Generation V: the visual generation

In the past few decades, two generations have dominated the discourse surrounding B2C marketing strategy: Millennials and Gen Z. This conversation almost always revolves around what makes these generations different – from older generations (usually Gen X, or as Millennials and Gen Z call them, Boomers) but also from each other (many of which are nearly imperceptible to the untrained eye – see: Millennial pause).

Despite their differences, however, to focus solely on what sets these generations apart is to potentially neglect a much larger demographic: Generation V. Unlike the ‘generations’ defined by the year they were born, Gen V is a consumer category that brings together a unique cross section of Gen Xers, Millennials and older members of Gen Z that share a common trait: the preference for visual communication.

Generation V

Gen V is highly motivated by visual communication such as video, image, graphics, motion graphics and infographics, and according to Inc:

• Spend an average of 2.7 hours a day navigating between the apps on their smartphones
• Account for 89% of all TikTok users
• 91% demand visual content as the primary, secondary and tertiary forms of information delivery
• 86% prefer to learn through visual content rather than text-based content
• And for the real kicker, will only read on average 20% of the text brands present to them (so if you’ve made it this far, kudos to you)

While these statistics confirm that the visual generation is becoming increasingly influential, many brands continue to bypass Gen V in pursuit of Gen Z. Why? While we can’t speak for every brand, it is likely that many are trying to avoid the fate of those that came before – specifically, the brands that were unable, or perhaps unwilling, to adapt to the needs of Millennials and, as a result, faced an untimely demise.

So, the brands focusing on Gen Z are looking ahead – but it seems that they’re missing the big picture: the visual generation is not confined to Gen Z.

While Gen Z may feel more at ease with online and visual media, Millennials and Gen Xers have adapted to keep up and, in doing so, have developed a preference for visual storytelling – just like their younger counterparts.

Reaching the Visual Generation

As this group is driven by the desire to communicate through photos, videos and graphics, visual content is the way to go. However, the type of content is just one piece of the puzzle. The quality of the content will be the real determinant of whether you successfully reach Gen V.

As members of the visual generation are both content consumers and creators – and are responsible for over 70% of the user-generated content online today – they know what it takes to create engaging content. As a result, they expect brands to produce content that is better than what they could create on their own. This means that quality, rather than quantity, reigns supreme.

Targeting the shared interests of Generations X, Y and Z

It’s important to note that we are not suggesting that brands ignore Gen Z – after all, this is a demographic that currently accounts for 40% of all global consumer spending. Instead, we’re suggesting that brands simply keep Generation V in mind.

By creating high-quality visual content with messaging applicable to all three generations, brands can achieve their goal of engaging Gen Z while simultaneously increasing their engagement with Millennials and Gen X, too.

And as an added bonus, brands that cater to the shared interests of all three demographics see their revenues grow on average 49% faster than those that don’t.

So, what are you waiting for?

To learn more about how Wardour can help with your next visual campaign, pop us an email at hello@wardour.co.uk – we’d love to have a chat with you.