All eyes on GenZ?

Meanwhile, GenZ is the most researched target group. Hardly a week goes by without another new study being published. Everyone is equally keen on the young. But how can they be won as customers, how as employees? Considerations of how to achieve the right approach, the right channel and the right tone are the focus. Often it is even a knock-out argument for further discussions if there is only the feeling that something might not please the young target group. And there is great joy when, for example, a TV station can boast of having a particularly high market share in the young target group.

A new perspective for brands.

Clearly: youth is coveted. And the cohort of those born between 1997 and 2012 is relatively small in an aging society as a whole. And what is rare almost always creates desire.

In addition, brands are probably hoping for a freshness kick from the youth. Quasi as a spillover effect on the company. Again and again, the argument is made that one must urgently rejuvenate one's target group, because otherwise one's own customer base will probably die out in a few years. Coupled with the idea that the older ones automatically continue to use familiar products and no longer switch brands anyway. So why waste advertising money or even innovation development on this group? Increasingly, however, it turns out that the small GenZ does not really feel picked up by companies and brands despite all efforts, finds many of the approaches ingratiating, is rarely loyal and does not provide enough potential to cover the growth demands of companies at all. Not even in the future.

50plus - Initiative for the future of companies.

The rheingold salon has also contributed 6 studies to focusing on GenZ in the last 8 years. And again and again found: Why is everyone only looking at this small piece of the pie? Because: In about 5 years, more than 50 percent of the people in Germany, yes in the whole DACH region, will be over 50 years old. They are currently being put into a target group with their own parents. While we carefully differentiate subgroups in other age groups, 30 years of potential is simply left lying here. And worked with ancient clichés. "We have the older ones anyway...", "they don't switch brands anymore anyway...", "...they are not digitally on the move". Far from it. This target group not only has a lot of money at its disposal, it has liked to go overboard all its life. And now it should be well-behaved and old already?

We want to put an end to the idea that 50 plus is the end. We want to show that it is worth considering this target group as a future potential. That women want to be seen here as women and men as men - and that they want to be addressed appropriately. In short: we want to write a new narrative. Together with you as a partner company. Bring your industry to take off with this future potential. Become a co-initiator, insight collector & enabler now. We look forward to your inquiry.

Ines Imdahl presents even more ideas for brands & companies in her guest article for markenartikel 7/2024 with the focus on "decoding target groups". Read more about it here.