Mahesh Aslam discussed how General Z’s lifestyle culture is forming media selection and brand strategies.
In Pakistan, the General Z now is about 80 80 million people, making them an important target for the brands, which aims to reach the conscious audience of the digital, socially. The influence of the General Z is undeniable. Their global spending power is estimated at about $ 360 billion in the United States only by 2024. They also spend more time online than any other generation and give the devices more than seven hours a day a day.
Mobile and Video First
For General Z, the smartphone is their digital world gateway. The oldest members of this generation were about 10 years old when the first iPhone was launched in 2007. They all grow up in a mobile first world. According to a data court report about the State of Apps in Pakistan, the number of hours spent on mobile phones in Pakistan in 2023 was 99 billion and 70 % of that number can be attributed to General Z. Their mobile first lifestyle is not just about entertainment, it spreads how they shopping, interacting with brands. Since platforms such as Techtok and Instagram are developed to accomplish this mobile -powered behavior, they have become more than just places for communication. They are the essentials essential touch points of social trade.
Anger is unbearable for this generation. They prefer short, breakfast videos – usually under a minute, which prefer fun, humor and humor. Tactics, Instagram rails, YouTube shorts and snack video have taken the essential form of their daily media consumption. In 2023, Ticotok was the most downloaded social media app, which had about 31.8 million downloads from -2022 to nine percent-and that number is likely to reach more than 50 million downloads in 2025. Although short format is dominated by videos, General Z has enjoyed ‘Bengable’ content from platforms like Netflix, Prime Video and Holo. In Pakistan, local and international films are now taking advantage of this trend, such as direct sports, from sports directly, such as Taibmad, Start Watch, Mico and Samsha, now benefiting this trend. Of these, the spectacle took the top place in the chart as the most downloaded video platform in Pakistan in 2023, with about 12 12 million downloads, followed by Netflix, Prime Video, Mico and TAPMD.
In 2023, one -third of the Pakistani downloads was a game, which connects Gaming and direct streaming platforms such as Tweech and Discard to General Z. Interaction on these platforms is from raids to direct chats, thus allowing users to find their ‘tribe’ and build communities in ways in which other platforms cannot be copied yet. Although OTT services were the fourth largest app in 2023 (Netflix and Prime Video collectively contributed more than 3.8 million downloads in Pakistan), the big challenge has led to hesitation in the payment of General Z content. Given the power of their limited costs, it is selected about breeding subscriptions. Publishers wanting to adopt paying models will need to find ways to engage with this audience if they are willing to be obedient to a membership.
The future of purchase
Social trade is renewing the purchase, and Instagram and Pennasthist Shops are leading the allegations. General Z not only shops. It also sells influence reviews, the user’s content and product recommendations with driving decisions. Although in Pakistan, traditional media has become an important awareness driver, General Z is looking for communication that is fast, comprehensive and direct, which facilitates push information, direct videos and podcast tools. In addition, looking at General Z’s brief attention (often less than eight seconds), the brands have to produce a successful, successful content that quickly attracts their attention.
DIY, Educational and User -created content
General Z is known as almost as much material as they use. Platforms like tickets and Instagram have allowed them to express their creativity. The creation of content has taken the necessary form for the digital culture of the General Z, and in this regard, the most important change by the General Z is the rise of the creator’s economy and the materials of content in platforms such as Ticotok, YouTube and Tweich. This business sentiment has turned the content creation into a viable career for many young people. Learning has also moved online, which has a significant growth with platforms such as Maxad (Pakistan’s most financially -powered Aid Tech Startup) – which includes 1.6 million new downloads in 2023. Podcasts, YouTube videos and other media are focused on mental health, fitness, and career growth as General Z is gaining popularity as personal capabilities.
Social and moral use
For General Z, the brand values ​​are important. They are linked to global communities and are aware of issues like diversity and participation and other social issues. They appreciate the brands that are in accordance with their moral beliefs-as they are climate change, mental health or diversity, and they rush to reject content or brands that they consider to be detrimental to the welfare of society. Transparency is very important and brands that fail to provide real value or lose problems.
As the largest population group in Pakistan, General Z is forming a strategic direction of brands. Their EVERY, every platform offers a two -way street where their terms, language, emotions, jokes and community guidelines are discussed. These dynamics vary from the platform to the platform. The way they engage in the disccon and the twitch is different from their behavior on Instagram. The challenge of marketers, the challenge is to create ‘raw heat’ content that resonates with these diverse tribes, and produces the Approach view of each platform’s culture and wibk.
Mahesh Aslam is the head of digital products, JS Bank. Mehwishaslam@gmail.com
