Referred to as ‘Gen Z’, ‘Zoomers’ and even ‘Generation Sensible’, they have become a major buying power, now accounting for 40 percent of consumers worldwide. As the most recent KPMG report accurately states: “It’s time for organisations to take [them] seriously”.

There is some discrepancy on the age of Gen Z, with reports going from anywhere between six and 24 years old. We will be looking specifically at KPMG’s ‘Me, my life, my wallet’ report, which categorises them as between seven and 16.

Far too many businesses have preconceived notions about this generation, executing marketing strategies with no real understanding of what is important to them, and what they want in a brand. KPMG’s report contains some excellent findings that shed a light on all of this. We highly recommend you read it for yourself.

 

What drives Gen Z

I have had a lot of conversations with people in which they have pigeonholed Gen Z as driven by social media, mainstream trends, and TikTok dances. This is not true.

KPMG’s report found this generation cares less about fashion, music and entertainment, and more about family, friends, work, and wellbeing. Over 60 percent are perturbed by climate change, compared to just over 30 percent that want to be the first to use new technology.

Yes, this generation is influenced by technology, but even at such a young age, they demonstrate strong moral and ethical awareness. Brands that categorise them as primarily motivated by shallow, quick trends online are very incorrect.

The impacts of COVID-19 

As with every generation, the global pandemic has had a big impact on Gen Z.

More than half are worried about their finances, resulting in 48 percent reducing spend and saving more. I’m not sure about you, but when I was 16, saving money was not exactly a top priority. ‘Generation Sensible’ is probably a fair name.

Brands should consider this moving forward. COVID-19 has had a considerable impact on their spending mentality, a behaviour they will likely uphold even when the pandemic is over. Some of their most influential years have been disrupted by witnessing job uncertainty, high unemployment rates, and concerns for health and wellbeing. This is particularly important to consider for global brands: in Australia, we have not felt the same impacts as in other countries. Be mindful that the habits and behaviours of Gen Z consumers will be shaped differently based on where they lived during the pandemic.

What Gen Z want from brands

It is no secret that there is a huge demand from consumers for brands to act ethically and sustainably; we have seen it in the news, from grassroots fundraisers to international protests.

This is a characteristic also seen within Gen Z.

72 percent of consumers in this generation “buy into brands that align with their values”, rating empathy as either ‘important’ or ‘very important’.

Brands cannot expect to create a social media page and resonate with this audience. They also cannot expect to vocalise support for a social issue and leave it there, or worse than this, stay neutral. And remember to show, don’t tell. Drive positive initiatives and use your platform to uphold important messages. Work ethically, morally, and sustainably.

Final thoughts

Gen Z are far more complex and socially aware than many brands give them credit for. To resonate with this demographic, brands must demonstrate strong values with a moral and ethical drive that goes beyond shallow posts on social media.

Written by Sophie Richardson

This month, POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey interviewed Caroline Beresford, founder of Caroline Beresford Design. 

Since its launch in 2013 the Sydney-based practice has grown rapidly, from designing small espresso bars to managing design strategies for shopping centres. With an impressive portfolio of work, Caroline has become known for her ability to transform a space into something visually beautiful that captures the personality of the brand or client she is working with.

How long have you been in the industry and how did you get started?

I have been working in the industry for almost 8 years.

Design is a second career for me. After the birth of my second son, I decided it was time to do something that I felt passionate about. Being in beautifully curated spaces and environments is something I had always loved; it changes the way I feel, leaving me happy, relaxed and content.

After studying, I was lucky enough to have the support of a friend and colleague who was very well known in the hospitality industry. He helped me find my feet and before I knew it, I had developed a healthy portfolio of work. From there, my business grew from strength to strength.

You are known for work across commercial and residential for interior design, do you have a preference for your ideal client?

Over the years we have been lucky enough to work on both commercial projects and residential projects. While both sectors have similarities, they are different in many ways.

When designing for a residential client, it is a much more emotional experience and often slower in execution. The clients are putting their faith in you to create a sanctuary for them through the use of finishes, furniture and art that reflects their personality. It is a huge compliment to be engaged to design a home for a family.

