Meeting the consumers

GENERATION Z And GENERATION ALPHA: similarities and differences between two generations that star the current markets.

Ambra Orini
Co-Founder and CEO of The Beauty Makers
02 of March of 2023
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Futuro y presente del consumo
Futuro y presente del consumo

The Generation Z and the Generation Alpha probably never will know what does a machine of fax or will have a fixed telephone in their homes. A world without smart phones sounds them prehistoric. Both generations are expert in technology, but have evident differences. For a more effective communication, have to comprise his similarities and his key differences.

The Generation Z, also known like "zoomers", is the born group between 1997 and 2010 aprox. They are in way to turn into the generation with greater racial diversity in the history. Also they are native digital: 99% of them possesses or has access to a mobile. The Generation Alpha, or 'screenagers', is the born generation in 2010 or afterwards. In this moment, the majority has less than 12 years, but prompt, in alone four years, the elder of them will ingress to the university, and inside these four years, surpass in number to Baby Boomers. For 2025 this generation will have more than two thousand millions, the biggest generation of the history and with more digital knowledges of the history.

Similarities between Gene z and Gene Alpha

  • Customization

The Gene Z still thrills when it appears an email with his name in the subject. Obviously, it is not a surprise for a Gene Z receive personalised emails, SMS and direct post, but keeps on being a pleasant surprise. The Generation Alpha goes a step further. They have been moldings in an era of customization and more customization, especially when it treats of technology. Have all what need at hand and are accustomed to that the devices greet them by their name and memorise their  preferences. Whereas, for the Generation Z, the touch personal can be "pleasant to have", for the Generation Alpha, touch them personal are a must have.

  • Environmental and social

The sustainability and the climatic change are world-wide problems to which the Generation Z no only loans attention: this generation often sees overwhelmed by complex political and social problems. It expects that the Generation Alpha grow even more fast because of his greater consciousness of the world that surrounds them. Unlike the previous generation, Gene Alpha has more hopes. Have a window to see different perspectives all over the world and can see innovative ideas take form in real time. The Gene Alpha feels empowered to act because the technology allows it to him.

  • Individualisation and Impact

The best way to communicate with Gene Z is to celebrate the individual. Already they have established who are, by what, need to know if each mark that choose is a good option for them. To arrive to these consumers, the marks in the social networks use increasingly the organic content, the announcements of carousel and, what is more important, the videos for will call his attention. The videos of testimonies are key, but have to be genuine. For the Gene Alpha, they are the future and know the impact that will have, by what will want to know how the profits of the marks that consume hit them like individual and consistently in his community.

Differences between Gene z and Gene Alpha

  • Financial worry vs Impulse to change

The Generation Z has seen at first hand the economic pressure that shot during his first years when his parents, of the Generation X, struggled with the employment and the finances. They are loyal to the mark and inspire on Instagram, but when it treats of the purchase, want to save money. The best way to arrive to the Generation Z is to centre in the value on a long-term basis and the return of the investment. The Gene Alpha has seen to his parents change of career during a pandemia and maybe saw them leave the labour strength completely. It has learned from house and has seen how the technology can generate flexibility and change, are more optimistic and flexible in the purchase.

  • Works that still do not exist

According to the World-wide Economic Forum, foresees that the 65 % of the boys that begin the school today will finish working in types of work entirely new that still do not exist. Although the technology is replacing put of work, also is creating other new. They are learning skills in robotics, coding, marketing in social networks, development of applications, analysis of data and cibersecurity. Because of this, are constantly improving and re-training to keep on being notable in the world in evolution.

  • Social media "risky" 

In the social media, the consumption of Gene Z is to a large extent passive: Instagram and YouTube do not require a lot of action. According to the statistics of population of Internet of EE. UU., the 81 % of the users of YouTube have between 18 and 25 years, what turns it into the greater audience of the platform. The videos already are a key part of the strategy of marketing. On the other hand, the Gene Alpha has bred with technology receptive that no longer asks them that they consummate passively. They are co-creators of almost all the platforms that have touched. TikTok Is near at hand of his hand, is in this social network where the Gene Alpha expresses better the binomial of co-creation and commitment.

  • Immediacy

Gene Z and Gene Alpha trust the technology, but his expectations of what the digital world can do by them are different. Gene Z understands better the human side of the technology, and the answers no always arrive in seconds. But the "screenagers" live in a world of expectations 24/7 and technology always available. The teams of social networks have to incorporate terms of answer in his best practical.

Some points of reflection to stand out:

  • The Gene Z prefers the experience live, but only if the experience on line is good. On the other hand, the Gene Alpha, goes a step further. The experience in the shop has to be better that buy in the website of a mark so that it result attractive out of the digital world.
  • The Gene Alpha is "wrongly famous" for being less sociable that other generations. However, the truth is that his personal connections keep on-line versus interpersonally.. The time or the geography do not affect the strength of these relations. Some call fondly to these "invisible communities".
  • Part of the diversity of the Gene Alpha is rooted in the form in that it grew, that was molded by big previous changes: the first president of UUSS Afro-American in the charge or the legalization of the homosexual marriage in several countries. These experiences, of course, impact the form in that they consume products of marketing and purchase.
  • The generation Alpha in addition to being the generation of the leaders of the change, is the first generation that puts in the sight the consequences of the use of the social networks in the societies and in the individuals.
  • The disorders of attention and concentration go in increase because of the little capacity of attention of the generation Alpha and to the appetite by the fast content, what means that the marks will have difficulties to measure the results, because what is popular today can be destroyed of his pedestal the next day. The marks need to keep constantly to the day with the flow of content taking into account that after all, what is popular does not mean that it was successful, and worse still, does not mean that it was well.
About the author
Ambra Orini

Ambra Orini

Co-Founder and CEO of The Beauty Makers

Ambra Orini is the co-founder and current CEO of The Beauty Makers agency. It is the first comprehensive agency dedicated exclusively to beauty in Spain since 2015. Ambra has more than 20 years of experience in the international cosmetics sector. From its beginnings to the present day, her career has been marked by a passion for the cosmetics sector throughout its value chain. This vocation has led her to broaden her 360º experience to include product, brand strategy, digital transformation and communication and PR. Based in Barcelona and connected to the international industry, she is an expert in branding and communication of beauty brands and trends. Her experience and extensive knowledge of the sector also allows her to teach on the Master's Degree in Dermopharmacy and Cosmetology at the University of Barcelona, at the Beauty Business School, a training entity of the Beauty Cluster Barcelona and on the Master's Degree in Fashion and Beauty Communication of Telva &YO Dona.
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