Move Over Millennials, Meet the Zoomers

Zoomers have become a big talking point lately. And we were just as curious as you to learn more about this generation and how they’re changing the landscape.  

This is the first part in a multi-series about a much-discussed topic…Zoomers!

Over the next few weeks, get ready to understand more about this generation and their interests, their shopping habits, and tips on targeting them to see your offers.

Let’s dive right in! Who is Gen Z?

This generation is the newest crop of young people – think teenagers and early 20s. Born from the mid-1990s to 2012, they are disrupting brand marketing and business strategies around the globe. They trust their peers (and Instagram!) for product reviews and news headlines, revel in frugality, and have high ethical and artistic expectations of brands.

What’s Popular With Gen Z (What Do They Do for Fun?)

The marketing agency Fuse asked 1,000 Gen Zers what they’re into, and what they do for fun. 

Here are some key findings.

• They run! 31% of Zoomers state that running is their favorite sport to play or participate in. 
• Gaming is huge – especially cooperation or group-interaction games and life-like simulation games. Call of Duty, in a variety of versions, tops the list of Zoomers’ favorite games. Slots #2 to #4 are filled by Sims 4, Minecraft, and League of Legends.
• Facebook isn’t dépassé. 13% of Zoomers, nearly 1 in 7, state that Facebook is their favorite social media platform.
• Getting front page news on social media. 59% of Zoomers cite Instagram as their prime source for getting news.
• Zoomers love their iPhones. In a recent Piper Jaffray survey, 83% of Zoomers have an Apple phone device. Only 9% have an Android.

Statista has even more in-depth research metrics on Gen Zers and their social media usage.

• AS of 2020, Snapchat was the most popular social media platform among Gen Z (and also Millennials) in terms of numbers of Gen Zers who report using this platform.
• TikTok and YouTube were ranked the second and third most popular social media platforms, with 91% and 87% of Zoomers regularly using these social media apps.

While only 83% of Zoomer’s regularly use Instagram, they identify Instagram as their overall favorite social media platform in the earlier referenced Fuse marketing study.

What Are Gen Z’s Interests?

In addition to being less materialistic, more realistic, and more socially progressive in values, there are other interests and causes that characterize Generation Z.

Gaming

Gen Z is more into games than any other generation. 81% of Zoomers report playing games in the past 6 months, with the average Zoomer spending more than 7 hours a week on this pastime. We see this with our own Gen Zers as well, with 36% admitting to spending 6 hours or more a week playing games. 

They’re also more likely to spend money on this endeavor, buying premium games, in-app boosters, and gaming consoles, monitors, and other accessories. As reported by Accenture, the gaming industry as a whole is expected to be a $300 Billion dollar industry by 2023. 

And our consumers are no exception. 36% of our Gen Zers estimate they spend $10 or more a month on video games, game-related purchases, and gaming subscriptions, with 8% spending at least $50 a month.

According to our verified purchase data, over the last 12 months, our Gen Z shoppers have spent a combined total of $1.2M on video games and consoles, including VR consoles!

Not only do Gen Z cohorts dig games, they love watching game-related content. 75% of Generation Z gamers watch game-related content, including live streams of other gamers playing video games. Our Gen Z audience agrees, as 30% typically watch both live streams and pre-recorded streams.

Furthermore, Generation Z uses gaming as a means of social connection. Over 50% of Gen Z gamers use gaming as a means to hang out and value that social connection over the game itself, compared to 37% of Millennials and 28% of Gen X.

Our research also shows that gamers, in general, enjoy additional hobbies such as fitness, travel, reading, and baking. 

Learn how you can promote your games, risk-free, to a generation of gamers through our gaming solutions! 

Watching Netflix to Chill

In the streaming wars, Netflix is winning. 75% of Gen Zers use Netflix. The next most popular paid streaming services are Hulu (32%), YouTube TV (29%), and Amazon Prime Video (24%).

Gen Z is Better With Money

You may be surprised to learn that Gen Z is a generation of savers! 

Children born just in time to see their families struggle through the Great Recession, Gen Zers have had financial literacy and frugality drummed into them at school and at home.

• Nearly 40% plan to start saving for retirement in their 20’s and 10% intend to start saving for their retirement as teenagers).
• 83% of Gen Zers are tracking their spending and nearly 70% use budgeting tools or apps, but pen and paper is still the most common method.

And the use of budgeting tools continues to be on the rise! Our own solutions brought in over 55,000 depositors over six months for a leading FinTech firm.

Gen Z Isn’t Afraid To Hustle

Nearly half of all Gen Zers (age 18-23) report having a gig or a side hustle. Gen Z side hustles run the gamut from creating niche pages on TikTok to delivering food to taking online surveys for gift cards and PayPal cash on popular rewards apps like InboxDollars and Swagbucks. Find out how you can recruit these Gig workers using our services!

With 22% of our consumers falling into the Gen Z category, your offers won’t go unnoticed. Our media placements are the perfect way to get in front of this generation to boost your conversions.