Gen Z Will Change the World (Vol.2) eBook

STATE OF THE YOUTH NATION
Gen Z Will
Change the World
eBook Series Vol.2 / 3
Originally produced by YouthSight*
SAVANTA.COM
m a k e b e t t e r d e c i s i o n s

Savanta is a full-service global market research and data insight
company that helps busisnesses make better decisions.
London
New York
Amsterdam
54 Bermondsey Street
London
SE1 3UD
UK
666 Third Ave.
7th Floor
New York NY 10017
USA
Weteringschans 165
1017 XD
Amsterdam
Netherlands
better.decisions@savanta.com
+44(0)20 7632 3434

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Who are Gen Z
in 2021?
We describe Gen Z as the generation
of young people born from 1995
onwards.
As of today (2021) the oldest are
currently 26 years old.
*This eBook was originally produced
by the YouthSight team - who are
now part of Savanta
1

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
No other research agency
knows more about Gen Z
Our bespoke research is informed by
exclusive tracking data from the UK's
leading Gen Z insight tracker, State of
the Youth Nation.
This eBook provides the stories and
patterns that have emerged from our
tracking data to reveal how Gen Z love
to spend their free time. Read on to
learn how Gen Z are effecting change
and how you can use this insight to
shape your marketing strategy.
Savanta was born when eight best-in-class agencies, all specialists
in their fields, joined forces to offer big agency benefits, while
retaining a refreshingly boutique mindset.
Since conception, we’ve expanded our sector expertise by adding
more agencies to our family.
The result? A full range of integrated intelligence services at global
scale, married to deep sector, issue and methodological expertise,
delivered with an entrepreneurial spirit and client-first mindset.
All to help our clients. Make Better Decisions.
2

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
What's covered in
this eBook...
Gen Z will change:
The way we view brands
The way we love
What we view as food
3

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Gen Z will change the way we
view brands
Buying into a brand is now about much
more than simply purchasing the
product itself- it's about having an
engaging and continuous experience
with the brand at every touchpoint.
However, buying from a brand isn't as
exciting as it once was now that we
have online shopping and review sites.
Young people get less of a thrill from
buying into brands and owning things.
Young people want experiences -
they're the new status symbol
67 %
DID YOU KNOW...
6 7 % o f G E N Z
W O U L D P R E F E R T O
R E C E I V E A
E X P E R I E N C E O V E R A
P H Y S I C A L G I F T
( 3 2 % )
Source: State of the Youth Nation, Feb
2019, n=1028
4

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
And technology
is continuing to
change things…
Mass customisation is increasingly
becoming the norm. You can now go
online and get any number of products
that are tailored exactly to your needs.
Soon 3D printers may mean that we
can produce what we want at home,
further disintermediating the brands.
Adidas Futurecraft 4D trainers are 3D
printed and as a result, the brand
experience completely changes if you
are producing the product rather than
buying a ready-made product.
So where does this leave brands in
the future? How will we continue to
experience brands when we are
manufacturing products ourselves?
5

1
G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Gen Z will change
the way we love
Millennial's were first to experience
equality when it came to civil
partnerships, equal marriage and the
right to start a family. Gen Z,
therefore, grew up in a tolerant society
with relative freedom to express love
however they wanted.
Furthermore, Gen Z were born into the
Internet age where it has become far
easier for people to meet the kinds
partners they want rather than
meeting someone who merely
conforms to the expectations of the
group.
42
DID YOU KNOW...
o f G e n Z n o w u s e
T i n d e r - u p f r o m
7 5 % j u s t a f e w y e a r s
a g o ( J u l y 2 0 1 5 )
Source: State of the Youth Nation, Oct 2018,
N= 110
But the internet age also brought with it
an early introduction to sexuality and
online porn, and this trend of the finding
of love and desire using private online
spaces is having an impact on the
sexual appetites of Gen Z.
%
16

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Gen Z love
In the podcast Butterfly Effect, Jon
Ronson focuses on 2008 when free
porn sites became available to all,
including a new younger audience.
He cited a Canadian study that found
that erectile dysfunction among 16-21-
year olds increased from practically
nothing in 2008, to a problem that
around 1 on 4 (25%) of young men feel
they have.
Crucially, it’s not a medical problem.
It's because young men see a certain
performance on screen and wrongly
think it’s normal.
And it isn't really about sex. Looking
back to when Gen Z were born,
there's been a steep increase in the
number of young people who have
not had sex in the last year.
What will the future of meaningful
connections be?
17

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Gen Z will change
what we view as
food
2018 should have been dubbed the
year of the vegan.
With the rise of Meat-Free Mondays
and Veganuary – young people have
led the charge to minimise the animal
products they consume and maximise
the number of meat and dairy-free
alternatives they consume.
ACCORDING TO STATE OF THE YOUTH NATION...
23% & 14%
OF YOUNG WOMEN
OF YOUNG MEN
I d e n t i f y a s f l e x i t a r i a n ,
v e g a n o r v e g e t a r i a n
Source: State of the Youth Nation, Oct 2018, N= 110
8

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
But the significance of the rejection of
meat goes far beyond a marketing
stunts like Meat-Free Mondays and
Veganuary.
New age burger company Impossible
Burger say on their homepage:
PANEL MEMBER
…using animals to make meat
is a prehistoric and destructive
technology.
"So we’re doing something
about it: we’re making meat
using plants, so that we never
have to use animals again."
How will future technology change
your industry?
Looking to the future and companies like
Impossible Burger, we see that food production
will involve bioengineers and computer science
rather than farmers.
The future is all about going up....
with tall vertical hydroponics in the city (vertical
farming) - instead of flat fields in the countryside.
9

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 2
Want to
learn more?
Book a demo
A State of the Youth Nation subscription helps leading
brands make better youth market decisions.
Our tracking product will equip you with the tools to
better engage with young people, and put the drivers that
shape their worlds at the heart of your team's youth
market decisions.
Annual subscription gives you instant access to:
Latest Gen Z insights - Be better prepared with the
most up-to-date tracking data (nat rep)
Regular webinars - Who is Gen Z? How to get cut
through? What drives loyalty? Best practice 101
Gen Z and your business - We will deliver an actionorientated
insight deck to inspire change.
1

G E N Z W I L L C H A N G E T H E W O R L D V O L . 1
Subscribe today
and save on your
research budget
Find out more:
youth.practice@savanta.com
Book a demo
1

SAVANTA.COM