Here’s how brands can play the multigenerational game
As Millennials transition from new kids on the block to making up the main bulk of the workforce (in the wise words of Smash Mouth: “The years keep coming and they don’t stop coming”), a new demographic of gamers has marketers and customer support experts scrambling to keep up: Gen Z.
87% of Gen Zers play video games at least weekly, and catering to their needs can be challenging. Gen Z gamers are more connected, environmentally aware, and tech-savvy than any age group before them. Add to that a generous spoonful of social media presence and ever-evolving slang, and it’s easy to see why attempting to keep them engaged might mean playing the CX game in hard mode.
Their younger siblings have also entered the chat: 9 out of 10 Gen Alphas are already game enthusiasts, and they hold significant sway over their Gen X and Millennial parents’ spending habits.
So, how can gaming companies win over digital natives across the world and learn to speak their language? Here’s a sneak peek at our “Level Up: Delivering a Custom CX to the Younger Gamer” checklist, lifting the veil on what makes Generation Z tick… and Tok.
A brave new virtual world: Marketing in the age of the metaverse
Did you know that, according to a recent Razorfish study, 52% of Zoomers feel more like “themselves” in the metaverse than in real life? On top of that, 33% of respondents would like brands to offer virtual stores for browsing and buying products in the digital world, and 30% would be on-board with the purchase of branded “skins” for their avatars.
It should come as no surprise, then, that some of the most successful marketing campaigns targeted at Gen Z gamers have included virtual events, eSports, and partnerships between game developers and globally acclaimed fashion brands.
Gen Z players are a tough crowd to impress: Regular old ads won’t cut it. Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need to whip up a winning marketing strategy:
Collaborations with well-known brands, streamers, and influencers
Young gamers aren’t immune to the appeal of unique digital items: The ongoing partnership between Burberry and online game platform Roblox shows that virtual apparel goes hand in hand(bag) with Gen Zers’ desire for self-expression. The gaming industry is also no stranger to enlisting the help of celebrities and influencers to gain exposure (just ask Fortnite’s developers!).
Leveraging their lingo
Want to go FTW and deliver a marketing OHKO without sounding like a total n00b? Well, go easy on the acronyms. Understanding and adopting Gen Z’s lingo and gaming slang can help you connect with your audience, but make sure you don’t accidentally cross the line into cringe county. Trust us, we saw the reaction of our Gen Z interns when they read that first sentence: It wasn’t good.
How Gen Z is reshaping customer support: A speedrun
What do Gen Z consumers want? Quick, frictionless support with minimal human interaction. When do they want it? Yesterday. In fewer words? Forget phones. As discovered by a new Talkdesk report, only 24% of Zoomers would wait on the line for a rep to save the day, while in the last year alone, 85% relied on automated agents.
An ideal customer service strategy to “meet them where they’re at” should include:
FAQs, resource centers, and chatbots
30% of Gen Zers find a lack of online information frustrating, and 75% would rather seek self-service solutions on a third-party platform than reach out to customer service. The best way to keep them from running off to Google, Reddit, or YouTube? Ensuring your FAQs and resource centers are updated regularly, and implementing automation to answer common queries.
Multiple communication channels
Emails are out, social media and instant messaging — in. For younger generations, convenience is king, which means that the best CS solution is a combo of self-service options and varied communication channels. WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Messenger: Whichever platform your players pick, support should be but one DM away.
Unlocking the Gen Z Expert achievement with Unbabel
With so many factors to keep track of, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed — especially considering that gaming is a worldwide phenomenon, and every step of the customer experience won’t just need to be tailored around the needs of Gen Z gamers, but also primed for a global audience.
Unbabel’s Language Operations solution can help you take your CX strategy to the next level, no matter where your customers are when they press Play. Our AI-powered solution combines the speed of machine translation with the polish of native-speaking editors, enabling you to:
Get gaming-specific terms and new slang right across all languages through the development of dedicated glossaries.
Keep your FAQs and help resources up-to-date, relevant, and fully localized.
Translate customer support tickets in real-time, with AI-assisted MT that is trained on your content and integrates seamlessly with your CRM.
Are you ready to unlock the Gen Z Expert achievement? Download our checklist and find out now.
