The New Authority: Why Gen Z Trusts Influencers Over Experts
There was a time when physicians were viewed as some of the most trusted experts in society and used in all kinds of advertising, including cigarette advertising. The phrase, “I’m not a doctor but I play one on TV” was enough to add credibility to almost any health or wellness product. Recently, however, there’s been a shift to influencers as experts.
A recent article in Fortune highlights how teenagers in the UK are viewing influencers as their go to for information.
So, what sort of reasoning is behind this?
EXPERTS ARE INCONVENIENT
Beyond Gen Z, this is bleeding into other generational and demographic cohorts. Experts are inconvenient for a variety of reasons:
Actual inconvenience: time, money, effort all provide barriers to getting to experts
Realistic (read difficult) advice: Real experts don’t have easy solutions to health, weight loss, getting ahead, etc. Their solutions often require work.
Unclear/confusing advice: Experts also often offer advice that isn’t well communicated, leaving consumers confused or unsure of how to proceed.
Too technical: Overly technical advice from experts can leave consumers frustrated at best and suspect their credibility at worst.
So, what lesson can brands learn from this? Within the realm of consumer research, brands need to speak to consumers in both a vocabulary they’re open to and in way they care about.
BRANDS NEED TO BE CONVENIENT TO CONSUMERS
Even if that means being inconvenient to the brand or its way of doing things.
What does that look like?
Too often brands are focused on internal goals. So then how can you tell a story that matters to consumers? How do you fill a need or make their lives easier?
How do you communicate these benefits to consumers? Yes, your product might have a lot of benefits that consumers don’t see, but what’s the one that generates breakthrough?
Where do you communicate with consumers? How do you find the places and voices that match what they want to hear?
What do you need to educate consumers about in the near-term and longer-term future?
Functionally, the most difficult piece is where to communicate. With so many channels and voices, finding the best means of communication is difficult. Yes, influencers can offer possibilities but so can direct old-school communication. The key is listening to consumers and fitting your product, branding, and messaging into their lives.
We at W5 have been focused on bringing wants, needs, and stories to life for over twenty years. We can help you listen to your current and potential customers better so you can craft solutions that meets them where they are instead of expecting them to adopt a new way of thinking. Get in touch to hear how we can help your brand get an edge.