four: Embrace technology

Generation Z have grown up with technology. In fact, they are the first digital natives who were born into a completely digital world, with over 91% already having a digital footprint and 98% owning a smartphone – and because of this they’ve got an on-the-move nature.

But what can we learn from this? That mobile based methodologies are on the rise –and are here to stay.

From MROCs and mobile ethnography to apps and video diaries, the future of research is going to embrace all things digital, which means that anything on the go will appeal.

As a result, location based methodologies will gradually become less popular – and as Generation Z continue to come of age, digital methodologies will become more and more prevalent. The lesson to take away? If you want to stay relevant, you need to go digital.

As Generation Z come into play they are becoming an increasingly in-demand demographic for qualitative market research.

To find out more about how to recruit Gen Z for market research, download our free, comprehensive checklist and guide to conducting market research with children and young people below...

Enjoyed this article? Here are some other resources you might like:  

Generation Z
Market Research Online Communities
7 questions you need to ask before choosing MROC software
How to engage young people and kids in market research
Why social media can help you find fresh respondents
Four ways to recruit young people via social media
Move over, Millennials – here comes Generation Z