The commercial projects are fast-paced, often working around the clock to meet critical milestone deadlines. The creative licence that comes with commercial projects, particularly hospitality projects, is often broader so we find that these projects are a lot of fun. 

At Caroline Beresford Design, we love working with people who have the same passion as we do for creating memorable places, and who respect and join us on our creative journey. 

Art curation is something we have discussed at length, how do you find emerging talent and who is your favourite artist right now?

I am very interested in supporting emerging contemporary artists, which I get to do as a member of Atelier – the NSW Art Gallery’s newest Foundation supporter group. Through Atelier, I have had the opportunity to establish strong relationships with many galleries both in Sydney and Melbourne. Visiting the galleries, attending exhibitions and meeting the artists themselves is a wonderful experience, and it’s how I discover new emerging talent.

The artworks we install into the spaces we have designed are the ‘cherry on top’.

Many people think that great art is unattainable. This is simply not the case. We help clients explore new galleries they may not know about, and encourage them to select art as a way of expressing their personality.

There are several emerging artists that I currently love: Laura Jones for her beautiful poetic floral paintings, Clara Adolph’s for her innocent paintings of life’s simple pleasures, and James Drinkwater for his intriguing, patterned carpet-like works. 

What can we expect to see more of in 2021 for your industry?

I think that we can all agree that 2020 has been a very strange year, and for many a challenging and uncertain time.

Lockdown forced many to work from home. However, I believe this experience has left us more appreciative of our favourite cafe, restaurant and home environment.

This period also allowed many commercial clients to use the time refreshing their venues. We had clients engaging us to assist with lighting upgrades, furniture upgrades, and designing home offices for them. Moving forward into a new year, we can expect to see a continued emphasis on creating spaces where we feel nurtured, supported, and safe.

Colour wise, Navel blue is the new black. Soft greys in textured plasters and paints will be featured in both residential and commercial projects. A focus and need for the human connection to nature will be achieved through their use of light and raw timbers, used not only as flooring but also as wall and ceiling treatments.

Our concern for the environment will also continue to prevail, and designers will have the opportunity to use new materials and technologies which focus on reducing plastic waste.

Here in Sydney, our local government has introduced a 24-hour economy. This will lead to a boost in night-time activity through the introduction of more outdoor seating, activation of laneways and culture.  Therefore, many hospitality and retail venues will be ensuring their venues have a day to night transition plan in place to maximise the opportunities for business growth.

If you are interested in getting in touch with Caroline, you can find her contact details on her website at www.carolineberesford.com

In tough times and in good times you need to think of how you can use trending topics to your advantage.

For example, as the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme begins to wind back, redundancies are becoming more of a reality for smaller businesses.  

While the news is bleak, trending topics like JobKeeper and redundancies can provide an opportunity to highlight how you are combating these issues within your business or what you can offer by way of expert opinion; how you can make this topic work for you.

This is what we have done for McCabe Curwood, a national law firm and long term partner with POPCOM. 

What was our angle? 

With JobKeeper winding down, how do you manage redundancy and stay on the right side of the law?

Written by Erin Kidd and Lilana Freeman from McCabe Curwood Lawyers, all these questions and queries are answered. We pitched the idea to two SME publications – Inside Small Business and Smart Company. The majority of McCabe Curwood clients are large SME and we want to go where the audience is.

The results? Two great placements where we wanted them and a reach of over 30k.

https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/legal/employee-redundancies/  

https://insidesmallbusiness.com.au/finance/preparing-for-redundancies-as-jobkeeper-payments-reduce 

Want to know how we can do this for you? Drop Director of POPCOM Amanda Lacey an email amanda@popcom.com.au.

COVID, China, Donald Trump, Tik Tok – these are the themes dominating the media right now. Among my peers, it is hard to have a conversation without hearing the words ‘Tik Tok’. Who knew that a video-sharing app that allows users to create and share up to one minute videos, on any topic, is exactly what we needed when we’re at home isolating!

With an endless feed of videos, users are exposed to endless amounts of content catered to their likes and interests and it has taken off in Australia. So much so that the latest Roy Morgan data has shown that over 1.6 million Australians have visited the Tik Tok website, or used the app.

