VIDEO: Why Does Gen Z Matter to Ford?

While everyone is talking about Generation Y (Millennials) today, the influence of Generation Z (Gen Z) is on the rise.

Gen Z, the demographic cohort born after 1993, is 2-million-strong worldwide, and is very different from Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, according to a 2015 trend report by Ford Motor Company (Ford).

Those aged 21 and younger are highly connected through digital devices and engaged through social media. For example, 52 percent of Gen Z use YouTube or social media for typical research assignments, and 33 percent watch lessons online, says the report.

And compared to Gen Y, Gen Z is more likely to start a business and hire others, as well as to say they want to have an impact on the world.

To better understand this digital generation, we spoke with Sheryl Connelly, manager of global consumer trends and futuring at Ford, during Social Media Week.

According to Connelly, when Ford develops a vehicle, it usually takes at least three years for the company to bring the product to market. So as Ford’s in-house “Futurist,” Connelly’s job is to help the company understand what the world will look like five or 10 years from now.

Looking forward, what challenges and opportunities will Gen Z bring to marketers? And how does Gen Z (the majority of whom currently don’t have buying power for a car) influence Ford’s branding strategy?

Watch the video below to hear what Connelly had to say.