Generation Alpha: 7 Marketing Tips For Effective Campaigns
While marketers focus on promoting their products to Generation Z, Alpha is growing up and gradually beginning to shape new trends. Consider their interests to stay ahead of the game and respond quickly to changing demands. This is especially true for toy, children’s clothing, and mobile app manufacturers.
Generation Alpha is extremely educated, media literate, and dependent on bloggers. To gain their attention and trust, use personalized marketing, collaborate with child bloggers, replace text with images or videos, and become part of their lives. In this article, you’ll find even more secrets and life hacks about generation Alpha, as well as a collection of photos and videos for your creatives.
Generation Alpha – who are they?
Children born after 2010 are known as Generation Alpha. The oldest Alpha is 11 years old this year, while the youngest Alpha is only a few hours or minutes old. According to Mark McCrindle, an Australian social analyst, the number of Alpha children could reach 2 billion by 2025, making it the largest generation in human history.
The term “Generation Alpha” was proposed by Mark McCrindle, along with the generation’s age range (2010-2024), which will be replaced by generation Beta (2025-2039). The author refers to Alpha Children as “screenagers”, meaning they’re the screen generation. Why does he refer to them in this way? Because they were born in the same year as Instagram and the iPad. Generation Alpha is the first in world history to be surrounded by digital technology. Thi
Familiar with gadgets from the cradle
Alpha has been using gadgets and smartphones since early childhood, consuming a lot of media content and spending a lot of time on social media and messengers. 90% of two-year-olds are familiar with the basic functions of a tablet. They look for answers to questions on the Internet, instead of turning to books.
49% of people aged 16-24 look for inspiration on social media, whereas their parents devote only 20% of their time to this. Alphas are likely to be even more immersed in social networks than previous generations. Unlike their millennial parents, Alphas prefer platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Entertaining content from these social networks appeals to the younger generation. But while there are age restrictions for registering on Instagram and TikTok, most modern children grow up watching YouTube from an early age. In fact, it has replaced traditional television.
Alphas are also enthusiastic about creating their own content. They prefer to make it interesting and useful, and share it on their favorite social networks. There are already micro and nano-bloggers among Alphas, and some aspire to be one. Blogging will most likely be Alpha’s main profession in the future.
Erudition and media literacy
The Alpha generation is predicted to be “the most educated”. In most countries of the world, children study for at least 12 years, and, according to UNESCO, each additional year of study increases a person’s earnings by about 10%. In addition, the availability of technology and digital resources has a positive effect on the erudition of Alpha children.
Despite the abundance of opportunities, generation Alpha will approach education differently than previous generations. They will be less likely to pursue formal diplomas and degrees. Instead, they will concentrate on developing skills they’ll need in the future. Generation Alpha is used to receiving immediate responses to their questions. Hence, they will avoid long lectures in favor of online learning.
Representatives of this generation will also stand out for their media literacy. They can easily distinguish fakes from facts, and fiction from a real event. Keep this in mind when developing a brand communication and marketing strategy.
7 marketing tips to attract the Alpha generation
Marketers today are facing a real challenge. It’s difficult to communicate with erudite and media-literate audiences. Traditional marketing techniques are insufficient for such audiences. Alphas don’t focus on one thing for a long time. Instead, they constantly collect gigabytes of new data. Therefore, reaching them is quite difficult.
Here are some proven tips to help promote your products to an Alpha audience, and turn them into your fans.
1. Use personalized marketing
Personalization in marketing became popular a few years ago, and it continues to grow in popularity. Use personalized marketing if you want to win over generation Alpha. Create personalized offers and content for customers based on their interests, past purchases, demographics, or other personal information.
2. Involve the Alpha generation
This generation is a true pro in areas like podcasting, video content creation, and gamification. Involve Alpha in the development process to create something cool and memorable. Peer-to-peer videos, for example, receive far more views on YouTube than videos created by adults. Shoot a video in which one plays video games, unpacks toys, shares impressions of a product, and so on.
3. Create a simple and bright interface
To capture the new generation’s attention, develop a simple and clear mobile application interface and enrich it with bright characters. Alternatively, add gamified elements to your product. Even static books or toys can be brought back to life by developing a mobile app or using augmented reality. This feature will appeal not only to children, but also to their parents.
4. Look for popular kids bloggers
Generation Alpha is already heavily dependent on bloggers and influencers. Children behave, talk, and dress in the same way they do. Bloggers have become role models for users, influencing their interests and desires. Children under the age of 18 are, of course, financially dependent on their parents. However, with persistence, they will be able to convince their parents to buy what they want.
Find influential bloggers and thought leaders for generation Alpha. Invite bloggers to collaborate, or offer them to become a brand ambassador. This will help attract the blogger’s audience to your product and engage potential customers with interesting content.
5. Become a part of their lives
After finding your way generation Alpha, it’s important to stay there. Regularly remind them about your brand and product. Be a part of their lives and change with them. For example, Danonino (Danone Group), a well-known children’s yogurt brand, runs creative advertising campaigns regularly and attracts children in various ways. They do it with the help of magnets, cards, and augmented reality. The company’s hero, dinosaur Dino, was brought into augmented reality this winter. He promotes a healthy lifestyle and encourages children to participate in the challenge.
Source: vmlyr.com
6. Replace long texts with images and videos
Generation Alpha prefers communication through images and voice search. Typing long texts takes too much time and effort. To communicate with your Alpha audience, use photos and videos that are natural and easy to comprehend.
If you can deliver your message through a picture, then do it. If you need an expanded format, it’s best to shoot video. However, make sure the information is simple and concise.
Use photos or images that are authentic and minimally processed (or unprocessed). Children quickly recognize artificiality and fakes. Pictures of video game heroes, cartoons, and bloggers are currently the most popular. We’ve prepared a collection of images and videos to help promote your brand and products to the Alpha audience.
7. Communicate online
If you don’t have an online store or a social media page, we recommend creating one to attract generation Alpha. Kids want to push a button and receive an answer immediately. A simple website interface will result in more coordinated work, which aids in delivery. This will most likely keep Alpha returning to you.
Conclusion
Generation Alpha is radically different from others due to their technological upbringing. To win them over and successfully promote your product, use personalized marketing, concise and clear images instead of text, involve Alphas in the process of creating content for peers, and communicate online. Most importantly, do not be afraid about appealing to new formats!
