Tag: Gen Z

Singapore – Singaporean Gen Z consumers are now expecting that their favorite brands to be more responsible and transparent in their business strategies in an age where fake news and information is rampant, new study from consumer communications agency DeVries Global shows.

According to the study, a whopping 96% of respondents indicated that they “are willing to pay a premium for brands they deem transparent”, which best reflects the fact that the digitally native generation has a growing appetite for authenticity and honesty among brands. 

Despite the evident doubts raised among Gen Zs, 57.8% of the respondents said that they are bothered to filter out what is true or not on what they see online, and only 10.8% of the respondents said that they are ‘pros’ at filtering false information.

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Furthermore, the report also revealed a surprising finding that while Gen Z has a global reputation of being possibly the most environmentally conscious generation, it seems that only 7% of Singaporean Gen Zs see environmental impact as an essential factor when making a purchase decision, as compared to other considerations like reviews and price.

Singaporean Gen Zs have a higher tendency as well to be willing to boycott the brand over several negative factors, with unethical corporate practices (55%), false advertising (44%), animal testing of products (41%), negative personal experience (33%), lack of transparency (13%) and negative impact on the environment (12%) being the well-known factors Gen Z consumers will frown upon.

“A generation unafraid to speak out and rally for causes they believe in, the study also reveals that Gen Zs do not hesitate to boycott brands over unethical business practices, false advertising and more. It is time for brands to do an internal check-in for hypocrisy before they speak out on issues or make big claims. Otherwise, they run the risk of getting cancelled by the razor-sharp Gen Z,” the company said in a press statement.

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The study also noted that the current generation has also a greater inclination to check reviews before buying products online, with 77% of the respondents saying so. Other purchasing factors that influence Gen Zs include price (55%), brand reputation (39%) and recommendation from friends and family (38%).

For Li Ting Ng, director of innovation and client experience at DeVries Global Singapore, transparency has become the norm among Gen Z consumers, and are questioning brands that are jumping on conveying transparency in their marketing, despite doubts of making change in their business strategies.

“This is a smart and informed generation that values and demands transparency but understands that businesses aren’t perfect. The challenge then is to figure out what transparency means to your business and how you can commit and communicate it in a way that builds trust and credibility. Not transparency for the sake of it,” Ng stated.

Meanwhile, Rafidah Rashid, managing director at DeVries Global Singapore, commented, “The Gen Zs are at the very forefront of culture, and there is no better time than now for brands to get a head start by getting ahead of what matters to them.”

Sydney, Australia – Being digital natives themselves, Gen Z consumers in Australia are now demanding greater service from brands online, new survey from digital experience platform Sitecore shows.

About 1 in 10 will switch their loyalty after a poor online shopping experience – most (55%) will give multiple second chances. However, Australian Gen Z shoppers have a low tolerance for browsing online stores, as most will give up after no more than 10 pages of browsing (on average, five pages of browsing).

Meanwhile, a quarter or more Gen Z in Australia also rank same or next day delivery, easy site navigation, and having items in stock as their top three criteria of shopping online. More than four in ten Gen Z in Australia say that having a free delivery option is most important to them in online shopping. However, free delivery is less important to Gen Z (44%) compared to older generations (55%). Gen Z are also more likely to say that an app or website that works well on mobile is critical to their shopping experience (60% vs 49% for older generations).

“The pandemic has tested the loyalty of Gen Z shoppers in Australia, leading them to become digital converts who show less loyalty to their pre-pandemic ‘go-to’ brands. They are also opting to shop more via mobile and direct from brands. Australian Gen Z treats online shopping as an experience to enjoy and expect highly personalized, exciting online experiences that work on mobile and can offer same-day delivery,” said Paige O’Neill, chief marketing officer at Sitecore.

In addition, despite huge patronage to online e-commerce sites, top physical retail outlets will remain attractive to Gen Z, particularly for exploring such as shopping local, socializing, and window shopping—but Gen Z shoppers said online brings the convenience factors such as advantages of availability of products, lower cost, time-saving, predetermined purchases, or just simply being able to stay in. 

Socializing as a reason to go back to retail stores and malls is particularly strong for Gen Z (47% vs. 30% among older gens). Gen Z is more likely to say their online experience with local retailers was not as slick as they expected it to be (40% vs. 26% among older gens).

Singapore – Social storytelling platform Wattpad, through its advertising and partnerships arm Wattpad Brand Partnerships, has partnered with pop culture-inclined marketing agency Culture Group to bolster’s Wattpad presence in the Southeast Asia region.

Through the partnership, Culture Group will help connect brands to Wattpad’s growing Gen Z audience, which has now reached a global community of over 90 million people, including more than 22 million users in Asia-Pacific countries. Wattpad is a platform where users can post self-written stories, novels, and full-on books, which are then voted by readers by genre and popularity. 

Over the years, Wattpad has been recognized by various media entities in Southeast Asia. The company’s studio division, Wattpad Studios, has produced hit projects like ‘Slow Dancing’, a six-episode series from Mediacorp and Wattpad in Singapore; and ‘Turn On’ from Wattpad, Vidio, and Screenplay Entertainment in Indonesia. 

Wattpad also works with Anvil Publishing, Inc., one of the leading book publishers in the Philippines, to bring Wattpad stories to bookstores. The companies have partnered to create Bliss Books, a ground-breaking YA imprint for Filipino book lovers.

Furthermore, the move will offer advertisers more opportunities to tap into Wattpad Influencers, original stories, and thriving Southeast Asian fan communities for innovative brand campaigns and activations. Brands will be able to create content-driven marketing programs in a variety of formats, including audio and video content, associated with fan-favorite Wattpad’s stories. 

