People’s relationship with media—how they consume it, how they engage with it and what they take away from it—is constantly changing.
When my parents came home from work, they’d turn on the TV, lean back and soak in everything they missed since reading the morning newspaper. They didn’t have smartphones feeding them alerts and updates in real time. They didn’t have internet browsers to shuffle between tabs to read the latest celebrity gossip, breaking news or five-ingredient weeknight dinners. A lot has changed since then.
At Twitch, I have watched our largely Gen Z and millennial audience demonstrate just how different our relationships with media have become. Going beyond observations, Twitch explored emerging trends and behaviors in entertainment and surveyed thousands of members of its global community to better understand these shifts. This research helped Twitch uncover best practices for brands that wish to engage leaned-in, younger adult audiences.
Create collaborative experiences
Looking back, using my landline to cast a vote (or several) for my favorite contestant on a TV show or calling into a radio station for a chance to win concert tickets was a huge step forward in media. These moments turned the linear experiences of watching TV and listening to the radio into something so much more. That was just the beginning of how we now connect with and interact with media today. Society has continued breaking down the barriers between consumers and media, and entertainment has become increasingly participatory in the process.
Interactivity is becoming the baseline for many Gen Z and millennial consumers. When surveying members of the community, Twitch found that three in five viewers report that they interact with rather than simply consume content when visiting Twitch, and nearly three-quarters of viewers agree that interactive tools help make advertising more interesting.
Increasing interactivity can be as complex as dynamic integrations built into video content or as simple as open channels of communication for viewers to connect with brands or ambassadors of brands.
Thanks to technology, stars that were once out of reach are now a direct message away from you, and events people once took planes and trains to attend can be attended from virtually anywhere. For many of us, especially Gen Z and millennials, consuming media has become a fluid experience.
Lead with authenticity
In the past, the images people saw in media were aspirational and out of reach for many of them. More recently, consumers have become wary of meticulously curated and perfectly polished content. Consumers are now searching for genuine, human connections and the accompanying imperfections: A selfie without makeup, a look behind the screen or a vulnerable moment with fans.
When speaking to Gen Z and younger millennial consumers, the best thing a brand can be is authentic, relatable and conversational. Nearly two-thirds of Twitch viewers surveyed agree that advertising doesn’t need to be as perfect as the commercials seen on TV every day. Consumers want to see moments of real emotion, and 71% of young adults who watch Twitch report that livestreaming allows brands to show a more human side.
Working with streamers, creators and other influencers offer brands a chance to connect authentically with communities. However, it’s important that agencies and marketers find the right influences for their brands. In the research, Twitch found that viewers are more likely to consider brands that streamers recommend, and even more likely to consider brands and products they know streamers actually use.
Giving content creators of any size a reason to share their passion for a product can help build affinity for your brand authentically.
Younger generations are reshaping the way we consume and engage with media, and the trends they create have become fixtures in our culture. Savvy brands are leaning into the is leaned-in generation. You might make mistakes along the way, but younger adult consumers are expecting effort, not perfection.
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Allison McDuffee is Twitch’s director of sales insights and measurement for the Americas. McDuffee is focused on developing Twitch’s best-in-class, data-fueled research capabilities, and her team strives to identify actionable insights about the highly engaged Twitch community for brands and advertisers, and develops measurement solutions to attract and grow business.
