A study carried out by Mazinn and Beagle, both integrated into the Darwin & Verne structure, reveals the experiences, perceptions and desires of Generation Z in their experience as customers.

How does Generation Z really experience the customer experience? Are they as digital as they seem? Who do they take advice from when making a purchase? These are some of the questions answered in the study "The end of the funnel: Generation Z and the customer experience", carried out by Mazinn, a generational consulting firm specialized in new generations, and Beagle, a business unit specialized in Customer Centricity, both integrated into the Darwin & Verne structure.

The study is the result of a survey carried out in Spain by Mazinn among 550 young people between the ages of 18 and 28. And it has been complemented with the opinions of various marketing and customer experience experts.

Based on a series of hypotheses about the perceptions and behaviors of Generation Z throughout the customer journey, the study sometimes dismantles myths and sometimes corroborates beliefs, while revealing new interesting considerations to take into account.

“In all our research,” says Adrián Ballester, brand director at Mazinn, “we find what appear to be inconsistencies, but it is nothing more than the nature of our generation. We value online and also physical experiences, we value the opinions we see on TikTok but, in many cases, even more those of our parents... This study aims to demystify (or reaffirm) some of the most interesting beliefs that we have observed in studies, articles ...about Generation Z.”

Conclusions from the study of Generation Z and customer experience

GenZ is the first genuinely omnichannel generation, the myth of its digitalization and the virtualization of its world has been dismantled. They do not avoid visiting a physical store or getting good advice, whether from professionals or their family (parental) environment.

- The physical store has a future for them, as long as it provides them with experiences, beyond transactions or exchanges of value. They consider them to be relational, experiential and leisure environments that make complete sense and are compatible with digital interaction. In fact, the physical and digital coexist in your life without friction. The myth of its exclusivity with eCommerce and metaverses today is dismantled.

According to the study, 53.5% prefer the physical store to find out about a product, 43.3%, the brand's website, and 42.2%, Instagram. In addition, advice, trust and 'it's a plan' are the attributes of physical stores most mentioned by respondents. In fact, 72.7% believe that physical stores are not going to disappear.

Another piece of information that corroborates this conclusion is that, although chatbots are a very relevant channel for young people, 60% of those surveyed prefer to go to a physical store to resolve questions in person during the consideration process.

  Which does not prevent them from taking full advantage of the digital touchpoints in parallel. The mobile phone has become an appendage of their bodies and the access route according to the functionality, socialization and entertainment/emotionality that fills their lives. Far from being an inhuman element, it has become part of their being, a fundamental truth to understand them.

- TikTok is the most used tool to choose a product. In the consideration phase, most young people use the social network to see “unfiltered” the use of a specific product. According to the study, 67.5% have ever purchased a product because they have seen it on TikTok or IG. “Creating practical content that clearly shows the usability of a product will encourage us to opt for your brand.”

- The Community (of like-minded people) is for GenZ their (extended) Family. It is the relational environment where they maximize their relationships and express their emotions; and where their interests are shared and, with this, elevated to levels that represent true experiences or experiences full of meaning. In fact, 85.5% of those surveyed consider communities as a driving element of repeat purchases.

- Artificial intelligence can improve customer service. 60% believe that AI has the potential to improve the answers a company gives to their questions during the consideration process.

- The key factors that favor a Zeta's relationship with a brand are discounts and benefits (72.6%), good reviews (40.8%) and 24/7 product availability (31.2%).

- Sustainability matters but does not decide the purchase. This does not mean that it cannot be a driver for the Z to relate to a brand.

“Of all the keys that the study reveals, I would highlight the importance of building and foment brand community spaces. In recent years, there has been talk about the little 'loyalty' that young people have towards brands and different initiatives have been proposed in this regard. The research shows us how the majority of young people (85.5%) consider communities spaces where long-term relationships are really generated with organizations and, therefore, loyalty is created,” says Álvaro Justribó, co-founder of Mazinn.