Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Appearance is important to over eight in 10 Gen Zers
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- Figure 1: Importance of appearance, June 2019
- The risk of technological overload
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- Figure 2: Online attitudes of Generation Z, June 2019
- A third of Gen Z prioritise having the latest technology
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- Figure 3: Priorities of Generation Z, June 2019
- Children’s live television viewing has halved since 2010
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- Figure 4: Average daily minutes of TV viewing, 2010-18
- Companies and brands
- Rebrand sees TikTok rapidly build a large Generation Z base
- Facebook continues to innovate to attract younger users
- Instagram hides public likes count to remove pressure
- The consumer
- Smartphone ownership is almost universal among Gen Zers
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- Figure 5: Personal device ownership, June 2019
- Most Gen Zers are living in technologically engaged homes
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- Figure 6: Household device ownership, June 2019
- Gaming is the most popular digital activity across devices
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- Figure 7: Digital activities performed by Generation Z, June 2019
- YouTube remains the most popular platform among Generation Z
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- Figure 8: Social networks accessed at least once a week, June 2019
- Social media stories are as popular as traditional posts
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- Figure 9: Social media activities, June 2019
- Only 18-19 year olds are likely to buy technology devices themselves
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- Figure 10: Buying technology devices, by age, June 2019
- Recommendations from friends and family are most important for Gen Z
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- Figure 11: Researching new technology products, June 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Can new platforms challenge the dominance of the leading social media brands?
- The facts
- The implications
- Advertisers cannot rely on traditional methods to reach Generation Z
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Appearance is important to over eight in 10 Gen Zers
- A third of Gen Z prioritise having the latest technology
- Children’s live television viewing has halved since 2010
- Rising mobile focus of digital advertising is making Gen Z more accessible
Market Background
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- Generation Z accounts for 15% of the UK population
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- Figure 12: Age structure of the UK population (projected), 2019
- Appearance is important to over eight in 10 Gen Zers
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- Figure 13: Importance of appearance, June 2019
- The risk of technological overload
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- Figure 14: Online attitudes of Generation Z, June 2019
- A third of Gen Z prioritise having the latest technology
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- Figure 15: Priorities of Generation Z, June 2019
- Children’s live television viewing has halved since 2010
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- Figure 16: Average daily minutes of TV viewing, 2010-18
- Rising mobile focus of digital advertising is making Gen Z more accessible
- Brands must look beyond follower numbers when it comes to influencers
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- Figure 17: Top 5 Instagram influencers, by cost per post, 2019
- Figure 18: Top 5 Instagram influencers in the beauty sector, by cost per post, 2019
- Influencers on fringe platforms provide opportunities for targeting
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Rebrand sees TikTok rapidly build a large Generation Z base
- Facebook continues to innovate to attract younger users
- Spotify looks to boost integration with Facebook and Instagram
- Apple and Google continue to upgrade digital addiction tools
- Instagram hides public likes count to remove pressure
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Rebrand sees TikTok rapidly build a large Generation Z base
- Advertisers on TikTok encouraging creative interaction
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- Figure 19: Content created and uploaded online in the last 12 months, by age, December 2018
- Facebook continues to innovate to attract younger users…
- …while fake news remains a major concern
- Spotify looks to boost integration with Facebook and Instagram
- Apple and Google continue to upgrade digital addiction tools
- iOS 13 update boosts media editing tools
- Android 10 introduces focus mode to aid concentration
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- Figure 20: Android Focus Mode
- Instagram hides public likes count to remove pressure
- Fairphone to launch third edition of its environmental smartphone
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- Figure 21: The Fairphone 3 smartphone
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Smartphone ownership is almost universal among Gen Zers
- Eight in 10 Gen Zers personally own three or more devices
- Most Gen Zers are living in technologically engaged homes
- Gaming is the most popular digital activity across devices
- Generation Z are prioritising short-form videos
- YouTube remains the most popular platform among Generation Z
- Female Gen Zers more likely to use Instagram and Snapchat
- Social media stories are as popular as traditional posts
- Only 18-19 year olds are likely to buy technology devices themselves
- Recommendations from friends and family are most important for Gen Z
Device Ownership
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- Smartphone ownership is almost universal among Gen Zers
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- Figure 22: Personal device ownership, June 2019
- Eight in 10 Gen Zers personally own three or more devices
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- Figure 23: Repertoire of personal device ownership, June 2019
- Gen Z females more likely to own smartphones and laptops
- Laptop ownership peaks with young adults at nearly nine in 10
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- Figure 24: Personal device ownership, by age, June 2019
- Most Gen Zers are living in technologically engaged homes
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- Figure 25: Household device ownership, June 2019
Digital Activities
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- Gaming is the most popular digital activity across devices…
- …but social media and messaging are close behind
- Generation Z are prioritising short-form videos
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- Figure 26: Digital activities performed by Generation Z, June 2019
- Most activities are carried out more on smartphones…
- …but longer form video lends itself to larger screens
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- Figure 27: Digital activities performed by Generation Z, by device, June 2019
- Half of 18-19 year olds are using smartphones for banking
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- Figure 28: Revolut’s rainbow card campaign
Social Media Activity
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- YouTube remains the most popular platform among Generation Z
- Facebook is not as popular as Instagram or Snapchat among Gen Zers
- Female Gen Zers more likely to use Instagram and Snapchat…
- …while nearly all 16-19 year old social media users are using YouTube regularly
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- Figure 29: Social networks accessed at least once a week, June 2019
- Social media stories are as popular as traditional posts…
- …and are the most popular way to share content for Gen Z girls
- Gen Zers are keen to use social media logins with third parties
- Gen Zers are happier sharing news and good causes than political views
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- Figure 30: Social media activities, June 2019
Purchasing Technology Products
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- Only 18-19 year olds are likely to buy technology devices themselves
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- Figure 31: Buying technology devices, by age, June 2019
- Most buying devices for themselves are using money they have earned
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- Figure 32: Paying for technology devices, June 2019
- Recommendations from friends and family are most important for Gen Z
- Professional reviews and user reviews are equally popular
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- Figure 33: Researching new technology products, June 2019
- Over half of Gen Zers research three or more sources before purchasing
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- Figure 34: Repertoire of research sources, June 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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