An introduction to the Millennial and Gen Z mindsets - how they're similar and how they differ - followed by a step-by-step guide for creating a foundational and holistic content strategy that is: 1) focused, 2) integrated, and 3) tailored to both demographics.

1. HOW TO FLEX YOUR CONTENT
STRATEGY TO REACH
MILLENNIALS GEN ZAND

2. Before we begin…

3. Before we begin…
1 I’m going to generalize.

4. Before we begin…
1 I’m going to generalize.
2 I am a Millennial. And I have
a Gen Z in my household.

5. Before we begin…
1 I’m going to generalize.
2 I am a Millennial. And I have
a Gen Z in my household.
3 This isn’t based on primary
research (yet).

6. What we’re going to talk about today…

7. What we’re going to talk about today…
Who are these Millennials and Gen Z?

8. What we’re going to talk about today…
Who are these Millennials and Gen Z?
How are they different?

9. What we’re going to talk about today…
Who are these Millennials and Gen Z?
How are they different?
Why we need to think about content differently.

10. What we’re going to talk about today…
Who are these Millennials and Gen Z?
How are they different?
Why we need to think about content differently.
What is the most effective approach to driving
meaningful engagement?

11. WHO ARE THESE
MILLENNIALS
AND GEN Z?

12. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO USE
MOBILEDEVICES.
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

13. (MOBILEPHONES.)
AS OPPOSED TO
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

14. 90%OWN A SMART DEVICE.
NEARLY
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

15. IN FACT, 2/3 WOULD
THAN SPEAK TO SOMEONE
ON THE PHONE.
RATHER TEXT
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

16. HAS NEVER BEEN JUST A RIVER IN
SOUTH AMERICA.
AMAZON
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

17. ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
OUTNUMBERED
MEN
WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

18. MOST HAVE NEVER GONE TO A STORE TO
BUY MUSIC.
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

19. SOCIAL MEDIA
OVER 90% ARE ON
DAILY.
(OVER 75% FROM A MOBILE DEVICE.)
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

20. 25%WILL NOT BUY FROM A BRAND THAT HAS A
POOR WEB EXPERIENCE.
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z

21. TOGETHER,
THEY MAKE
UP HALF
OF THE U.S.
POPULATION.
GEN Z
(21 YRS)
25.9%BABY
BOOMERS
(51–69 YRS)
23.6%
SILENT
(70+ YRS)
10.6%
MILLENNIALS
(21–35 YRS)
24.5%GEN X
(36–50 YRS)
15.4%

22. MILLENNIALS (BORN 1980–1995)
The Bottom Line:

23. MILLENNIALS (BORN 1980–1995)
• Digital know-how is important to their interactions with peers
and brands
The Bottom Line:

24. MILLENNIALS (BORN 1980–1995)
• Digital know-how is important to their interactions with peers
and brands
• Brand interactions must flex to their experience and context
The Bottom Line:

25. MILLENNIALS (BORN 1980–1995)
• Digital know-how is important to their interactions with peers
and brands
• Brand interactions must flex to their experience and context
• They are gluttons for entertainment and masters of self expression
The Bottom Line:

26. MILLENNIALS (BORN 1980–1995)
• Digital know-how is important to their interactions with peers
and brands
• Brand interactions must flex to their experience and context
• They are gluttons for entertainment and masters of self expression
• They have a high degree of purchasing power, with an emphasis on
experiences over “stuff”
The Bottom Line:

27. GEN Z (BORN 1996–2010)
The Bottom Line:

28. GEN Z (BORN 1996–2010)
• They communicate constantly, but are sensitive to oversharing
The Bottom Line:

29. GEN Z (BORN 1996–2010)
• They communicate constantly, but are sensitive to oversharing
• They have short attention spans
The Bottom Line:

30. GEN Z (BORN 1996–2010)
• They communicate constantly, but are sensitive to oversharing
• They have short attention spans
• They develop their own language and social structures
The Bottom Line:

31. GEN Z (BORN 1996–2010)
• They communicate constantly, but are sensitive to oversharing
• They have short attention spans
• They develop their own language and social structures
• They don’t just consume – they create, manipulate, and share
The Bottom Line:

32. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

33. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screensTech savvy: 2 screens
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

34. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screens
Communicate with imagery
and abbreviated social lingo
Tech savvy: 2 screens
Communicate with brevity
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

35. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screens
Communicate with imagery
and abbreviated social lingo
Creators and collaborators
Tech savvy: 2 screens
Communicate with brevity
Curators and sharers
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

36. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screens
Communicate with imagery
and abbreviated social lingo
Creators and collaborators
Future-focused
Tech savvy: 2 screens
Communicate with brevity
Curators and sharers
Now-focused
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

37. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screens
Communicate with imagery
and abbreviated social lingo
Creators and collaborators
Future-focused
Realists
Tech savvy: 2 screens
Communicate with brevity
Curators and sharers
Now-focused
Optimists and idealists
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

