The Enduring Advisory Firm

Chapter 8 Generation Z and Beyond

Generation Z at a Glance^*,^†

• Born between 1995 and 2010
• Estimated at 72 million people
• Demographic breakdown: 55% Caucasian; 24% Hispanic; 14% African-American, and 4% Asian
• Character traits: connected creators

^*http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/move-millennials-gen-z/296577/.

^†www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-burrus/gen-z-will-change-your-wo_b_9150214.html.

While the Millennials still dominate our headlines and attention, we cannot let our definition of the “Next Gen” end there. Generation Z is our country’s most powerful cohort developing right behind the Millennials, and the oldest turned 20 in 2016. Generation Z is 75 million strong and it is imperative that we pay attention to the people they are growing into.

If the Millennials were considered Digital Natives, Generation Z was literally born with a device in their hand. Their personal heroes are “YouTubers.” Generation Z is the first generation for which video games are a spectator sport. Amazon’s purchase of Twitch for $970 million validates this trend and preference. Most of us have a difficult time getting our heads around why watching other people play video games would have any appeal—never mind trying to understand the implications of a generation that does. But Twitch, founded in 2011, is now the fourth-largest source of U.S. Internet traffic, behind Netflix, Google, and Apple.¹

The popularity of YouTubers, SnapChat, and Periscope can give us some insight into preferences ...