Keynote presentation for Mobile Connect 2020 virtual conference. "Setting yourself up for success by learning Gen Z's Mobile Habits"

1. Setting Yourself Up for Success By Learning
Gen Z’s Mobile Habits
1
Chris Barlow
VP Digital Channels
August 2020

2. Union Savings Bank – Danbury, Connecticut
• Community Bank
• $2B Assets
• 150 years old
• Charities
− Teachers Closet
• Support Local
Hospitals
• Small Business
2

3. Me & My Gen Z’ers
• Lead USB Digital Channels
• 20 plus years Digital Financial
Services Experience (Webster
Bank, USAA, Citigroup, American Express)
• Dad to 2 Gen Z College
Students
3

4. Who is Gen Z? – Today’s 8-23 year-olds
4

5. Gen Z Characteristics
• Spend $44M/yr in US – Influence $600M through
parents and education
• Digital Natives – don’t know a world without the
internet, smart phones and iPads
• Progressive and Politically Aware - Care about the
environment, and social causes
• Entrepreneurial - have learned time can be monetized
(Uber, Air B&B, DoorDash)
• Blurred Lives – lines between home, work, study and
entertainment intersect
• Personalized – Technology individualizes music
playlists, news feeds, product features, augmented
reality
5

6. Most Gen Z’ers are students
6

7. Mobile is the center of their universe
7

8. This device is your life
8

9. Digital Privacy Concerns
9

10. Digital Behavior
10
Differences from Millennials
• Learned from predecessors mistakes
• Prefer non-permanent media (Snapchat, IG Stories)
• Comment Less
• Follow Fewer
• Share Less Content

11. Mobile Leads multi-device consumption
11

12. Recommendations, Research, Real-World
12
• 47% research items on mobile
while shopping in brick and
mortar stores
• 60% are impatient with Customer
Service, will hang up if call not
answered in 45 seconds
• 42% will Game for a campaign
• 43% review products
• 60% won’t use slow Apps or
websites
• 63% prefer Real People to
celebrities

13. Mobile App Usage
What’s Missing?
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Big Retail
• Big Banks
What’s Different?
• Thrift Shopping
• Social Concern
Social Shopping Finance

14. Trust Social more than Brands
14

15. Verbatim Research - Social Influence is “REAL”
15

16. Influenced by Influencers – TikTok Roller-Skating
16

17. Pandemic has impacted coming of age moments
17
• No Graduations
• No Prom
• No Spring Sports
• Distanced School
Learning
• Difficult to find
Summer Jobs
Pandemic will define
the generation

18. Recommendations for Success
18
• Short Entertaining content
• Unobtrusive – engage on their terms
• Role of Influencers
• Personalized Relevant
• Delivered via Mobile
• Allow for Asynchronous conversations
• Support Social Causes

19. Questions?
19