Insights from IAB: How Fetch + NYX won Gen Z

In the dynamic landscape of consumer influence, understanding and engaging with Gen Z is a game-changer for brands. 

At this week’s IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, Fetch Chief Revenue Officer Robin Wheeler and Kait Flynn, former L’Oreal marketing executive, shared insights and strategies for making meaningful connections with this elusive audience.

Their session, titled “Unlocking Gen Z’s Shopping Potential: Strategies for Influencing In-Store Behavior Through Digital Platforms,” brought attendees through Gen Z’s idiosyncratic purchase behavior while introducing Fetch as the best platform to reach this audience. 

During the session, Wheeler emphasized the need for brands to adapt to Gen Z’s ever-changing needs. This generation is less brand-loyal than other demographics, with nearly three-quarters of Gen Z shoppers reporting that price is extremely important in purchase decisions. 81% of Gen Z consumers would switch from their favorite brand if they found a similar product at a better value. 

Both Wheeler and Flynn characterized Gen Z as thrifty and tech-savvy, speaking to this audience’s penchant for seeking the best-possible deal. But building lasting connections with Gen Z is crucial for brands, and cost-cutting discounts can negatively impact loyalty. 

The session then turned to Fetch as the solution to engaging–and driving long-term behavior–with Gen Z. Flynn took the audience through a recent NYX Professional Makeup campaign on Fetch, which targeted known brand buyers, competitive buyers and shoppers new to NYX during the Halloween shopping season.

While Fetch appeals to this generation’s rewards-driven preferences, it also provides the omnichannel shopping experience Gen Z wants. Recent data reveal that this demographic is more likely to shop on mobile than older consumers, but they strongly prefer in-store shopping. As a result, brands need to bridge the gap between online and offline experiences. 

Fetch is the best solution for engaging with this audience, creating a seamless omnichannel experience across a variety of channels and verticals. 

“Fetch has exactly what Gen Z shoppers want in a platform: personalization, savings and rewards, social functionality and a fun user experience,” Wheeler noted. “This demographic is distrustful of traditional advertising, but when they come to Fetch, they’re not experience brands as ads. They’re experiencing them as content.” 

But Fetch’s unique ability to engage with Gen Z extends beyond performance marketing. This generation prefers purchasing in cash, which means many of their transactions fly under a brand’s radar. However, Fetch’s ability to capture both digital and physical transactions – online, in a store, with credit and with cash – provides brands with the ability to see exactly what, how and where Gen Z puts their dollars.  

For NYX, Fetch’s insights and a Gen Z-oriented user experience was a winning combination. The brand’s Halloween campaign yielded a high incremental return and seeded lasting purchase behavior amongst Gen Z shoppers. 

“Ultimately, Gen Z is a long-term play. Their loyalty isn’t easily attained through traditional ROAS strategies,” said Wheeler. “But as they age, familiarity with a brand becomes the key to securing their loyalty. Building that lasting connection is crucial.”

Are you ready to bring your brand to millions of high-intent Gen Z shoppers? Get in touch with the Fetch for Business team today.