This week we're breaking down:

• The Highlights:
  • Unpacking Spotify's Gen Z "CultureNext" trend report

• The Watercooler:
  • Outlining how to identify which marketing tactics to focus on

• #MarketingTwitter:
  
  • Diving into three Tweets about an upcoming Facebook redesign that is prioritizing video, understanding the depths of search intent in SEO and six strategies to maximize your marketing efforts

GEN Z CONSUMPTION HABITS ON SPOTIFY

Increasingly the line between creator and consumer is becoming blurred. Gen Zs are at the forefront of this in their intuitive understanding of creator platforms like TikTok. Spotify conducted a global survey with 12.5K respondents to understand what the relationship between audio & Gen Z is in today's age.

Five main trends have been discovered through the process of diving deep into this audience including:

1. Chasing Creators

The artist-fan relationship is changing. Fans are willing to become ever-more immersed in the world of opportunities that an artist is willing to provide. 48% of Canadian Gen Zs said they've joined a subreddit or Discord community for an artist.

2. Alter Ego Audio

The status quo is a no-go. Gen Zs are actively looking to understand who they are and make sure that they stand out with it. 71% of Canadian Gen Zs said they would listen to an artist, creator, or podcast that was considered niche as a way to explore their personalities and interests.

3. Hear it Out

A new parental voice? Yes and no. Gen Z listeners are turning to podcasts to help understand, relate and deal with growing up and the facets that come along with that. 44% of 18-24 year olds in Canada are listening to podcasts weekly, with listenership up +57% from Q1 2022 and the year prior.

4. Nouveau Nostalgia

It's all about the reference. Gen Zs are more likely to refer to old classics (in fashion, culture, and music) as a way to tap into who they are and repurpose what once was. 81% of Canadian Gen Zs love when brands bring back old aesthetic styles. It helps them ground to a time when people didn't spend three years of their life growing up in a pandemic.

5. Life in Stereo

A chance to give your brand a voice. The Gen Z community is engaged and interested in understanding how audio plays into a brand itself as well as what the brand would say. For example, Tinder partnered with Spotify to allow users to provide a 30-second sample of their favourite song at the moment. Building unique ways to tie audio into how people interact with a brand helps build stronger connections and a way to identify oneself. 

WHAT MARKETING TACTICS SHOULD YOU FOCUS ON?

When it comes to marketing tactics, which ones should your brand focus on, and more importantly, why? 🤔

I see so many marketers flying blind when it comes to choosing tactics and I can’t help but think about how bad that is for business.

So, why is it so difficult?

🚩 Looking at your own past performance is great for things you've done before, but it won’t show you the right way to execute when you’re marketing on a new platform, trying a new strategy, or messaging to a new audience.

🚩 If you are keeping tabs on competitors and industry leaders, oftentimes it’s hard to isolate which part of their strategy is actually driving the growth they’re seeing.

🚩 Looking outside your own four walls for best-practice examples is a good step, but you need to be able to measure if what they’re doing is actually working for it to be reliable.

That said, there is a way that allows you to:

👍🏼 Keep up with best practices without spending all your time googling, spying on competitors, or hiring another analyst.

👍🏼 Learn a proven process to deconstruct winning digital strategies and isolate true growth drivers.

👍🏼 Learn how to measure if what competitors or inspirational brands are doing is actually working.

THREE TWEETS

Here are three Tweets you should check out this week:

1. A Facebook redesign with a clear push to video

2. A thread on understanding the importance of search intent

3. Six strategies to maximize your marketing efforts

In case you missed any previous versions, check them out via the links below.

1. Time to Consider Gaming - What's Working in Marketing

2. Reimagining Your Marketing Budget - What's Working in Marketing
3. Are you doing SMS marketing correctly? - What's Working in Marketing