Who are the gen Z wine consumers?
One of the most important principles in marketing is: know thy customer. But, once a wine brand decides to market the products to younger generations, there is still more work to do. “Younger generations” currently covers millennials and Gen Z, and treating those two groups the same is an okay approach, but a lot more could be achieved if their separate needs and values were considered.
Since we’re here to make the creation of a wine marketing plan easier, we’ve decided to write about the different aspects of millennial and Gen Z consumers, as well as about the way to incorporate that data into a successful wine promotion strategy. This post will cover Gen Z, but stay tuned; another one on millennials is coming your way.
Who are the Gen Zers?
Born in the period between 1996 and 2012, Gen Zers are the first social generation to grow up with Internet access, which greatly influences them as consumers. More on that later. Out of around 68 million Gen Zers in the United States, most of them are not of legal drinking age, but those who are, are of remarkable buying power.
Stats and numbers are useful to an extent, but to get to know the generation, we should take in their values.
Equality and inclusivity
Unlike some self-centered generations, Gen Zers want a more inclusive world. American Gen Zers have grown up with an African-American president. New to some older generations, completely normal for them. Having Internet access probably also helps with learning about the world and its various inhabitants. Possibly due to being exposed to all the different cultures through media, generation Z is less racist and sexist, and Gen Zers are more likely to know people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or non-binary, and they tend to be accepting and even protective of these groups as a whole. In other words, forget about the visuals of a straight white couple merrily picking grapes in their checkered shirts and jeans.
Of course, displaying diversity for diversity’s sake is also damaging. Posting photos of diverse groups won’t mean anything to Gen Zers unless they know that a winery really practices inclusivity in their business. Remember, authenticity and transparency are always in!
A tech-native generation
As Gen Zers are often described as a generation rarely seen without a phone in hand, it’s only natural their purchasing decisions are vastly influenced by the Internet. The majority of Gen Z social media users expect retailers to have a social media presence. This right here is a valuable bit of information. Knowing that consumers have high expectations of visuals, storytelling, and user experience helps wineries direct their priorities in wine promotion strategies. Setting up social media pages is not the end of the story, though. The fact that Gen Zers have an attention span of 8 seconds means that you only have that much time to impress them with your posts, user interaction, and positive reviews, or they’ll scroll away.
Value and purpose
Having a beautiful website means little to Gen Zers if a brand doesn’t stand for anything. To be loyal to a brand, they need to know that the brand is taking steps to help the environment, community, or society. Saying “our wine packaging is eco-friendly” may not be enough to satisfy Gen Z consumers, so be ready to prove it. Really, that’s not just a phrase. 47% of Gen Z consumers have stopped purchasing their favorite brand after finding out they didn’t produce environmentally friendly products. So, whatever your cause is, be active and loud about it. And not being a name brand should not scare small wineries! Gen Zers like giving chances to local producers. They value quality and authenticity more than hyped-up marketing.
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To be attractive to Gen Zers, a brand has to have a core purpose and a passion for equality. However, a brilliant social media presence is no less important. Seeing that Gen Z is accepting of online advertising in wine, wineries have an opportunity to slide their way into the lives of Gen Z consumers. After reading this article, you now know which Gen Z values to explore in wine promotion.
Curious about how to market wine to the millennials? We got you. Check out this article on millennial values.
