With social media advertising projected to reach $276.7 billion this year, according to February research from social media monitoring company Sprout Social, it’s clear that most marketers align on the importance of using social platforms to reach highly sought-after Gen Z consumers. It’s also clear that social platforms are saturated with ads, with social ads accounting for $3 of every $10 spent on digital advertising and marketers spending an average of $46.47 per user, per Sprout Social.
While social remains a core component of media budgets, advertisers have sought unconventional ways to reach and impress the generation born between 1997 and 2012.
OMD USA Managing Director Danielle Atanda was among the marketing professionals who helped AdAge explore the unexpected platforms that enable brands to connect with Gen Z.
“It’s difficult to scale investments in apps such as Strava, which is why more brands have increased investments in platforms that cater to wide swaths of interests, including Reddit and Discord,” said Danielle Atanda, managing director of client leadership at OMD USA. As one of her clients continues to increase its spend on particular communities within Reddit, it’s seen a steady return.
“Reddit is a great place for Gen Z,” she said. “Usually, when you significantly increase budgets in a particular platform, you will see diminished returns. But for one brand we’re steadily increasing that budget … it’s unexpected how much performance we’re driving.”