Connecting with Gen Z Through Sustainable Marketing Efforts

Gen Z — the teens and young adults born between 1997 and 2012 — are only beginning to assert themselves as a consumer generation, but already their values are clear. Environmental issues like climate change, pollution, and sustainability matter to them, and those issues influence their buying choices. Here are some tips for making your experiential marketing events more sustainable, along with ways to communicate your values to Gen Z shoppers.

Gen Z’s Consumer Values

Brands are seeking ways to connect with Gen Z because of their numbers, obviously, but also because as tweens, teens and young adults, they’re at the very beginning of their lives as consumers, a time when lifestyle and product preferences are shaped.

Like every generation, Gen Z requires a different approach than those that came before. It’s often said that Gen Z are the first true digital natives, and one of the things that means is they’re aces at research. Like their Gen X parents, Gen Z shoppers do extensive research on brands and products, comparing not only prices and features but also sustainability practices. They expect brands to be transparent about sustainability. Another trait they share with their parents’ generation is a desire for authenticity. They aren’t easily fooled by greenwashing.

There’s a tangible upside to connecting with Gen Z on environmental issues. According to a white paper by firstinsight.com, 62% of Gen Z shoppers prefer to buy from sustainable brands, and “a staggering 73% are willing to pay more for sustainable products” — as much as 10 percent more.

“To stay top of mind as Gen Z consumers navigate the market, brands need to consistently communicate their sustainable values and practices,” says a recent article on pditechnologies.com.

What does this mean for experiential marketing? “Experiential marketing as a strategy has historically been considered to be particularly wasteful with mass flyering, wasted product sampling and the usual trash (these events create) causing a negative impact on the environment,” says einsteinmarketer.com. Brands would be wise to use sustainable practices and materials in their experiential events, and they’d be well served by being transparent about the extent and impact of those practices.

Use Sustainable Materials and Production Methods

True sustainability starts well before your brand’s activation or pop-up. Building sustainable practices into your business model is less complicated than it sounds — and there’s a good chance your brand already uses some sustainable practices. These might include sourcing products and ingredients responsibly and ethically, choosing more sustainable or less wasteful packaging materials, and recycling, reusing, or donating surplus products.

Minimize Waste

At your brand’s experiential events, opt for reusable or recyclable materials for signage, displays, packaging, advertising, and giveaways. “If you have to flyer, provide access to recycling bins,” says sensemktg.com.

Or, instead of handing out hundreds of flyers, business cards, or other printed materials at all, “try using a reusable product information sheet with a QR code,” says healthandfitnessactivations.com. “This allows customers to take a photo of the info or save the website link, saving trees.”

Think broadly about reusable or compostable alternatives for everything in your activation or pop-up, such as cloth tablecloths instead of paper, or compostable gloves for food servers. Minimize the use of single-use plastics and disposable items. If sampling is part of your activation or pop-up, “think about providing compostable (or even edible) cups and utensils, and then ensure that there are the appropriate touch points on site for consumers to compost the used materials.”

Choose swag carefully — rather than defaulting to typical swag items distributed by the hundreds at brand experiences, choose products that help consumers eliminate waste (e.g., reusable water bottles and straws), are fully biodegradable, or are made from recycled materials.

Implement a comprehensive waste management plan for your event, including recycling and composting. Make a plan to donate leftover materials or items to local charities or organizations.

When designing the built environment of your event, create modular structures that can be easily disassembled and reused for future events.

Reduce Energy Consumption

When planning a mobile activation tour or pop-ups across multiple cities, consider “green” venues. “Before selecting the venue you’ve always used or the one that is the most well-known, do a little research into venues’ eco-friendly ‘scores,’” says a post on mogxp.com. “Look for solar panels, natural lighting, energy-efficient practices and waste management.”

Where possible, choose locations that are near public transit hubs or stops to make it easy for attendees to reach you via public transportation.

Reduce transportation emissions on your mobile tour by shopping local sources for items you’ll use on-site, instead of purchasing them in your home city and transporting them cross-country. For aspects of the built environment of the activation or pop-up that you can’t or won’t be able to reuse, use recyclable materials like wood and metal rather than plastic. Rent furniture and equipment when feasible, suggests agencyea.com. “These tactics drive huge cost savings and limit year-over-year expenses.”

Communicate Before and After

Your brand can showcase its commitment to sustainability by “providing detailed information about supply chain practices, product origins, and eco-friendly certifications,” says an Experiential Network blog post.

Assess the carbon footprint of your activation and explore ways to offset it, such as investing in carbon offset projects or supporting renewable energy initiatives. Be transparent about these efforts, and the concrete steps your brand is taking to reduce its impact. Collaborate with local communities to support sustainability initiatives, and partner with brands and organizations that share your commitment to sustainability.

Measure and evaluate the environmental impact of your experiential marketing, and use the data to inform future events. Seek new ways to improve the sustainability of your brand activations, and tell your customers about them.

By incorporating these considerations, you can create brand activations that not only engage your audience but also leave a positive impact on the environment.

Promobile Marketing is a dynamic experiential marketing agency based in New York City. For over a decade, Promobile Marketing has collaborated with a range of brands—from budding startups to major CPG brands—on immersive marketing campaigns. Get in touch to discuss your next project.