News brands can engage Gen Z readers in these 5 ways

By Sean Stanleigh

Head of the Globe Content Studio

The Globe and Mail

Toronto, Canada

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This is a story about control.

Brands want it, but they don't really have it. Their marketing teams are starting conversations instead of driving them. It's a break from the past, and it's mostly a combination of age and circumstance - namely Gen Z habits and the maturity of social media platforms.

Understanding how and why young consumers get their news and interact with content is essential for today's media companies.

The disruption of the marketing funnel is where we begin. Brand awareness, consideration, and conversion remain relevant tactics. What's changed is that the funnel is more like a blender. Effective marketing requires all three tactics - always on, co-mingling.

It's less about one part of the funnel pushing to the next, and more about letting different messaging fly, knowing you can't control where or how it lands. Or how it's manipulated. It can be shared, sliced, and diced.

We now have a large consumer base of true digital natives - raised on handheld technology devices linked by social media. All their lines are blurred. It's where they communicate, discover and share information and opinion, get their entertainment, find dates, buy products and services, plot directions, take photos, and record video.

Gen Z is comfortable with noise, and they are experts at navigating it. They know how to find what they're looking for. They have voices they trust. They have values guiding their decision-making.

This is the world in which brands need to get comfortable operating, while also factoring in that anyone can say or publish almost anything online, factual or otherwise.

With most marketers focused on the 18-to-35 demographic, and a consistent need for brands to effectively court new generations and "age" alongside them, it's a young consumers' world. Everyone else just lives in it.

So, what to do?

Check your approach

Be careful not to attribute personal characteristics to a generation. Gen Zs are not all lazy or difficult, nor are they all Clean Girls or Mob Wives.

Labels are fleeting. Focus on issues around economic, social, or environmental forces, as examples. What shapes people's world views? What are your true values as a brand - ones you can confidently stand behind publicly?

Engage with intention

Tell good, inspiring stories grounded in human experience, which is particularly relevant in an age of generative AI.

This is where content marketing shines brightest. Be relatable to boost trust. Having a consistent, appealing, influencer-style personality or voice that speaks or acts for your brand is table stakes in today's marketing landscape.

Monitor comments and reactions. Listen and learn. Follow the data. Adapt accordingly.

Make room for diversity

Always try to hire creators who reflect the audiences they're targeting. They can speak to them authentically. Those audiences will easily sniff out attempts by creators to look or sound like something they're not. Be relatable.

Live where your audience is

The success of short-form video in recent years highlights the need to be mobile-first with brief, engaging content. Key platforms include TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

It's important to be informative. However, for your owned and operated channels, be prepared to go deeper to hook potential customers who visit when they want to know more.

Play the long game

With a "blender" approach, it takes time to build awareness, trust, and authenticity to get your brand to the relationship stage. But, this eventually leads to the holy grail of loyalty. Don't rush. Be nimble. Be bold.

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About Sean Stanleigh

Sean Stanleigh is the head of the Globe Content Studio at The Globe and Mail in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He can be reached at @seanstanleigh.

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