Generation Z and influencers? How much do they listen to them? - Lifestyle

What role do influencers play in the purchasing process of young Italians between 18 and 24, i.e. Generation Z? An important role in discovering new brands and products for 67% (2 out of 3), while the remaining 33% is indifferent. It emerges from a Buzzoole survey, in collaboration with Koniqa, interviewing 2,000 young people. To the detriment of the young age, the different aspects are already markedly characterizing: they are citizens of the Net and of the World, they are "self-centered" and at the same time responsible for themselves and for the whole world; confident in technology and at the same time wary of privacy issues.

Not all young people have the same approach to consumption: there are those who seek personal satisfaction in it and those who, on the contrary, exhibit products and services as a social marker.

Based on the different needs, expectations and purchasing behaviors, the research identified

: it is the largest cluster of Gen Z. Equipped with a good spending power and a medium-low level of education, its main drive is the need for success and domination over others. The search for oneself - and for one's own affirmation at all costs - tends to compose a multifaceted personality, characterized by a zapping of values ​​and consumption and a high propensity for change. They must stand out from the crowd and tend to disconfirm the outside world in order to assert themselves. For purchases they rely on influencers who are competent in their sector.

: He has a strong self-centered need: he wants to be the center of attention and have continuous confirmation and appreciation from the society that surrounds him. The emotional engine is personal self-affirmation. For this reason, the cluster of Narcissists seeks in consumption - and in particular in the purchase of the Marche - a trace of "markers" that can testify to its success and its charisma. For purchases they rely on influencers who have many followers.

  it is characterized by a strong ethical sense, addressed to one's person, to others and in general to the entire ecosystem in which it lives. He has a strong sense of responsibility towards himself, towards the world of consumption and towards the environment. A mostly female target, who lives in the North East and faces life with a strong sense of responsibility, which is reflected in every area of ​​activity. Buy products that inspire confidence in sustainability.

: This is one of the younger age clusters (18-19 years) and predominantly male. Traditionalist, he shows little interest in innovations and evolutions, even if they are for improvement. Oriented towards understatement, these young people tend to take refuge in the reassuring world of tradition and symbols of the past, they represent the new-conservatives, lovers of vintage products and not very used to technology. Minimal style, tailored, elegant, to discover new brands and new trends, rely on your favorite influencers.

high average age, lives mainly in large metropolitan cities. Purchases have a strong rational and incubation-weighting component. He is not working and is not looking for a job; has a strong interest in financial and economic issues, especially in terms of savings, refuge and reassurance. Always compare prices and read reviews before buying anything.

needs affection and has a general gregarious drive that arises from the desire to feel accepted and loved. He lives mostly with his parents, in small municipalities in the South / Islands, with an average income availability. It relies on competent influencers in their

sector.

it is halfway between seeking reassurance and narcissism. On average more adults (24 years old), they are characterized by a strong need for escape-removal from problems and negativities. The tolerance threshold of negativity or pain is very low, and escape tends to be put into practice through consumption mechanisms for self-gratification and sometimes excessive simplification of life and relationships. Favorite brands are the ones that improve your life on a daily basis.

The most relevant information for choosing a product or service is that which comes from peers:

(75%),

from people from their own circle (74%), photos and opinions on social networks of other consumers (70%). The official voice of the brands continues to be relevant, although the information provided on the website, social pages and retailers are compared with the authoritative voice of experts (67%), bloggers (66%), influencers who are experts in the product (58%) and price comparison sites (68%). Despite an increasingly digitalized process, the product and

(68%), giving the point of sale a renewed vigor. In their free time, surfing the internet is the main activity for 74% of Generation Z kids.

. Among those used regularly,

(56%), in second place is

(42%), in third place is Facebook (37%) and following: Tik Tok (10%), Twitter (12%), Pinterest (7%), Twitch (4%), LinkedIn (3%). From the point of view of the frequency of use, about 3 out of 4 young people use social media at least once an hour, with 42% of heavy users using them several times in an hour. TV, despite what one might imagine, is still very much present in the media diet of Generation Z (64%), who do not mind reading a good book (57%), watching movies in the cinema (52%) , reading newspapers or magazines (36%), listening to the radio (31%) and attending the theater (15%). 

“The buying process is no longer an individual journey but has now become social. Generation Z relies on peers more than brands in consumer choices: friends, family and influencers are key touchpoints in the process. We are facing a generation that, despite its age, is already very characterized and stratified ”, comments Gianluca Perrelli, CEO of Buzzoole. Marta Migliore, COO of Buzzoole, concludes: It is a generation stratified within it, with different degrees of sensitivity to influencers ”.