When it comes to drawing Gen Z to your brand, selling to them isn’t enough—you need to win them over with engaging storytelling that reflects your brand identity. Here are four Gen Z-focused companies killing it with content.
Brands that want to attract Gen Z have their work cut out for them. This a generation that has an extremely short attention span, an aversion to frivolous spending and a high expectation to be understood as individuals. How can marketers build loyalty with the next generation of shoppers?
The secret might be found not in what you’re selling, but in the conversation you’re having with these young customers. The more that your content can authentically speak to your audience (and surprise and delight them along the way!), the more likely it is that Gen Zers will feel a sense of loyalty to your brand and an inclination to shop. Need some proof? Here’s how some of the hottest Gen Z brands are fusing content and e-commerce.
Gen Z-focused direct-to-consumer razor brand Billie has ventured where old-school shaving companies never dared to go: Body hair. Whereas traditional brands depicted only silky smooth, airbrushed skin in their content, Billie created an entire campaign, Project Body Hair, about the stubble and strands on every female body. It includes an edgy, viral video that smashed the stereotype that women need to shave off all their body hair (and pay more for pink razors). Billie also invited fans to contribute photos of their own body hair to a digital image bank that but still feels authentic, helping Gen Zs identify personally with this e-commerce brand.
Glossier, the Gen Z cosmetics darling, has mastered the art of wooing young customers with content. It makes sense—the brand was born from the blog Into the Gloss, so it has content at its core. The company has found that readers of the blog are actually 40 percent more likely to buy products than visitors to Glossier alone. It leverages the loyalty of its readers by using their comments to perfect new products. Glossier also makes savvy use of the swipe-up feature on Instagram Stories to give followers mobile-specific perks (like screensavers and playlists), getting them to sign up for email subscriptions (and subsequent product promotions) in the process. Score!
The colorful products from playful, natural cosmetics brand LUSH lend themselves to great content, and the company takes full advantage of it to boost its ecommerce operations. The LUSH website is filled with shop-able service articles that tap into its Gen Z customers’ individual interests. For example, LUSH’s “Benefits of Bathing” article boasts the health benefits of soaking in a hot tub and gives recommendations of products (like bath bombs and oils) you can use for deep relaxation, while other content (like this one about vegan skincare products) work to underline the brand’s values and showcase how it puts them into action. The overall result comprehensive, holistic content that tempts readers to buy, without any need for a hard sell.
Rihanna’s cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty instantly won over Gen Z customers by championing inclusivity and diversity with 40 different shades of foundation when it launched in 2017. It has continued to build on that momentum by not only releasing even more shades for different skin tones, but also integrating engaging videos that show how Rihanna herself uses the product. Plus, the site encourages users to upload photos of their own “Fenty Face” right to the e-commerce pages and review the products. The experience gives the glamorous line of makeup a human touch that Gen Z can connect with.
When it comes to e-commerce, think less about selling to Gen Zs and more about engaging them. Creative content can help you build a connection with your young customers, and ultimately earn their loyalty.
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