Recently, to meet the needs of Young generation, the brands have taken up the focus on Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) marketeers in recent years, younger consumer cohorts are coming up behind and food manufacturers already has started paying attention. I reckon others in FMCGs need to have an insight into the shopping patterns of those aged 21 and under Gen Z. This involve carrying out more studies into the “attitudes and behaviors” of Gen Z and then linking those factors to what those consumers actually buy. The trend so far suggests that ‘for Gen Z’, brands to be authentic, not be otherwise. “Gen Z is deeply motivated by authenticity and a brand’s ’emotional DNA’, which we define as how completely a product or brand aligns with the values shopper’s attribute to it,” says Robert Tomei, president of consumer and shopper marketing. “Because Gen Z shoppers rely more on brand recognition to make purchase decisions than their millennial counterparts, it is critical that manufacturers and retailers create transparent and authentic relationships with the Gen Z population early on to build loyalty as their purchasing power grows.” Linked to that trend is a desire among Gen Zers “to be a part of the feedback loop”. “Gen Z has little interest in or patience for brands that try to ‘sell them’, without sincerely working to get to know them. They want to be an active part of the brand relationship and want a feedback loop and an interactive dialogue – underscoring social media’s importance in both reaching and engaging with them,” Moreover, studies claim some 38% of Gen Z kids “think it’s cool to get ads or promotions in their social media feeds for products based on their interests/shopping habits”, a level researcher say is “much higher” than for millennials. There are those, of course, who may argue the recent backlash in some quarters over the data held on users by the likes of Facebook could present a counterpoint to that finding. However, future studies will give marketers more food for thought as they look to draw up strategies to entice an increasingly-important demographic in a period of intense competition.