Not Monolithic: Gen Z Segmentation Intro

While all generations share key characteristics spawned from the times and culture into which they are born, they are not monolithic.

Within each generation, cohorts appear that have common traits and interests based on personality, upbringing, and unique passion points. While all Zs are digital natives, some have a preference for coding and others for social media. While they are all coming of age in complicated times politically, some feel the pull to change the world more through activism while others are drawn to do so through their future careers. And while many Zs experienced the Great Recession firsthand, for some this translates into a desire to be wealthy, while for others it drives a need to save as much as they can.

These six segments are the distinct tribes within Gen Z, and among them you will see your brand’s key audiences. Each piece of this report will further detail their unique point of view compared to other Zs, ultimately providing a clearer understanding of the attitudes and motivations of your core consumer.


Cassandra’s Segmentation Can Be Used To:

Inform consumer strategy through an aspirational segmentation that not only addresses attitudes and preferences, but also incorporates who young adults are striving to be based on their passion points, success factors, and desires. This is critical for understanding young audiences who are in the process of establishing their personal identities with an eye toward setting themselves up for future happiness.


Contextualize marketing & messaging by identifying the types of content that each segment prefers, their favorite brands and what makes them relevant, as well as their receptiveness to marketing messages. This dovetails with the detailed portrait of their passions and interests, allowing brands to tailor their engagement with modern young consumers.


Define channel strategy by revealing not only where young people spend their time but also where they are most open to hearing from brands. While there has never been more opportunity to reach young people, businesses can find themselves spread thin as they try to deliver on every channel possible rather than maximizing efforts in the channels that deliver the greatest ROI with their target segments.


Identify optimal need states by identifying when and why consumer segments are motivated to make purchases. Along with spending propensity and attitudes toward money, brands will understand the key factors impacting each segment’s brand loyalty, indicating the ultimate potential value of each segment.