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Reading Time: 3 minutes They are the digital natives, Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012 – they do not know a world without the internet, smartphones or social media. They are also the next cohort to buy our meat, dairy and horticulture products, and they pose a very different marketing proposition to their parents and grandparents. Dr Morgaine Gaye, a London-based food futurist, said the perception is they are disconnected, obsessed with the social media and virtual worlds, which means they are divorced from the reality around them and not interested in it. Believe that at your peril, she warned. Generation Z is very much aware of what is happening and the type of world they are inheriting, and can see through any half-truths. As a food futurist, Gaye advises food companies on marketing and consumer trends, information she gathers from observations or from what could be considered disparate tidbits of information. She told Farmers Weekly that, while Generation Z are more emotional than older generations and seek food and beverages that address those needs, they also seek the truth. She described Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, as the curling generation because their parents acted like the sweepers clearing a path ahead of a curling stone that has been thrown down the ice as part of the sport. Their parents do not want them to suffer as they may have. Millennials are more interested in celebrities than in global issues, but Gaye said Generation Z are more militant, angry about the state of the world they are inheriting and leading protests on streets around the world seeking to drive change. “They have been raised with the paradigm of get a job, get a better job, get a house, get a bigger house, get a mortgage, get a bigger mortgage, get a car, get a bigger car … “They are now asking ‘Is that it? I’ve got so much stuff and now I’m not free and I don’t feel so good.’” Gaye said those preparing to market goods to this emerging generation must realise they are less trusting and will uncover what is real if they believe they are being fed false information. “Using a picture of a cow wearing a hat with a daisy in her mouth? Forget it.” They want to understand, they want reality. “For them it is ‘Here is the truth, don’t sugarcoat it, make it real,’” said Gaye. This generation are also focused in their health, which is reflected in lower intakes of alcohol and caffeine than other generations, although surveys show consumption rates have started to rise. “They are not the drinking generation and they are also not the caffeine generation because they don’t want to feel more edgy; they are already anxious.” Gaye said Generation Z are disillusioned by mass-produced food and see real food as coming from smaller producers but also from experiences, such as visiting farms and buying from cottage food producers. Covid 19 caused them to look at their lifestyles, aspirations and what they were eating, such as the ingredients in alternative protein products. Gaye said they realised they needed to change and they have gravitated towards nature and reality. They are eating meat and dairy, but consuming smaller portions of high quality red meat. She said Generation Z seeks experiences as opposed to surrounding themselves with consumer items such as clothes and shoes. “Stuff is not what they want and that is what the paradigm of humanity has been telling them for a long time, buy more stuff.” Wallace’s Meeting the Market tour has been made possible with grants from Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, Rabobank, Zespri, Alliance Group, Meat Industry Association, Wools of NZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, NZ Merino, European Union and Gallagher.
