GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 45 - October 2019

enerations have historically been defined by a specific period of time marked by significant events, such as war, economic boom, natural disaster, technological advance or peacetime, which helped drive a paradigm shift in society. Each generation is defined by its own specific characteristics, traits and values. The young adults of 1969 (the Baby Boomers), born after the war, were very different to the “new teenagers” of 1959. The young adults of 1989 were different again to those of 1979, and 40 years later, the young adults of today (our current and future customers), most commonly referred to Generation Z (or the “iGeneration”), are markedly different than the generations before them. Recent years have been a melting pot of different generational characteristics and traits coming together, driven by globaliza- tion, a natural process of homogenization accelerated by a new disrupter: technology. Where before the changes in particular social groups were in- fluenced by events local to them, changes today are increasingly driven by international influences. The world is also much more socially, culturally and ethnically blended than it used to be as people move around the world much more, with each new social and cultural grouping adapting and carving out a new identity in its new environment. Add to this the internet and the advent of a new virtual world, which in some ways emulates the physical world but in others creates an entirely new set of social and cultural groups that transcend physical borders, and the challenge of identifying a set of common generational characteristics becomes nigh impossible. Born near or after 1995, Gen Z-ers have been around for a while now. Many of them work in iGaming. A significant number of them will be reading this article. With that the case, why is the industry still struggling to attract and engage them as customers? Having recently surpassed millennials as the biggest generation ever by population, for all the reasons above, they are also the most socially, racially, ethnically and culturally diverse generation of all time, with each social grouping (physical or virtual) having its own set of characteristics and traits. In today’s multicultural world, gaming operators have a choice – go local and target specific (physical or virtual) customer groups based upon jurisdiction or common interests, or go global based upon a set of principles that are the most common characteristics of the generation. The first is too extensive in scope for a mere article, so let’s focus on the second and discuss the key markers of this generation and why the industry should tune into them. Generation Z grew up in a “me too”’ world of peer pressure, social engagement and validation. As consumers, they have more choice than ever, and their choices are increasingly driv- en by values, ethics and principles. Value and quality are more important than brand loyalty. Experience, achievement and interaction is everything. First off, this is a group whose choices are driven by influencers, advocates, endorsers and peer reviews. These could be social media influencers on Instagram, or endorsers of a product or activity on YouTube, or as a result of general popular culture. Examples of the iGaming industry tapping into this sensibility are betting firms in Nigeria engaging actresses or rappers as ambassadors, and BetVictor snapping up Harry Redknapp after he won I’m a Celebrity in 2018. Trust built via peer reviews is entirely in keeping with a group that has grown up with eBay, Amazon and Trip Advisor. Throw in a growing awareness of how companies can pay to manipulate search engine rankings and a massive move to voice-based search (Alexa, Siri, etc.), and the first takeaway is that the relevance and impact of traditional SEO and affiliate acquisition techniques are massively diluted. Secondly, this is a consumer group that is more about quali- ty than quantity and loves sharing new, unique experiences. GENERATION Z Generation Z grew up in a “me too” world of peer pressure , social engagement and validation . As consumers, they have more choice than ever , and their choices are increasingly driven by values , ethics and principles . G G P W A t i m e s . o r g 30