DEI in Advertising: The Gen Z Viewpoint
Age can play a huge role in how people react to advertising and marketing campaigns. What worked for Millennials was very different from what resonated with Boomers and what they found appealing. Along the same lines, Gen Z, which makes up about 20% of the US population, is the most diverse generation ethnically, racially and also in sexual identity. This diversity makes them different than other generations and that is reflected in how they define themselves as well as how they want brands and companies to represent them in their advertising and marketing campaigns.
To better understand how different generations, specifically Gen Z, perceive diversity representation in marketing campaigns we conducted a quantitative research study among 1,000 US consumers, ages 13+, across many ethnicities, age groups, abilities, and sexual orientations. We primarily wanted to understand whether they feel authentically represented in advertising.
Our research showed that Gen Z is a generation that cares more strongly than other generations about being represented in an authentic way, and they are more likely to avoid purchasing from a brand they perceive as lacking authenticity and sincerity in how it represents them.
While more critical than other generations, Gen Z is also more likely to reward companies by going out of their way to purchase from brands who better represent them.
