Just when you figured out the Millennial mind, here comes Generation Z—a whole new group of consumers.
Born after 1994, Generation Z (also called iGeneration or Homeland Generation) is bypassing the traditional political system and focusing on consumerism as a channel for change, finds a new study from DoSomething Strategic. The study, "Dollars and Change: Young People Tap Brands as Agents of Social Change," reveals that more than 76 percent of Gen Z has purchased or is open to purchasing a brand or product to support the issues that brand stands for. In addition, and more costly, more than 67 percent have stopped purchasing or would consider doing so if the company stood for something or behaved in a way that didn't align with their values. This is in contrast to how they use their voice through more traditional means of civic action: Only 32 percent of survey respondents have attended a political event or protest or contacted a representative.