Generation Z and Video
As someone born in the early 90’s I have been lucky enough to experience the uptake and importance of video at exactly the right time in my life. Having lived and breathed the world of media for nearly a decade now, I like to think I know a thing or two about trends, topics and what makes effective media content pop.
For me, over the last 12 months, I have been struck by how the world of professional video blurs evermore with that of hobbyist and amateur video content. 2020 undoubtedly is to be the year that businesses of all shapes and sizes need to really think about how they can utilise, stand out and differentiate themselves more than ever before.
In 2019, out of the top 10 most downloaded free apps, 7 were related to video creation. The Chinese startup TikTok set the world alight, amassing 80 million downloads in the 12 months to Christmas since becoming the latest unicorn (companies valued in excess of £1bn) to hit the market! TikTok, it is safe to say, has enshrined in Generation Z that being creative and producing video content is now cool!
It really excites me how widespread video media has become. I remember in 2013, when PinPointMedia was formed, discussing video with businesses was hard, and actually selling it was even harder! I put this down to the fact that people and businesses had a fear of the unknown; text and pictures had worked well for so long. The fact is though, that Generation Z, whether they know it or not, are changing the world of marketing as we know it.
Companies and brands need to ensure they don’t become complacent with distributing average content. Understanding that not all content is good content is absolutely key to owning this fast-paced world.
Instructing and working alongside a creative agency with the knowledge, infrastructure, and manpower to conceptualise, produce and distribute your content will be ever more important as we venture into a new decade. I say this as having the ability to pull on a multitude of resources and experience will far outweigh the immediate cost savings you may see from hiring in-house creatives or attempting to film content on an iPhone or a cheap camcorder.
Yes, there is a time and a place for brands to post an amateur video shot on an iPhone. However, should a brand or business wish to produce meaningful, purpose driven content that delivers a return on their investment (ROI), amateur is not the way to go.
The evolution of tech over the last decade has been immense and iPhones are now more powerful than computers were in the early noughties. This, however, doesn’t mean you can point, shoot and be left with something that will propel your brand or product into the stratosphere.
Arguably, the knowledge base and understanding of the media world and what makes people tick is becoming ever more abundant, and yes, firms are starting to onboard creatives to work in-house on projects that they may otherwise have outsourced. For sure, in some instances this can work; an example may be when internal uniform content is required. However, to grow a brand profile or generate sales, this is generally not the way to go.
Ultimately, for me, the increased demand and ease of which people can create, and access video sharing platforms is exciting. Over the forthcoming year businesses and brands will need to fundamentally diversify the content they distribute as well as how. Creative agencies will start to hire a greater number of people from Generation Z, ultimately, Generation Z have grown up creating emotive video content and, as such, have the ability to creatively and commercially think of inspiring, engaging and effective content for brands, when teaming this creativity with the infrastructure of a agency the ability to be experimental and push the boundaries of what is possible for content marketing will be mind-blowing!
Should you have any questions for Oliver or the wider team, please email hello@pinpoint-media.co.uk or visit www.pinpoint-media.co.uk