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“Shiny Object Syndrome” is referred to in PR & Marketing Land as the attraction to hot new buzzworthy tactics that distract us from what we know to be tried and true, solid strategic programming.
Typically, this term is used in PR and marketing trades in association with trends and tools like Snapchat, Facebook Live or influencer marketing, but today I can’t help but wonder if our next shiny object is not a trend or tool, but an entire audience. Are we unnecessarily obsessing over Gen Z?
This question started swirling around in my brain the other day when a colleague shared an article from AdWeek entitled, “Fullscreen’s Research Finds Gen Z Enjoys Branded Content More than Millennials.” Interesting findings, sure, but it was quite possibly the 897th article I’d read in the past week on this same topic. Hyperbole aside, articles about this mysterious generation have been popping up everywhere, and in relation to every topic. Just from the previous month’s worth of Google News, you could find out “what employers should know about Gen Z,” “what Gen Z restaurant consumers want,” or even “understand Gen Z’s mobile expectations in today’s new shopping era.” I get it. Gen Z is the next course on the consumer marketing menu… but don’t load up on dessert before the entree’s been cleared from the table. (Yes, I recognize the irony of a Millennial dubbing her own generation the “entree” of the consumer marketing menu. That’s beside the point.)
If we’re assuming for argument’s sake that Gen Z refers to the group of youngsters born in the year 2000 and beyond, we can probably agree that these teen-aged consumers are still very much enveloped in their bubble of adolescence and dependence. They may be independently communicating and interacting online, but they’re not yet contributing in a major way to society, nor the economy. They don’t yet have the means through which to make a noticeable impact. So, is Gen Z the appropriate target audience for your brand? Or just a shiny new object of your marketing team’s affection?
Chances are, this group is a future target for you. In the next 5-8 years, they’ll be graduating from college, joining the workforce, making disposable income and generating profits for you – or for your competitors. Now, I’m all for planning ahead, but let’s not forget how big a difference five years – or one president – can make. Will Gen Z’s ideals remain the same? How about their online media consumption habits? Has their most treasured and frequented social media channel even been born yet?
I’m not too dense to see that, yes, there are brands legitimately vying for this audience’s attention right now. There are appropriate uses of Snapchat, Facebook Live and influencer marketing, too. I’m not knocking all shiny objects – I’m just saying it’s worth questioning their luster. As we would with respect to the shiny new tactic, let’s pause for a second to reflect on this shiny new audience before dedicating valuable marketing dollars.