How do educational institutions market to Generation Z?
We’ll attempt to answer this very question, by finding out what’s important to this generation, how they respond to marketing and how they make ‘purchase’ decisions.
Who are Generation Z?
Before we uncover their likes and dislikes, who are generation Z?
Generation Z is the demographic after the millennials (Generation Y) – those born between the mid-1990s to 2010.
Marketing Education to Generation Z:
One in four of Generation X were University educated.
One in three of Generation Y were University educated.
One in two of Generation Z will be University educated – presenting institutions with their biggest ever marketing opportunity.
- Think Digital
Generation Z spend an average of 10hrs 19 minutes using tech every day (Student Housing Matters, 2017).
- Be Visual
Research has shown that generation Z are less focused and respond more to visual cues than verbal cues. That said, they are better multitaskers than their Generation Y counterparts, shifting seamlessly between work and play, with multiple distractions going on in the background – so make sure your marketing resonates when seen!
- Meet Expectations
Generation Z has higher expectations than millennials. They were born into high-speed internet and their first gadget was an iphone. This means they expect things to work right the first time.
- Respect Individuality
It’s thought that 92% of Generation Z has a digital footprint (Huffington Post, 2016). They have experienced personal marketing and have been proven to respond to it. This means it’s important to investigate how different users interact with you online and adopt a personalised approach to your online marketing.
- Go Global
58% of adults worldwide aged 35+ agree that “kids today have more in common with their global peers than they do with adults in their own country.” (HuffingtonPost). It’s likely that we can expect more global movement over the coming years when it comes to enrolling in educational institutions abroad, so marketing efforts should anticipate this change (both from Generation Z coming to the UK to study and UK students looking for opportunities to study abroad).
At AlphaGraphics Education, we specialise in helping higher education institutions deliver data-driven, automated marketing campaigns to improve student recruitment. To find out more, visit: https://education.alphagraphics.co.uk/about-us/
