In the Past

Traditionally, mobile marketing campaigns have been focused on personalization, frequency and celebrity influencers. While these methods are not completely irrelevant, the way in which people under 35 are digesting mobile advertisements is changing. In a country where 77% of adults use smartphones, it is important to deliver quality ads. For more statistical information about smartphone usage in America, read this article conducted by The Pew Research Center. Younger generations are no longer responding as favorably to the mobile content that is being fed to them.

What’s Changing?

Today, content needs to align much more closely with the individual consumer’s tastes. Customers are more selective than ever. To make an ad be as effective as possible, it is necessary to tailor your ad to your audience. It isn't enough to match the target with an ad that matches their gender, age, ethnicity, or follows a celebrity.  While the importance of traditional methods of mobile marketing seem to be on the decline, research shows that doing away with them completely is a bad idea. For example, even though celebrities do not carry the same weight as they used to, a consumer who sees an ad that resonates with their personal tastes and also has a well known public figure will be a particularly effective ad. The bottom line is that young people respond most favorably to ads that reflect their own perceptions of themselves or who they aspire to be.

Millennials vs Gen Z

Millennials range in age from about 25-34 while Gen Z encompasses the ages of 16-24. These two age groups respond to ads differently. When surveyed, it was found that 41% of those in Gen Z appreciated aesthetically beautiful images whereas in Millennials only 32% valued the same category. Gen Z showed a tendency toward disliking a brand that overly advertised to them, but Millennials seem to simply tune the repetitive ads out. Both instances depict the importance of creating engaging content and presenting it an appropriate amount of times. Research shows that only 1 in 4 people remember ads when they continuously show up on their feed. Millennials care more about the shortness of video ads and Gen Z is more concerned with the quality of the music in their content. Both generations are using social media more than ever. Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram are the most effective platforms to reach targets on social media. Read more about Social Media trends in this blog by Red Shark Digital.