Reality Bytes: Second Annual Generational Study Reveals How Gen Z Behaves, Buys & Builds Online

A groundbreaking international study conducted by The
Center for Generational Kinetics and commissioned by WP
Engine reveals that Generation Z, born between 1996-2010, is fueled
by technology in all facets of their life, and expects the Internet to
connect them, entertain them, sell to them and build their digital
brand. It’s a generation whose relationship with technology can be
summed up by Steve Jobs’ famous quote when launching the iPhone in 2007
- “your life in your pocket.” The survey, a follow up to one conducted
in 2017, explores three key aspects of Gen Z’s relationship with
digital: Being Online, Buying Online and Building Online.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190129005920/en/

A groundbreaking international study conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics and commissioned by WP Engine reveals that Generation Z, born between 1996-2010, is fueled by technology in all facets of their life, and expects the Internet to connect them, entertain them, sell to them and build their digital brand. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Gen Z is well on its way to becoming the largest generation of
consumers by the year 2020,” said Mary Ellen Dugan, Chief Marketing
Officer at WP Engine. “This will have profound implications for
marketers and brands who, to effectively engage Gen Z, must embrace new
technologies, experiment with new forms of communication and internalize
the nuances in how Gen Z seamlessly blends the analog and digital
worlds.”

Being Online

According to the study, Gen Z continues to be the most
Internet-dependent generation - 55% of Gen Z can’t comfortably go more
than four hours without the Internet, while 22% of Baby Boomers can go a
week or more. Gen Z, which has never known a world without the Internet,
not only expects 24/7 digital access but expects that within five years
everything - clocks, refrigerators, vacuums, dishwashers and other
appliances - will be connected online.

Gen Z has grown up in the hyper-personalized world of targeted
advertisements and social platforms. As a result, they are willing to
trade privacy for personalized experiences - 44% will provide their
personal data to enable a more personalized experience over an anonymous
one. Additionally, 44% of Gen Z would stop visiting a website if it
didn’t anticipate what they needed, liked, or wanted.

Buying Online

Given Gen Z’s dependence on the Internet, it’s fitting that merely being
online is no barrier when it comes to earning their trust as consumers.
When asked if an online-only company was less trustworthy than a solely
brick-and-mortar business, 75% of Gen Z say no. Gen Z also prefers
businesses to have an online presence and a physical storefront,
a clear reflection of the “clicks-to-bricks” opportunity brands such as
Warby Parker and Bonobos have identified and are capitalizing on today.

As shoppers, Gen Z demands that brands be both socially accountable and
imbued with a sense of authenticity in their interactions. 69% of Gen Z
are more likely to buy from a company that contributes to social causes;
nearly the polar opposite of Baby Boomers, of which only 23% are more
likely to buy from companies that contribute to causes with which they
agree.

Another interesting digital note: despite Gen Z’s eagerness to access
the web using new methods and different devices, they still show a clear
preference for a company’s website over a mobile app when making
purchases. This fact held true across all generations, with Baby Boomers
leading the pack at 85%, followed by Gen X (82%), Millennials (68%), and
Gen Z (61%).

Building Online

When it comes to building their career, Gen Z is much more
entrepreneurial than their predecessors - 64% plan to start their own
business. They are also the first generation to express an interest in
building a tech business over retail, the first preference of all other
generations. 66% of all Americans would start their business online
first, proving that most new companies will be a tech company at heart.

For Gen Z, building a personal brand is also highly instinctive, but
they are much more purposeful and conscientious about it than their
Millennial counterparts. 72% of Gen Z worry that their online actions,
including social media posts and past purchases, will affect job offers.
53% believe their online reputation will determine their dating options.
Perhaps that’s why Gen Z is fiercely committed to authenticity when
considering the brands they use and buy. 79% of Gen Z trust a company
more if the images they use are not photoshopped and 84% trust a company
more if they use actual customers in their ads.

The following are key findings from the study.