38. MILLENNIALS GEN Zvs.
Tech innate: 5 screens
Communicate with imagery
and abbreviated social lingo
Creators and collaborators
Future-focused
Realists
Want to work for success
Tech savvy: 2 screens
Communicate with brevity
Curators and sharers
Now-focused
Optimists and idealists
Want to be discovered
WHERE THEY START TO DIFFER

39. HOW ARE THEY
DIFFERENT?
5 Key Dimensions

40. TECH SAVVY
“I can’t do that
on mobile? Ugh. I
literally can’t even.”
Technology

41. TECH SAVVY
TECH INNATE
“I can’t do that
on mobile? Ugh. I
literally can’t even.”
“I’m digital AF, but HMU
with something fire.”
Technology
Gen Z Decoder
AF = as f*ck
HMU = hit me up
Fire = cool

42. SOCIAL
“All the selfies, all the
memes, all the time.”
Social Media

43. SOCIAL
ANTI-SOCIAL
“All the selfies, all the
memes, all the time.”
“Some peeps have no chill.
Like, their Insta is so ratchet.”
Social Media
Gen Z Decoder
No chill = uptight
Ratchet = a mess

44. MULTIPLE
PERSONALITIES
Identity
“OMG, worlds colliding.”

45. MULTIPLE
PERSONALITIES
SIMPLE
AUTHENTIC
Identity
“OMG, worlds colliding.”
“I’m not trying to be all thirsty.
Weird is the new black, k.”
Gen Z Decoder
Thirsty = desperate
k = an irritated way to
end a convo

46. FRIENDS
Family Life
“Friendsgiving is 100%%
my fave holiday.”
%

47. FRIENDS
MODERN
FAMILY
Family Life
“Friendsgiving is 100%%
my fave holiday.”
“I’m BFF with my mom
and grandma (but my
squad is still BAE).”
Gen Z Decoder
BFF = best friend forever
Squad = close friends
BAE = Before Anyone Else
%

48. AMUSEMENT
Entertainment
“My perfect Friday night:
binge watching Game of
Thrones (while peeping
Instagram and Twitter,
of course).”

49. AMUSEMENT
ESCAPISM
Entertainment
“My perfect Friday night:
binge watching Game of
Thrones (while peeping
Instagram and Twitter,
of course).”
“Current mood: emo.”
Gen Z Decoder
Mood = state of mind
Emo = emotional

50. WHY DO WE
NEED TO THINK
ABOUT CONTENT
DIFFERENTLY?

51. “The world keeps getting
noisier. Don’t make it worse.”
— Joe Coleman, CEO of Contently

52. Reaching multiple audiences across
generations is tough. Especially when
they have different needs, desires, and
content consumption habits.
That’s why it’s critical to take a holistic
approach to content strategy.

53. That means shifting
our perspective
from this:
1 super-cool
piece of content
that we think is
newsworthy and
important

54. That means shifting
our perspective
from this:
1 Don’t start with a piece
of content
2 Don’t push your priorities
onto your community
3 Don’t be tempted to run
before you walk
No-No’s
1 super-cool
piece of content
that we think is
newsworthy and
important

55. To this:
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Pieces of Content
Right Packaging
Channels for Audiences
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+

56. To this:
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Pieces of Content
Baseline content that is both
consistent with your strategy,
and flexible enough to allow
for nuances in tone, packaging,
channel, CTA, etc.
Right Packaging
Channels for Audiences
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+

57. WHAT IS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE APPROACH
TO DRIVING
MEANINGFUL
ENGAGEMENT?

58. What is “Meaningful Engagement?”

59. What is “Meaningful Engagement?”
PASSIVE

60. What is “Meaningful Engagement?”
More active methods of engagement underscore a
deeper connection to the content and/or brand.

61. What is “Meaningful Engagement?”
More active methods of engagement underscore a
deeper connection to the content and/or brand.
They can be interpreted as combinations of signals of
conversions or micro-conversions.

62. What is “Meaningful Engagement?”
CONVERSION
Click-through
rate
Time spent
on page
Number of
pages visited
Returning
visitor
+ + +

63. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+
Articulate what you’re trying to achieve, the target audiences, and what you want those
audiences to know or believe.1

64. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Articulate what you’re trying to achieve, the target audiences, and what you want those
audiences to know or believe.
Example: Hashtag University
Core Content Strategy —
To strengthen our position as a global communications innovator, we produce and
curate cutting edge content focused on our research and teaching, to inspire our
community of storymakers to fuel their own pioneering work in the world.
1

65. What you’re trying to achieve
How content supports the goal
Target audiences
What you want them to do
How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Articulate what you’re trying to achieve, the target audiences, and what you want those
audiences to know or believe.
Example: Hashtag University
Core Content Strategy —
To strengthen our position as a global communications innovator, we produce and
curate cutting edge content focused on our research and teaching, to inspire our
community of storymakers to fuel their own pioneering work in the world.
1

66. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+
Identify the overlap between what you want to share and what they need/want2

67. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Identify the overlap between what you want to share and what they need/want
CONTENT THEMES allow Hashtag University to pick broad topics that support
the core strategy, and then build upon it with a bunch of hyper-focused topics.
2
We are doing
cutting edge sh*t
and you can be a
part of it.
What you
want to
share
How to make an
impact as part of
a community.
What they
need/want

68. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Identify the overlap between what you want to share and what they need/want2
Content Themes —
To strengthen our position as a global communications innovator, we produce and curate cutting edge content focused
on our research and teaching, to inspire our community of storymakers to fuel their own pioneering work in the world.
1
BLOWING
MINDS
Show both processes
and outcomes of
innovation.
3
COMMUNITY
MOMENTUM
Get people excited
about everything
happening in the
community.
2
HIGHLIGHTING
IMPACT
Demonstrate the
many ways you’re
making a difference
in the world.

69. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+
Understand their content consumption habits and expectations3

70. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Understand their content consumption habits and expectations3
Content Packaging —
Content Theme They prefer… So make…
GEN Z
Blowing Minds
To get their hands dirty manipulating and filtering a
mind-blowing content experience
Filterable, shareable mix of media (image-based mini
stories, fun facts)
Highlighting Impact
Seeing themselves in the story and their ability to
make an impact
Imagery, testimonials, and participation CTAs
Community Momentum Being connected to diverse individuals Curated, bite-sized video narratives
MILLENNIALS
Blowing Minds Snack-sized, text-based compelling evidence Quotes and fast facts
Highlighting Impact Seeing proof of change Shareable mini-infographics
Community Momentum Knowing they are among like-minded people Categorized and searchable video and image stories

71. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Our Core
Content Strategy
Content Theme
Content Theme
Content Theme
Gen Z
Gen Z
Millennial
+
+
+
Understand who uses which channels and for what purposes4

72. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Understand who uses which channels and for what purposes4
Channel Usage Matrix —
Channel How They Use It
GEN Z
It’s dead to them. It’s like an awkward family dinner party.
IF they understand it, they use it to stalk celebs.
Where they post carefully constructed, high quality
content.
Their favorite place for real-time, unfiltered
documentation, because they can control who sees what.
What?
A place to satisfy the wide range of interests they
have — both entertaining and educational in nature.
Where they are their true selves and surround
themselves (through who they follow) with people who
have similar interests.
Channel How They Use It
MILLENNIALS
They live their lives out loud on Facebook.
News, celebs, sports, memes. If they want to know
something in real time, they turn to Twitter.
They personally curate their feed to include their
favorite influencers, friends, and brands that they
align with.
All the selfies, and all the pets, and all the food.
Where they curate their ultimate fantasy life
(wedding, home, food, whatever — it’s all about the
power of imagination).
A place to satisfy the wide range of interests they
have – both entertaining and educational in nature.
Most are occasional users (er, lurkers).

73. How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
Understand who uses which channels and for what purposes
Cross-reference this with Content Packaging (Step 3) to make decisions about focus channels
4
Channel Usage Matrix —
Channel How They Use It
GEN Z
It’s dead to them. It’s like an awkward family dinner party.
IF they understand it, they use it to stalk celebs.
Where they post carefully constructed, high quality
content.
Their favorite place for real-time, unfiltered
documentation, because they can control who sees what.
What?
A place to satisfy the wide range of interests they
have — both entertaining and educational in nature.
Where they are their true selves and surround
themselves (through who they follow) with people who
have similar interests.
Channel How They Use It
MILLENNIALS
They live their lives out loud on Facebook.
News, celebs, sports, memes. If they want to know
something in real time, they turn to Twitter.
They personally curate their feed to include their
favorite influencers, friends, and brands that they
align with.
All the selfies, and all the pets, and all the food.
Where they curate their ultimate fantasy life
(wedding, home, food, whatever — it’s all about the
power of imagination).
A place to satisfy the wide range of interests they
have – both entertaining and educational in nature.
Most are occasional users (er, lurkers).

74. Create, deploy,
measure, and
optimize
5 PROCESS
For content creation
and curation
EDITORIAL CALENDAR
Plan for what content will be
published when and where
DASHBOARD
To measure what’s working and what’s not
OPTIMIZATION
Recommendations to improve
or amplify content success
How to Drive Meaningful Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials
1
2
3
4

75. Brands On Fleek

76. #NailedIt: Campbell’s
Takeaway
The solution is not always
as simple as being on
the right platforms. Your
message has to resonate
(the most powerful
messages resonate with
multiple generations).

77. #NailedIt: Banksy
Takeaway
Technology is a fundamental way to
connect, but remember that Gen Z
craves regular “digital detoxes.”

78. #NailedIt: Converse
Takeaway
Being inclusive means
relinquishing some of
the control over your
brand’s projection.

79. #NailedIt: Taylor Swift
Takeaway
Today’s teens don’t want messages thrust
upon them, they want a community.
Bonus points for making strides toward
personalized experiences.

80. #NailedIt: Old Spice
Takeaway
Brands that embrace their quirky elements,
while remaining true to their authentic story,
are rewarded.

81. Questions? Comments?
As the Gen Z kids say, “HMU” —
ckent@ologie.com
@CarolynLKent
http://ologie.co/EngageGenZ