Brief:

• Generation Z — consumers ages 13 to 24 — are more likely to recall advertising than older generations, even when they spend less time watching skippable content. Fifty-nine percent of Gen Zers recalled a brand's skippable video ad, compared with 57% of millennials and 47% of Gen Xers, per a study by Snap and Kantar emailed to Mobile Marketer.
• More than half (55%) of Gen Zers who watched a skippable ad for less than two seconds correctly remembered it, compared with 46% for millennials and 26% for Gen Xers and baby boomers, the study by Kantar found.
• Gen Zers also showed higher rates of brand preference, with 65% of younger consumers saying brands help them to express themselves, compared with 40% for Gen Xers and baby boomers. The cohort's higher rate of brand preference demonstrates a key opportunity for marketers to connect with this valuable audience.

Insight:

While many have argued that Gen Z's short attention span is a challenge for marketers, Snap wants to show the cohort offers brands an opportunity to achieve higher ROI on their marketing if they tailor it correctly.

"This study proves that Gen Z audiences are far faster at processing information than we might have given them credit for," according to the study. "This faster speed of cognitive processing means that brands who want to engage Gen Z need to tailor their video creative and focus on communicating brand and product messages as early as possible."

Gen Z, a consumer group with an estimated yearly spending power of $1.2 trillion, watch less advertising than older groups. On a scale of time spent with advertising, the cohort under-index at 79 compared with the mean of 100. Millennials indexed at 94, while folks over 40 indexed at 151 on time spent with advertising. The shorter attention span suggests marketers must communicate their message more quickly, including through ads that may be viewed for two seconds at the most.

Snap is highlighting the study as part of a broader campaign targeting brands and their ad agencies. The company last month launched its first B2B campaign, "Meet the Snapchat Generation," to showcase the app's appeal among Gen Z users. The B2B effort featured testimonials from marketers such as snack maker Frito-Lay and the NFL, which explained why Snapchat's audience is important to their marketing efforts. Social responsibility, community-building, individuality, nurturing friendships and new ways of communicating were the key themes in connecting with Gen Z.

The campaign followed a prior effort in June to demonstrate how marketers can use Snapchat more effectively. The company's "Snap Focus" education portal introduced six classes that marketers could take individually or as a complete course to receive a free Snapchat Ads Manager certification. Before that, the company hosted its annual Snap Partners Summit to showcase a variety of new features for developers, marketers and creators.