This insight post is a summary of the original blog post published by Stefan Pollack of The Pollack Group: How Leaders Can Crack The Storytelling Code For A Gen Z Audience.
Storytelling is a popular, age-old form of communication — starting from word-of-mouth to early hieroglyphics. It then falls to the storytellers to find the means to penetrate the receiver’s psyche, soul, and essence to attain the desired results.
Achieving leadership in storytelling lies in how well the audience feels understood and whether the story can illuminate, inform, clarify, enlighten, influence or encourage them in a way that is authentic to your brand. Therefore, it’s important to always key into the traits, characteristics, and values of your audience. No matter if the goal is purchasing, supporting a cause, or building or contributing to a trend – stories need to be cleverly crafted to trigger the desired action.
Today, the oldest in the Gen Z generation is 25 years old. We now have a whole new generation who have moved into the workplace, are walking into retailers, buying stuff on e-commerce sites, or starting new businesses – and the Gen Z population now reaches 68 million. Gen Zers are also broadly diverse and have a great influence over the money-spending decisions in their households.
Recognizing that this generation is unlike any other generation that came before them, it is essential to speak their language. They will expect civil discourse to connect on a human level and redefine what matters, how it matters, and to whom it matters to broaden their perspective.
As brands explore storytelling approaches, it is important to recognize what Gen Z relates to most and what they will listen to and tune out. For example, brands tend to capture Gen Z’s attention when they show a commitment to sustainability or creating a more equitable business. However, leaders should recognize that this generation likes to be action-oriented and expects the brands they shop from to be the same.
Keep on reading the full blog, How Leaders Can Crack the Storytelling Code for a Gen Z Audience, to learn more about what storytellers can do to capture the Gen Z audience. You can also find insights on management and brand from Worldcom partners.