• Internet vs Education: A staggering 64% of Gen Z would rather
  have unlimited access to the Internet and no college degree than a
  college degree and no access to the Internet. This was a tracking
  question from the 2017 survey and it jumped 23% year over year (52%).
• In Internet We Trust: Gen Z is the first generation to view the
  people who manage or build the Internet as more important than
  political leaders around the world, with 54% of Gen Z reporting that
  belief. This increased 12.5% from 2017 (48%) to 2018.
• Content Matters: 26% of Gen Z prefer to be entertained by a
  company’s online content, while 92% of Baby Boomers prefer to be
  informed. 82% of Gen Z are more likely to purchase from a company that
  provides consistent and relevant content (videos, blogs, social media
  posts, magazine).
• News vs Entertainment: When it comes to news, 85% of all
  Americans prefer that it is accurate, however Gen Z (18%) and
  Millennials (19%) lead those who prefer it to be entertaining. Gen Z
  had the least amount of trust in the news, with only 21% saying they
  trust or highly trust it compared to 37% of Gen X and Baby Boomers.
• Tech Forecast: Gen Z has a powerful tech-centric view of the
  future. When thinking about how websites will function five years from
  now:
  • 80% of Gen Z believe that with biometrics (fingerprint and face
    recognition, voice and speech recognition), Internet
    authentication will be done without keyboards.
  • 78% think that through augmented reality or virtual reality, the
    Internet will impact our view of the world constantly, wherever we
    are.
  • 72% believe that everyone will have their own personalized virtual
    digital assistant (Siri, Alexa, etc.) to help them do everything
    they need to do online.
  • 79% think all software and websites/digital experiences will have
    digital learning/AI capabilities.

“Gen Zers are empowered, connected, practical, empathetic self-starters
who want to stand out and make a difference in the world,” said Jason
Dorsey, President at The Center for Generational Kinetics. “They merge
the human and digital experiences - it is all one combined reality for
them. They are fueled by technology engagement and value uniqueness,
authenticity, creativity, shareability and purpose. And they look for
that from the world around them.”

Raised on the Internet, Gen Z Lives in a Different World

From being to buying and building online, Gen Z is already changing the
way we build digital experiences. While generations from Baby Boomers to
Millennials continue to view the Internet as bimodal, Gen Z is the first
generation to intrinsically combine the digital and the physical worlds.
From now on, the digital experience will be synonymous with our human
experience.

To read the complete “Reality Bytes: The Digital Experience is the Human
Experience” study, please visit https://wpengine.com/gen-z-us,
where you can learn more about the results, sign up for the Gen Z
webinar and download a copy of the ebook and infographic.

Survey Methodology

The custom 30-question survey was designed collaboratively by WP Engine
and The Center for Generational Kinetics. The study was administered to
1,258 respondents in the U.S., ages 14-59, who currently use a
smartphone on a regular basis, and it was weighted to current U.S.
Census data for age, gender, and region. The survey was conducted online
from August 27-30, 2018. The study’s margin of error is +/-3.1%.

About WP Engine

WP Engine is the WordPress Digital Experience Platform that gives
companies of all sizes the agility, performance, intelligence, and
integrations they need to drive their business forward faster. WP
Engine’s combination of tech innovation and an award-winning team of
WordPress experts are trusted by over 90,000 companies across 135
countries to provide counsel and support, helping brands create
world-class digital experiences. Founded in 2010, WP Engine is
headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has offices in San Francisco,
California; San Antonio, Texas; London, England; Limerick, Ireland and
Brisbane, Australia.

About The Center for Generational Kinetics

The Center for Generational Kinetics is the leading research, speaking,
and solutions firm focused on Millennials, Generation Z, and solving
generational challenges. The Center’s team of PhD researchers,
strategists, and keynote speakers help leaders around the world solve
tough generational challenges in areas ranging from employing multiple
generations and recruiting Gen Z to selling and marketing to Millennials
and across generations. Each year, The Center works with over 150
clients around the world, from car manufacturers and global hoteliers to
insurance companies, hospital chains, and international software firms.
The Center’s team is frequently quoted in the media about the effect of
generational differences on everything from shopping and parenting to
work style and social media. Learn more about The Center at GenHQ.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190129005920/en/