Gen Z consumers (13-24-year-olds) get flack for having notoriously shorter attention spans than other age groups. And while that may be true, it is just one part of the picture of the demographic’s habits.

One area in particular where Gen Z-ers distinguish themselves from other generations is their ad recall ability: they are much more likely to remember the videos they see, even if they spend less time watching skippable content.

The stats

A study conducted by Snap and Kanta found that while Gen Z consumers had shorter attention spans, “Fifty-nine percent of Gen Zers recalled a brand’s skippable video ad, compared with 57% of millennials and 47% of Gen Xers.”

Furthermore, they found that:

• More than half (55%) of Gen Zers who watched a skippable ad for less than two seconds correctly remembered it, compared with 46% for millennials and 26% for Gen Xers and baby boomers, the study by Kantar found.

• Gen Zers also showed higher rates of brand preference, with 65% of younger consumers saying brands help them to express themselves, compared with 40% for Gen Xers and baby boomers. The cohort’s higher rate of brand preference demonstrates a key opportunity for marketers to connect with this valuable audience.

The takeaway

Snap’s motive with the study is to show how Gen Zers are an underestimated audience segment that can actually yield higher ROI if marketers approach them properly. The authors of the study remarked:

This study proves that Gen Z audiences are far faster at processing information than we might have given them credit for. This faster speed of cognitive processing means that brands who want to engage Gen Z need to tailor their video creative and focus on communicating brand and product messages as early as possible.