Gen Z Is Becoming the Main Shopping Advisor for Older Generations

Advertising holding Group4Media presented new data on the influence of Gen Z on consumer behavior in Russia at the “Medialetuchka 2.0” conference.

Who Are Gen Z
People born after 1997.
In Russia there are about 25 million representatives of this generation, with almost 15 million already over 18 years old.
They spend an average of 6.5 hours online per day, which is about one hour more than millennials.

Influence on Purchasing Decisions
63% of Gen Z directly influence the purchasing choices of older generations.
They shape demand across 140 product and service categories.
In 34 categories their share already reaches 25–35% and continues to grow.
They also tend to have more discretionary income and are less inclined to save.

Oleg Tembotov, CEO of MediaSystem
“Gen Z is growing up and becoming a powerful driver of sales. We are seeing a shift in the hierarchy of purchasing decisions and brand choices: the younger generation now has not only its own wallet. They are becoming authorities both among their peers and among older audiences.”

How Brands Should Work with Gen Z
76% of Gen Z are willing to spend extra time searching for the perfect brand.
More than half of them use ad blockers.
The key strategy is native integration into content.
Brand recall in this format is 2.9 times higher.
71% are more likely to buy products integrated into their fandoms and hobbies.

Effective Marketing Channels
Online video, digital out-of-home and city formats, outdoor advertising, TV shows, marketplace homepage banners, messaging apps, online audio, podcasts, and influencers.