Executive Summary
Digital marketing, a large and all-encompassing category, drives much of today’s marketing strategy and has been the catalyst for a multitude of innovative marketing ideas. Digital marketing has streamlined advertisers’ abilities to specifically target desired audiences, ultimately leading to more conversions and leads. Perhaps more importantly, digital advertising is full of rich consumer data, which allows marketers to track performance and gain measurable results that give insight into the Return on Investment.
Understanding our target’s media habits and knowledge of industry performance and trends is fundamental to achieving positive results when implementing digital advertising.
Digital marketing and advertising empower marketers to track performance and gain measurable results that give insight into the Return on Investment.
Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, is the demographic cohort that follows the Millennials (Generation Y). There is no universally agreed-upon definition for the birth years that define Gen Z, but it is generally considered to include individuals born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s. This means that the oldest members of Gen Z are now in their mid-to late-20s, while the youngest members are still in their early childhood years.
U.S. Advertising Today
While traditional media continues to be part of the marketing mix, digital advertising has taken the lead and continues to grow in usage and in marketing spend.
Media consumption habits have changed. Consumers are now interacting with digital and traditional media simultaneously. This year, 146.9 million Americans will browse the web or use phone apps while watching TV. This is more than two-thirds of internet users.
As more consumers are connected to their devices, advertisers are making shifts in marketing plans and allocating more funds from traditional media to online media.
U.S. digital advertising revenue surges to a record-breaking $297.4 billion for 2023. Growth occurred primarily in mobile and social.
Mobile leads the way, reporting a spend of over $40 billion in 2023. This rise in mobile may be attributed to advertisers who are spending more on mobile ad campaigns.
Social media spend also continues to rise, expected to surpass the $300 billion mark. It is expected to grow even faster in the coming years. As it continues to grow, delivery of better and more targeted ads can be expected.
In conclusion, the future is bright for digital marketing. Meanwhile, it already accounts for over 67% of the total ad revenue worldwide, and is expected to surpass 70% by 2026.
Consumers’ increased time spent on digital devices, coupled with improved targeting and measurement techniques, will continue to drive growth in the industry.
Today’s Youth Market
Generation Z includes individuals that are part of the Non-Prior Service age category. Reaching this group of digital natives is key; this can be accomplished by utilizing a variety of digital advertising methods. Below are key insights on this group’s demographics, behavioral patterns, and media consumption habits.
GENERATION Z: QUICK FACTS
- Gen Z accounts for 25 to 40% of the population today.
- “Screenagers” is an alternative description for Gen Z because they often use multiple devices, up to five, all at once.
- Gen Z’s primary source is mobile. While on mobile, Generation Z relies on social media.
- Rely on technology and social media at a significantly higher rate vs. any other generation.
- The attention span is approximately eight seconds.
The Power of Social Media with Generation Z
Due to minimal attention span, Generation Z prefers visual channels that are concise and informational. Social channels such as Facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr and Instagram offer brief and visual outlets for the information they seek.
Generation Z sees the ability to stream live video as a positive way of connecting with the world instead of viewing it as a distraction that keeps them from personal communication.
Virtual, manageable world: Teens value the ability to shape their reputation, manage their networks/friends, and mask information they don’t want others to know on social media. They view social media as a credible source of information.
Solution Advertising to Generation Z
Red Carrot has studied and tested various ways of reaching this Non-Prior Service group via social media advertising. We developed an effective algorithm that delivers successfully targeted lead generation through digital marketing.
A powerful advertising platform is utilizing Facebook with its multiple vehicles. For the Army National Guard, the objective was to obtain contact information from prospective recruits. The requirements for a successful lead were multiple and very specific. These qualified leads were generated from individuals within the 18-19-year-old age group that fit the National Guard criteria. They submitted a form expressing interest in learning more about the National Guard.
Result: Facebook lead generation ads successfully generated thousands of leads during our test period. Overall, lead generation ads performed 33 times stronger than display advertising. After statistical analysis and rigorous testing, the lead generation platform on Facebook proved to be an efficient and effective means of advertising to generate leads. Facebook ads also provide the ability to use targeted information and real-time lead generation.
Advertising on Facebook utilizing Red Carrot’s proprietary algorithms allowed for:
- Collection of leads across devices
- Ability to obtain quality information via pre-populated forms and easy-to-edit forms
- Targeting and optimization capabilities to reach the right people
- Ability to obtain real-time lead information
Overall, advertising on Facebook via the Red Carrot method has provided a compelling way to reach the Non-Prior Service audience.
Sources:
- Global entertainment and media outlook 2016 – 2020, PwC Global, Ovum
- emarketer.com, June 2015
- Global entertainment and media outlook 2016 – 2010, PwC, December 2014
- Digital ad spend worldwide 2026 | Statista
- Mobile Advertising Market Size, Share, Trends | Growth [2029] (fortunebusinessinsights.com)
- Forrester Research Digital Marketing Forecasts, 2014 – 2019
About Red Carrot
Red Carrot, an 8(a) and woman-owned business, is distinguished by our proven federal experience and performance-driven processes. Our team is fueled by passion, backed by intelligence, and built on expertise.
Red Carrot believes that there is always a better way. We solve our clients’ biggest Strategic Communications, Customer Experience, Management Consulting, and Human Capital challenges.
Red Carrot approaches challenges through our vetted processes, based on industry best practices and proprietary data. We continuously explore innovative and often untapped perspectives. This constantly enhances the quality of our work. From our inception, we have stayed research-centric, data-informed, and customer-oriented while expanding our range of highly skilled capabilities. The Red Carrot team supports projects across multiple industries and government agencies. Our accolades include the On the Rise Government Contractor of the Year, Telly Awards, and Hermes Creative Awards.