Now a new generation of influencers has come on the scene. Members of Gen Z—loosely, people born from to —are true digital natives: from earliest youth, they have been exposed to the internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems.
That context has produced a hypercognitive generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information and with integrating virtual and offline experiences. As global connectivity soars, generational shifts could come to play a more important role in setting behavior than socioeconomic differences do.
Young people have become a potent influence on people of all ages and incomes, as well as on the way those people consume and relate to brands. McKinsey recently collaborated with Box, a research agency specializing in consumer trends, to conduct a survey investigating the behaviors of this new generation and its influence on consumption patterns in Brazil. From October 3 to 11, we also conducted an online survey with 2, men and women from 14 to 64 years of age and various socioeconomic brackets in Brazil.
Gen Zers value individual expression and avoid labels. They mobilize themselves for a variety of causes. They believe profoundly in the efficacy of dialogue to solve conflicts and improve the world. Finally, they make decisions and relate to institutions in a highly analytical and pragmatic way. Its members are more idealistic, more confrontational, and less willing to accept diverse points of view.
Such behaviors influence the way Gen Zers view consumption and their relationships with brands. Companies should be attuned to three implications for this generation: consumption as access rather than possession, consumption as an expression of individual identity, and consumption as a matter of ethical concern. Coupled with technological advances, this generational shift is transforming the consumer landscape in a way that cuts across all socioeconomic brackets and extends beyond Gen Z, permeating the whole demographic pyramid.
