As Gen Z becomes a larger part of the consumer base, their preferences when interacting with companies should be on your radar. While this generation is the first to be digital natives, it doesn’t mean they always prefer it. Let’s look at some data and trends about Gen Z and customer communications.
Gen Z and Customer Communications: The Data
You probably think that Gen Z only wants digital communications. If you look at your email statement adoption rates, you can likely see many Gen Z on the list. However, the data tells a more nuanced story.
Here are some recent surveys and research projects about how Gen Z wants to hear from companies.
- They are the smallest cohort to prefer email promotions. Only 66% said this was the best channel, while all other generations were much higher.
- Texting is more their thing when it comes to promotion. Gen Z had the highest number for this channel.
- They expect personalization more than any other group at 55%. That’s an important note to remember when attempting to upsell or cross-sell to them.
This data represents promotional preferences, which are slightly different from transactional categories, which include documents with sensitive information.
However, their dislike of email as a channel in general has been growing. They think of email as more analog than digital. They characterize it as a more “formal” channel for professional communication.
Do they consider billing statements and other transactional communication professional? The analysis doesn’t get that granular, but it’s safe to say they’d put it in this classification.
In general, they prefer mobile-friendly options. They may never open the email with their bank statement. Instead, they may go directly to the app to review it. Push notifications from apps saying their statement is ready may be more effective.
Research Spotlights Banking Communications
Much of the research on Gen Z and customer communications of this nature has been in the banking industry. The majority (79%) use a large national bank. So, the trend of digital-only banking hasn’t won them over. They do use digital banking regularly, with mobile apps being their top preference.
We can assume that they have similar feelings about other similar businesses, like insurance and telecom.
But have they completely ditched paper?
Does Gen Z Still Want Physical Mail?
Physical mail is almost a novelty to these young consumers. It stands out among the digital noise in their inbox. They may also prefer it for security reasons, as they have spent a lifetime seeing data breach headlines.
You may be surprised to learn that Gen Z checks their mailbox more often than millennials! In fact, 43% do so daily. Many receive a print and digital version of a statement. They still want both because the physical letter can be a reminder when something gets lost in their inbox. This trend of wanting both will likely continue.
Gen Z: They Want Both!
The data and research clearly show that Gen Z is more likely to want print and email communications. They also demand personalization, which you can do in both types when you have the right workflow and system.
Transactional print and mail is unique. It’s not a promotion. It’s something the recipient actually needs. Getting it to them in both channels can be cumbersome, but not when you work with a provider who delivers both.
Check out our eDelivery platform and how it seamlessly integrates with print production!
