Apartment Trends Magazine Trends_July2018 | Page 38

MARKETING ASHLEY TYNDALL | CRITERION.B L ook out Millennials, Generation Z is gaining ground. This group of individuals — born between the mid-1990s and 2010 — are beginning to come of age, with the oldest members in their early twenties. And if they aren’t already, Gen Z will be the next slew of renters at your properties. Contributing about $44 billion to the American economy, the Gen Z population should definitely be a key focus in your marketing strategy. It is no longer efficient enough to list your apartment online or use traditional methods of marketing, as Generation Z has specific expectations for their new pad. From smart technology appliances to shared-space amenities, Gen Z is looking 36 36 | TRENDS • JULY FEBRUARY 2018 2018 for more. But to understand how to attract these renters, you first must understand the differences between this generation and Millennials. GEN Z VS. MILLENNIALS Gen Z, often misconstrued as Millennials, make up about 26% of the United States population as compared with Millennials at 22%, according to Nielson’s Total Audience report. Growing up in the age of technology, Gen Z cannot comprehend a time before the digital age. Due to the rapid growth rate of technology, they are often less focused and have a shorter attention span as compared with Millennials and other age groups. Furthermore, Gen Z spend considerably less time accessing the internet via PCs as the vast majority of their time is spent on mobile devices. And with this technology at their fingertips, everything of interest to Generation Z is connected to social media. Marketing should therefore focus extensively on the most popular social media platforms, and continuously adapt as new ones gain in popularity. FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Generation Z are great multi-taskers, with the ability to juggle several social media platforms at once. However, this generation is prone to scroll quickly through those platforms, and responds best to concise, pointed, and attention- grabbing advertisements. www.aamdhq.org www.aamdhq.org