Hear what was discussed and more in our Naturally Good 2021 panel discussion. If you missed the session or would like a recap, check out our top 5 takeaways below!

Gen Z – that bright and savvy group of people aged from 6 to 24 – is rapidly becoming Australia’s next purchasing superpower, representing 20 per cent our population and 30 per cent globally.

To successfully target them in the marketplace, companies need to know the new rules of engagement and understand how their beliefs, behaviours, shopping and consumption habits differ to other generations – especially their older millennial siblings.

The topic was hotly discussed during the Naturally Good 2021 Speaker Series featuring esteemed panelists Clare Winterbourn from Tik Tok agency Born Bred, Bec Park from vegan condom company Jonny and Caleb Marshall of Australian wellness company Tropeaka.

Marshall knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Gen Z. He started Tropeaka, which produces a wide range of protein powders and vitamin supplements containing health and beauty-related benefits six years ago, when he was just 24 and has since turned it into a booming business with an annual turnover of more than $10 million.

“We spend a lot of money on advertising, but before you commit to this, it’s vital to understand the Gen Z market,” said Caleb, who was recently named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs to watch.

Here were the panel’s top 5 takeaways to getting cred with Gen Z:

1. Market to where Gen Z hang out online

“You’re not going to reach Gen Z through newspapers or tv ads,” said Clare. “Gen Z are hanging out on TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. That’s where they are producing content and interacting with friends, so advertise on those platforms which reach them.”

2. Speak their language

So many businesses don’t realise we now have a generation producing their own content remarked Marshall. “However, they’re not producing Hollywood blockbuster films – rather cheap, quick, authentic content that relates to them. As a business if you try to create content that isn’t along the lines of how they usually communicate then your product won’t resonate with them and won’t sell.”

3. Create content that is ‘crappy-good’

“Avoiding over produced high quality epic ads and creating cheap content that still works – what I call ‘crappy-good’ – is key,” added Marshall. “Remember Gen Z are consuming content from friends and peers on a budget. There’s an art to crappy-good so if it’s done well, it can be really effective in getting a message across.”

4. Be authentic

If you’re trying to just take and continually asking consumers to shell out dollars without providing actual value, then Gen Z they are going to call you out on it said Bec Park. “They’re not interested in a mere transaction they want to align with brands they care about. So, it’s important to be transparent and share your beliefs and values before you ask them to purchase products.”

5. Stand for something

“Gen Z deeply cares about the world around them and political and social matters,” Park said. “So, you as a business really need to stand for something. In particular, they embrace diversity, prefer to express their individuality, advocate for social justice, are entrepreneurial and frugal. Get it right and you’ll get cut-through.”

 

Panelists

• Lisa Crawford-Jones – Naturally Good
• Caleb Marshall – Tropeaka
• Clare Winterbourn – Born Bred Talent
• Bec Park – jonny

A big thank you to our speakers for being apart of Naturally Good 2021. If you would like to hear more takeaways from our speaker series event, subscribe here to get regular updates.