3 Ways Gen Z is Changing Event Marketing

Marketers have shifted their focus to Generation Z in the last several years to understand how their spending habits and behaviors differ from those of previous consumer demographics. Gen Z has made many shifts in the marketplace as their preferences swing in sometimes an opposite direction than their Millennial counterparts. Event marketing still strongly influences Gen Z purchasing decisions, though marketers should understand the unique reasons why in order to make the biggest impact.

WHAT EVENT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GEN Z

They want to buy directly from brands.

A key distinction between Gen Z and Millennials is their shopping behaviors. While both demographics engage in online shopping and browsing, Gen Z is more likely to complete a purchase in a brick-and-mortar store. There are a few reasons for this that event marketers should take an interest in:

• They want to see, feel, and touch their purchases.
• They value authenticity and transparency from brands.
• And they prefer to cut out the “middleman” marketplace.

With Event Marketing, brands can leverage these distinctions to create more robust engagement with Gen Z consumers by:

• Having products on-site to sample or buy directly.
• Have brand ambassadors on-site to convey brand messaging and answer questions about product quality, sustainability, or sourcing.
• Have a follow-through path to purchase for customers; for example, a direct link, personalized code, or event-exclusive discount.

Convenience means something different.

In the traditional marketing sense, convenience for Gen Z means not having to wait for purchases to be delivered or paying a delivery fee. Millennials feel that having purchases delivered directly to your door is the ultimate convenience! But how does this Gen Z insight apply to event marketing?

Brands with an impactful presence at events are essentially capitalizing on Gen Z’s desire to spend less time waiting for what they want. While deliveries don’t play much of a role in event marketing, the concept of instant fulfillment is paramount. At events, consumers have immediate access to product information, industry experts, and brand representatives. They don’t have to seek out and search for the answers to their questions – it’s ready and available at their whim. It’s a similar dynamic to Gen Z’s reliance on influencer marketing. Influencers deliver brand or product information to Gen Z in a tailored-to-them content package. Event marketers can follow suit and deliver a packaged brand experience that’s easy and convenient to engage with.

They want the full experience but will be pragmatic in the end.

What does a packaged brand experience at an event look like? Well, that depends on your company’s mission, values, and brand strategy. It’s important to note that Gen Z has a strong desire to understand and engage with all aspects of the experience. Unlike Millennials, who tend to be skeptical and seek information independently, Gen Z expects brands to be transparent and tell the whole story.

At events, Gen Z looks for tailored experiences and innovative storytelling, but this doesn’t necessarily mean brands can upsell to them easily. Despite never knowing the world without the internet or social media, Gen Z is known for being practical and prefers to make necessary purchases rather than aspirational ones, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

In event marketing, it’s important to make a strong case for your brand or product by telling a compelling story that provides the information Gen Z needs to make a purchase decision. However, it’s crucial that the offering meets a real need for them.

ATN Event Staffing delivers top-tier staff to represent your brand directly in front of customers. Our expertise makes the hiring process of a professional event marketing team a seamless integration for conferences, activations, and promotions. With over two decades of experience, our partners have come to expect high-caliber solutions and exceptional results.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help you reach your target audience, we would love to chat!