Authentic experiences: How your brand can reach Gen Z for success and customer loyalty

Gen Z is the largest consumer group in history — and, arguably, the most important — but it is also one of the most misunderstood.

This is according to a landmark study from Ath Power Consulting (also known as APC), which sought to understand three core aspects of the rising consumer generation: values and beliefs, impact on traditional industries (focusing on restaurants, retail and banking), and generational differences as compared with previous groups like millennials and Gen-X.

The five demands of Gen Z

The APC Gen Z study found that Gen Z has five top demands from businesses and brands:

1. Authenticity.
2. PhysiDigital.
3. Experiential.
4. Custom.
5. Rewards.

Leading the list and of paramount performance to young consumers is authenticity.

"They will sniff you out if you are a fraud from a mile away," E.J. Kritz, EVP for training and customer experience at Ath Power Consulting, said during the unveiling of the study results at the annual Interactive Customer Experience Summit in Charlotte.

"They crave real, authentic experiences with people who are like them," Kritz continued. "From a staffing standpoint, you've got to staff with people that Gen Z feels that they relate to."

Creating engaging, useful apps that combine with top-shelf customer service is vital as well, along with offering rewards that matter to the customer and which reward their membership in the brand family.

Engineering authentic experiences in the real world

Fueled in no small measure by the rise of Taylor Swift, the resurgence of vinyl records and the power of live concert experiences exemplify the way in which, contrary to popular wisdom, Gen Z craves real-world experiences.

"I think the mass market has worked so hard over the years to create an experience that would please everybody," Kritz said. "How could we create particularly a retail environment where everybody would be happy."

But it goes deeper still; those very experiences need to be carefully engineered and tailored by brands and to feel like an individualized experience, according to the study. Far from being "all things for all people," brands need to start understanding their core audience and catering to their preferences.

"Gen Z will demand, and hold you accountable, to deliver an experience that has been customized specifically for them. Because they have grown up expecting it, they've grown up with things that have been tailored to them."

The full study is available at this link.