Brands and retailers spend significant time and energy worrying about millennials, but the generation to pay attention to is Generation Z.
This generation, born in the mid-1990s and later, is tech-savvy and has never lived without the Internet or mobile phones. Generation Z is the upcoming demographic of shoppers and retail workers, with CMO predicting it will make up 40 percent of consumers by 2020. Gen Z looks for quick, efficient and tech-savvy brands catering to its needs and expectations.
The Impact of a High-Tech Generation
For Generation Z, technology is inescapable. Seventy-three percent of teens own a smartphone, and 58 percent use a tablet. They have always been able to go online and look up information and communicate with people all over the world through social networks. In the same respect, most of their education and schooling are dependent on technological access. They have a sophisticated media and computer environment, making them the most Internet-savvy generation.
Generation Z grew up in a different world than the millennials that came before them. Gen Z had the advantage of growing up with the Internet, mobile technology and other high-tech innovations.
The people part of Generation Z are used to quickly processing messages from multiple screens, specifically the television, computer, smartphone, tablet and iPod. These trends in technology usage impact your brand’s retail execution and field team management strategy.
Changes to Field Team Management
Retail execution is a small part of a critical challenge for brands wanting to attract the attention of Gen Z. This is complicated by a general lack of brand loyalty within this demographic. Product quality is the most important priority for Gen Z, not the company or manufacturer that makes it. This preference sets Generation Z apart from millennials.
As Gen Z moves into the workforce, field team management also changes. You benefit from a tech-savvy demographic, but technology must keep up with the generation’s expectations. Your field team instructions and strategy should adapt to the new playing field, with mobile high-tech solutions giving your team the tools they need to succeed.
Productivity will improve when technology matches the needs of Generation Z. Less time needs to be allotted for presenting basic mobile instructions since Gen Z was practically born with a smartphone in hand. Due to the generation’s extensive technological experience, implementing a new system will be easy. More than likely, onboarding time will be minimal, and you have members who are capable of independently using high-tech solutions for mobile retail data collection.
With all the talk about millennials, it’s easy to forget about the upcoming Generation Z. You need to know how to leverage the advantages of this generation once it hits the workforce because Gen Z field team members offer significant advantages sure to increase efficiency, productivity and revenue.
