While they’re still too young to be targeted directly, marketing to Gen Alpha is something every brand needs to prepare for. The ones that want to stay relevant in the coming years, anyway.
The new kids on the block, there is much to learn about Gen Alpha and how they will decide to direct their spending power. First though, where exactly does Gen Alpha fit into our current demographics?
Who Is Gen Alpha?
Named after the first letter in the Greek alphabet, Gen Alpha is the first generation born entirely in the 21st century. This generation is born after the early to mid 2010s and are mostly the children of Millennials.
Social Media, streaming services, and increased screen-time dominate the lives of Gen Alpha. While a sedentary lifestyle can lead to health problems, it’s important to understand that not all screen-time is created equal and Gen Alpha is also seeing various benefits related to their connection with technology.
So, how can we prepare ourselves to utilize this crucial connection?
They Care Deeply About Social Issues
At such a young age, Gen Alpha has been tuned into worldwide issues more than any demographic before it. They know what is negatively affecting people and want to help. Also, the Pandemic has only deepened their connection with technology.
There are two main things to understand about social activism and Gen Alpha:
- Growing up with video games has given Gen Alpha the mindset that they are actively involved in problem-solving. They don’t simply watch stories unfold, they prefer to be participants when it comes to finding solutions.
- They feel responsible for fixing many of the issues caused by the generations before them. Fair? Not really. Admirable? Incredibly.
They Are Learning To Make Decisions
From the aforementioned consumption of video games to the overabundance of streaming services available to them, Gen Alpha are making decisions early and often.
Where older generations had their content chosen for them by parents, Gen Alpha increasingly choose their own favourite shows, characters, and brands, while influencing their parents to make purchases based on those decisions.
Related Blog: Marketing To Gen Z
Being Creative Matters To Them
With an increase in decision-making and interactivity comes an increased need to feel creative.
Many of the most popular video games that Gen Alpha plays are those that give a wealth of opportunity to express themselves. Even the ones that aren’t as direct in their creative liberties, still offer Gen Alpha the opportunity to solve problems in creative and unique ways.
It’s not just video games either, short-form video content such as TikTok have given Gen Alpha a platform to be creative, without the need for the technical skills usually associated with creating video content.
Wise Beyond Their Years
All the points made here point to a generation that will mature more quickly than any past generation ever has. The decisions, creativity, understanding, and activism usually reserved for post-teen years, is slowly trickling down into lower age brackets.
Gen Alpha is coming, and they’re coming fast. Learn all you can about marketing to Gen Alpha.
