Gen Z Broke the Marketing Funnel

The four stages of the “Marketing Funnel”

Breaking: Gen Z broke the marketing funnel.

Not literally, but they might as well have.

Marketers have always referenced the “marketing funnel” where they pushed campaigns through the stages of awareness, interest, desire, and action in order to reach as many potential consumers as possible - but this isn’t a funnel where Gen Z lives, and if that’s who brands are desperately trying to connect with, out goes the funnel.

The brands Gen Z is interested in purchasing from are those who create content and curate activations that align with their own interests. They are most inspired and driven to purchase through the places where they turn to for entertainment and education - social media. Online platforms bolster communities that supply endless product recommendations, first-hand reviews and hauls that only encourage other people to make the purchase, too. Their online consumption eventually translates into retail consumption through the loop of inspiration, exploration, community and loyalty.

If 51% of Gen Zs believe that social media influencers are the ones who create new trends, isn’t social media the place you would want to be? Aren’t those influencers the new “celebrities” you would want to work with? And at the end of the day, 70% of Gen Zs will only trust a brand after they’ve conducted their own research - meaning, the cycle will go:

✨ see a product

✨ see a product again

✨ see the product become trendy

✨ research the product

✨ buy the product

✨ contribute to the social conversation

That said, the game has changed beyond just being present and active on social; consumers want to know that you actually care - in general. To win over an audience (and actually be an inclusive brand, not just for the sales) you need to show them that as a brand, you’re taking strides towards being “for the people.” Working with influencers of different body types and skin tones, giving back to your community, showcasing the good work the brand is doing/how you’re taking strides to have more environmentally-mindful production are all simple, genuine and necessary methods in connecting with Gen Z.

To recap: community, community, community. The new generation doesn’t always want to be marketed at with fancy words and high-budget commercials, they want to feel like a part of your brand. Now go forth with your new strategies and throw out your millennial marketing funnel!