Commenting on the partnership, Chris Stefanyk, head of Wattpad Brand Partnerships said their expansion to the SEA region responds to a larger untapped younger generation for brands to be exposed to.

“Southeast Asia is home to some of the largest and most engaged communities on our platform, and there’s enormous potential for brands to tap into the Wattpad Stars and long-form Influencers that have found international fame on Wattpad. We’re excited to work with more brands in Southeast Asia to tell their stories in a culturally relevant way that resonates with today’s youth,” Stefanyk stated.

Meanwhile, Culture Group’s founder and president Michael Patent, stated, “We believe firmly that Gen Z is the world’s ‘creation generation’ and nowhere is this more apparent than on Wattpad, where amazing stories are told. We’re thrilled to be partnered with Wattpad in creating immersive, multi-format partnerships through content and fan communities in Southeast Asia.”

Santa Monica, California, USA – Avatars made on Emoji maker platform Bitmoji gets a fashion upgrade with Bitmoji through a new partnership with global clothing brand Levi’s. As its in-app avatar creator, the “wardrobe” addition will also be applied to social media platform Snapchat. 

Through the Levi X Bitmoji partnership, which was brought on to appeal to Gen Z consumers, users will now be able to customize their avatar with select Levi’s “apparel”, which includes 12 curated Levi outfits, the 501® Original Fit Jeans, Trucker Jackets, and Western Shirts, all available in multiple washes. 

Once finished customizing their digital avatar, users can use and see their designed avatars in various Snapchat features, such as chat and games, on the Snap Map, in Lenses, and in personalized content like Bitmoji Stories.

(Left) A model sporting Levi’s Trucker Jacket, (Center) A Bitmoji avatar sporting a digital version of the Levi’s Trucker Jacket, (Right) A SnapChat QR Code for users to check on the rest of the featured Levi collection.

“As people live more and more of their lives online, it’s crucial for brands to find authentic ways to exist in the digital world,” says John Imah, Snap’s head of games and entertainment partnerships.

“Leading fashion brands like Levi’s have embraced Bitmoji’s ability to foster genuine connections with consumers in the digital spaces that they live in. We’re pleased to bring together the world’s most loved avatar with one of the world’s go-to denim brands in this exciting partnership,” he added. 

The Levi’s® x Bitmoji collection is now available worldwide for Snapchatters and Bitmoji users on Android and iOS devices.

Hong Kong – Travel has been and is continuously being restricted in the name of safety precautions amid the pandemic, and people are raring to relish their wanderlust, where one of the top reasons is to be able to reconnect with friends. 

Across age brackets, Gen Zs in APAC feel the unhappiest about limited travel for social reconnect, with 85% in the region, according to a survey by travel and leisure booking platform Klook and marketing research firm YouGov. This was followed by Millennials in the region (86%), Gen Xs (81%), and Baby Boomers (77%).

Respondents across APAC were also found to used to use travel to make new friends, where more than half, or 60%, stated they resent not being able to do such in the middle of limited travel. Similarly, Gen Zs accounted for the majority of this group with 70%, which doesn’t come as a surprise with the generation known to value social currency the most.

The study also showed that people want to resume traveling to be able to “escape their from families.” Gen Zs and millennials feel strongly about this with 66% and 62% respectively, which can be attributed to months-long confinement with family members during lockdowns.

Due to lower confidence in traveling and stricter cross-border clearances, the study also found that people are extra careful in spending their vacation leaves at work. Respondents revealed they are having difficulty in using their annual leave or holiday breaks without feeling like they are “wasting it,” which is especially true for Gen Zs (73%) and Millennials (71%). 

Having unearthed such insights, Klook coins the term “Wanderlost,” which it refers to as the longing for travel. 

Its Vice President for APAC Marketing Marcus Yong said, “From wanderlust to wanderlost, people unmistakably miss traveling this 2020 and are keen to scratch that travel itch. Despite international travel restrictions, we can still easily remedy our ‘wanderlost symptoms’ with the endless things-to-do in our own backyard.”

India – Tinder India’s latest ad campaign, #InOurOwnWay, depicts the current dating scene among young people in India who are creating new ways and means of dating, especially during the pandemic.

The video shows the different faces of dating today: be it making a mundane outdoor hopscotch date memorable, improvising the lack of a public swimming pool, making the effort for a virtual dance party, or exploring the city on cycles.

The short film is a stark reminder of optimism still being evident through making various possibilities, especially when physical distancing has become a norm nowadays.

“The pandemic has significantly diminished opportunities of chance encounters and interactions from our lives especially for our young members. But human connection endures, unconstrained from rules of physical distance and barriers (both social and physical) and we continue to be inspired by our community,” said Taru Kapoor, general manager for Tinder and Match group-India.

He also added, “Our members have creatively co-created and figured out new rules of meeting, hanging out and falling in love. None of this is surprising, Gen Z has always set their own pace, created their own rules and thrived despite constraints and COVID has only accelerated this ingenuity-this is the spirit we are championing and celebrating.”

The video was conceptualized and created by creative ad agency BBH India

“In creating a music video for Tinder, it is the Tinder community who came up with the ‘creatives’ – the many ways of dating. All we had to do was to reflect and celebrate them. ‘In our own way’ is a refrain that champions their spirit – from choosing who to be with to setting their own pace to meet-ups at places which may not have seen dates before,” Executive Creative Director for BBH Delhi Vasudha Misra said.

In addition to that, the video featured an original soundtrack composed by music director Mikey McCleary, with vocals by Indian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer Raja Kumari.

Speaking about the lyric-writing process, Kumari commented, “Working on the lyrics and music has been a very rewarding experience and I’m grateful to be the voice of such an inclusive and progressive campaign. I hope it inspires people everywhere to be themselves and love and live in their own way.”