Move over Tik Tok as Insta Reels it in

Yesterday, Instagram released ‘Instagram Reels’, a new feature that, *what a shock*, allows people to make and upload 15-second videos featuring music and other special effects… sound familiar? 

The option to make a ‘reel’ appears in Instagram’s in-app camera feature, next to the abundance of filming additions Instagram has – such as boomerang and the live video streaming option. Reels can be recorded in a series of clips (one at a time), all at once, or through using video uploads from your gallery. You can then share your reel to your followers as a private account or, as a public account, you can share your reel to the explore page for it to be discovered by the wider Instagram community.

If consumers aren’t familiar with the new ‘reels’ option, they soon will be, with Instagram overhauling it’s entire Explore page with autoplaying a number of reels, oddly familiar to Tik Toks ‘for you’ page. Virtually immediately, the search for new content and posts has become easier, leaving users on the app for even longer. The Explore page now showcases the best of trending culture on Instagram. 

What about Tik Tok?

Despite its increasing popularity, the future of Tik Tok remains uncertain as continual concerns are being raised regarding its user data harvesting efforts. Donald Trump recently threatened to ban the app to all American users, whilst governments all around the world are in discussions to do the same. India has already banned the app and now there are discussions of Microsoft partially acquiring the app. 

Whilst Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, confirmed on the 5th of August that Australia had no plans to ban or restrict the app – naturally, consumers want something else. They love the platform, but for many, it’s not worth the compromise on security. Luckily, Instagram has heard the concerns, and, in true Instagram fashion, have offered an alternative. 

Response

Australian creators and influencers are already in on the new trend with the launch day seeing Instagram Reels created by Tammy Hembrow, Kayla Itsines and sports leagues.  

So, if you want to be the next Charlie D’Amelio or Addison Rae, perhaps Reels will be your ticket to social media fame! 

The death of a child.

Not the most uplifting topic, but one that is very real and relevant right now. I like to take on a small amount of pro-bono partners and when a friend of mine told me about a free grief counselling service available for parents who have lost a child and how she was struggling to get the word out about it, I happily accepted to act as their PR consultant.

Then COVID hit.

Bad news after bad news – it is hard to get anyone to touch this story. So I have decided to shout it from the rooftops myself.

The COVID-19 lockdown and period of isolation are leaving bereaved parents without physical contact with family and friends, thereby increasing their experience of trauma associated with loss, their sense of aloneness. Marriage is hard enough, let alone grieving failed rounds of IVF, SIDS or any other loss of child or loved one.

I spoke to Dr Timothy Keogh, President of Sydney mental health charity PENTHOS (my pro bono client) who said the mental health of grieving parents significantly declines if they are unable to process their grief due to forced isolation and an inability to escape their surroundings. It can then progress to become prolonged or complicated grief.

He said, “Such grief can have adverse psychological impacts on couples and families, in some cases leading to relationship breakdown, divorce and developmental impacts on surviving children.”

It is estimated that 7 per cent of the grieving population are experiencing complicated grief, according to Shear’s research conducted in 2012. They often require more help and support to get through this period.

“Like a wound that does not heal, couples experiencing such grief become affected by thoughts, feelings and behaviours that disturb and disrupt their relationships with others. Prolonged or complicated grief is a condition that is often not easily recognised or understood, but which can have far-reaching consequences.”

PENTHOS offers a free therapy program for couples experiencing complicated grief over the loss of a child, it is 100% free.

Recently this service has been made accessible to rural and remote areas that often have limited mental health services.

As well as face-to-face sessions, the program can be delivered online via video consultation, allowing continued access to their services in NSW if a second lockdown is initiated.

“There are limited publicly available services available, especially to help couples to deal with prolonged and complicated grief,” said Dr Keogh.

“The charity PENTHOS was founded to meet this gap in services. Its founders and donors understand the real human and economic costs associated with unremitting grief in couples and families.”

If you know of anyone suffering – let them know about this service. I will also be sharing a simple post on my LinkedIn page, please share and help spread the word. More details can be found on their website or please feel free to reach out to me directly and I will be happy to put you in contact.

https://www.penthos.org.au