At our latest agency book club meeting, we discussed “Instabrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z” by Sarah Weise. Why care about the rules? Because Gen Z is the largest living generation, a purchasing powerhouse that accounts for 40% of American consumers. If you’d like to dive deeper, consider picking up a copy of the book here. If not, here are five fast takeaways from our team.

TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS

1. Gen Z represents $44 billion in direct buying power and influences $655 billion per year in purchases in the U.S. alone. However, marketers are still caught up in the millennial whirlwind – and they’re missing out on this cohort’s vast potential.

2. Gen Z is more independent, liberal, penny-wise and digitally savvy than previous generations. They also have their own rules for what flies in marketing. To win them over, brands need to understand and appeal to their unique characteristics.

3. Gen Z truly consumes content. Rather than using social media for networking, their social appetite is for inspiration, information and entertainment. And because they invest so many hours in scrolling, they’re able to craft content that’s relevant to their interests and form online communities – and get connected with what matters to them most.

4. Gen Z thrives on the voyeuristic aspects of social media – and peering into lives of those they choose to follow. Hollywood celebrities don’t appeal to them, but they do admire self-made influencers and pay attention to their opinions about products, brands and more.

5. Gen Z longs for meaningful connection. Dubbed the “Lonely Generation,” this group is always connected online but very seldom connected IRL. Areas of opportunity for marketers include finding creative ways to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds for Gen Z, creating opportunities for connection to spark.

Curious to learn more? You can gather additional information and insights about Gen Z here.