Dive Brief:

• Gen Zers might be digital natives, but they cherish the chance to connect with the real world, with 70% reporting they want more time to hang out with friends and explore places away from digital devices, according to a report from Saatchi New York made available to Marketing Dive. 
• The demographic group also doesn't care much for clever brand names, according to the report: Instead, they focus on price and quality of craft when choosing a product. 
• The study also found a brand opportunity for social consciousness — Gen Z might not like what they hear on the news, but 65% don't think there's much they can do to address this. At the same time, 79% said they would engage with a brand that could help them make a difference. Saatchi New York's findings stemmed from face-to-face interviews with 50 kids in the Gen Z demographic — defined in this case as 10- to 19-year-olds — along with surveys of 1,300 more online.

Dive Insight:

While marketers' understanding of Gen Z preferences and spending habits is continually evolving, the Saatchi report makes clear that the group craves authenticity over more traditional branding. The agency described the group as set to turn the world upside down as true digital natives, in part thanks to a more informed worldview than any generation coming before it.

Stemming from that, Gen Zers appear to understand that a picture-perfect brand image is manufactured, so marketers should approach tactics like celebrity endorsements carefully and think more about purpose-driven marketing. Other recent delves into Gen Z habits found a propensity to watch video on mobile devices, in particular. More than 80% of the age group also reports that social media influences their shopping habits, according to Yes Lifecycle Marketing.

However, the same Yes Lifecycle Marketing study cautioned that marketers shouldn't pigeonhole age demographics based on generational stereotypes — a point reinforced by Saatchi's findings that, while kids might be spending more time on mobile phones, they also desire and value real experiences that draw them away from their devices.