Interview: Marketer Sidhanth Gopishetty on how brands can better engage with Gen Z consumers

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE is proud to present Content 360 – Hong Kong: Stories for a new era, a conference about content marketing, content trends, content narratives, and storytelling in a post-pandemic era. Taking place on 20 June at Hotel ICON, our 26 speakers will share with us their insights and experiences on content strategy for crisis, sustainability, engaging with Gen Z, influencer marketing and how AI will impact consumer intelligence.

Joining us on the panel on how to tweak content to engage with Gen Z consumers is Sidhanth Gopishetty, regional general manager of marketing, customer engagement and communications, Toys“R”Us Asia, who leads marketing for Toys“R”Us across 550 stores and nine eCommerce sites in Japan, Greater China and Southeast Asia. He is also a seasoned leader with over 15 years of global experience in multiple marketing and brand management functions across the retail, consumer goods and technology industries.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Gopishetty said Gen Z consumers are always looking for value in brand campaigns, therefore every piece of content a brand produces should be true to and consistent with the brand’s value and customer proposition.

“Authenticity among brands resonates highly with Gen Z consumers. Therefore brands need clearly communicate how their products or services or offerings are aligned with their values and of course complemented by the benefit to the end customer,” he added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What element do you think a brand should incorporate in its content to communicate better with Gen Z consumers? 

Brands need to be bold and have a personality that flows through every piece of content generated. Gen Z is more interested in quirky and creative which tell a story, rather than hard selling messages. Last but not least, brands should focus on entertainment through their content rather than traditional marketing.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What do you think Gen Z consumers are looking for nowadays? 

With easy access to digital platforms and an abundance of information to research, Gen Z is willing to invest the time to find brands and products that provide the best value, stand for a true purpose and provide unique products, services and experiences to their customers.

Gen Z is also more dependant on word of mouth from peers, or genuine recommendations from influencers. This demographic customers are witness to 10’s of thousands of marketing messages everyday. Research data shows that Gen Z audiences don’t notice 84% of ads, and only 1% actually purchase from an ad. This is something brands should consider when building marketing strategies.

Additionally, Gen Z is also looking for a sense of community, and sometimes they look up to brands to provide that sense of belonging to them.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Do you agree that every brand should utilise social media such as TikTok and Instagram Reels to drive more engagement with Gen Z consumers? 

TikTok and Instagram are key digital platforms that Gen Z engage with, and yes brands should have a prominent presence on them. That said, for owned channels, brands need to define a clear content strategy for each channel and use them more as communication tools to begin conversations with Gen Z customers, rather than marketing tools.

Brands should also identify key influencers on these platforms and look to partner with them, as long as they’re relevant to the category. Reels are a great format as they force a brand to effectively communicate key messages in a short time period.

Again, research data shows that Gen Z generally lose interest in a video ad within eight seconds, and so reels are an essential short form content format for brands to master.

Join Content 360 - Hong Kong: Stories For A New Era where over 150 content marketers come together to shape the future.  Content 360 - Hong Kong is a must-attend conference that focuses on cutting-edge content trends, innovative creation techniques, strategies to customise your content for the newest marketing channels, and more. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your content marketing game in Hong Kong! Tickets are on sale now, register today. https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/content360-hk/