As digital marketing evolves, and concerns over consumer privacy intensify amid the demise of cookies, understanding consumer attitudes toward tactics like targeted advertising is paramount. Encouragingly for marketers, recent research indicates that younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, exhibit a higher degree of comfort and even preference for targeted ads.
Compared to their older counterparts, Gen Z individuals are three times more likely to consent to tracking, even when faced with prompts like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. A significant 37% of Gen Z consumers opted for tracking to receive more relevant advertising, while 43% chose to opt out. In contrast, the majority of baby boomers declined tracking requests.
Gen Z’s online protection measures markedly differ from those of baby boomers. Gen Z is less inclined to clear browser cookies (41% vs. 59%) or employ ad blockers (27% vs. 32%). However, they are more likely to utilize a VPN (32% vs. 27%).
Andy Taylor, Vice President of Research at Tinuiti, noted the striking preference of Gen Z for allowing tracking to receive relevant ads compared to older generations, as well as their lower tendency to clear cookies and employ ad blockers.
The study compiled data from five distinct surveys, encompassing over 5,000 respondents and conducted between February and April 2023. Three surveys delved into CPG categories, one explored sentiments regarding online privacy, and another examined Prime members’ attitudes toward Prime Day.
The Influential Role of Social Media Unsurprisingly, TikTok emerges as Gen Z’s primary platform for product discovery, but the role of influencers cannot be overstated. Over 75% of Gen Z individuals reported making a purchase based on influencer recommendations in the past year, a percentage significantly higher than that of baby boomers. In the realms of beauty and food and beverage products, this figure rises to 85%.
Influencers are increasingly becoming trusted sources of recommendations, particularly for Gen Z consumers, signaling their growing impact on product discovery and purchasing decisions.
Gen Z’s proclivity for pre-purchase research extends across online and in-store shopping. They are more likely than baby boomers to search for products or brands on search engines, social media, or via QR codes. Moreover, 74% of Gen Z CPG shoppers prioritize the values and beliefs of the brand they purchase from, a sentiment more pronounced among this generation than any other.
Divergent Shopping Patterns Where Gen Z chooses to shop significantly diverges from older consumers. While 59% of Gen Zers make CPG purchases at grocery stores, a substantial 79% of baby boomers opt for the same. Gen Z demonstrates a greater willingness to do grocery shopping on delivery platforms, with 20% using these services compared to just 5% of baby boomers.
Social media, particularly TikTok, plays a pivotal role in Gen Z’s product discovery journey. Marketers need to recognize this influence when seeking to raise awareness and consideration among younger consumers. Social media’s impact extends even to the in-store experience, as Gen Z is more likely than older generations to search for brands on social media while conducting in-store research.
Source: MARKETINGDIVE
