NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly
nine-in-10 (87%) of Gen Zers are worried for the environment and
the planet, according to the 2019 Porter
Novelli/Cone Gen Z Purpose Study. The study, surveying
Americans ages 14-22, examines this emerging generation's
expectations of and attitudes toward company involvement in social
and environmental issues – and the actions they are willing to take
to positively impact topics they care about.
"The events of the past year show the steadfast determination of
Generation Z to make their mark," says Brad MacAfee, CEO, Porter Novelli. "This research not only
reinforces what we're seeing in the marketplace, but also how
companies can engage this generation that is so driven to change
the world for the better."
Tired of the divisive narrative that has taken over the national
news, 94 percent of Generation Z believes our country needs to come
together to make progress on important issues. In fact, 85 percent
would rather focus on the positive progress we've made rather than
the negative.
This generation feels profoundly influenced by events that have
impacted them directly in recent years. Eighty-six percent of
Generation Z says events like the Stoneman Douglas High School
shooting have made them care more about issues affecting them. This
cohort feels they are the key to change moving forward. Nearly
nine-in-10 (87%) percent are inspired when their peers like Emma
González and Greta Thunberg take
stands on issues and just as many (88%) say their generation has
the power to change the world for the better. And even up against
nearly insurmountable problems and increased urgency, Gen Zers
remain hopeful – with more than three-quarters (76%) stating they
believe in five years' time we will have made advancement on
important issues.
Looking to align with Purpose-driven companies
While they feel personally responsible to make a difference, the
vast majority of Gen Zers (90%) also believe companies must take
action to help social and environmental issues. And they're holding
these organizations accountable. More than nine-in-10 (93%) say if
a company makes a commitment, it should have the appropriate
programs and policies in place to back up that commitment and
three-quarters (75%) will do research to see if a company is being
honest when it takes a stand on issues.
Companies that demonstrate authentic Purpose to this astute
demographic will be rewarded, as Gen Zers use Purpose as a core
filter in deciding which companies to associate with. Eighty-three
percent (83%) consider a company's Purpose when deciding where to
work and nearly three-quarters (72%) factor in a company's Purpose
when shopping.
"In the ever-increasing war for budding talent, companies must
understand that Purpose is a strong filter for Generation Z," says
Alison DaSilva, EVP Purpose
& CSR, Porter
Novelli/Cone. "Gen Zers are not willing to check their
values at the workplace door, so companies need to clearly
communicate how they are making an impact to appeal to this driven
but discerning generation."
Priority issues among Generation Z
While Generation Z feels unprecedented urgency around many
pressing issues, the environment (26%) is the top priority that
they want companies to address. This issue superseded poverty and
hunger (19%), which led in 2017, as the one issue they want
companies to solve for. Other ranked issues include:
- Human rights (19%)
- Economic development (14%)
- Health and disease (13%)
- Education (10%)
When looking specifically at the hot-button issues gracing
headlines today, Gen Zers feel companies have a role to play in
solving for myriad topics. Although environment is a priority, it
is not exclusive. Job creation (91%) remains the top news-worthy
issue Gen Zers want companies to address, following by racial
equality (90%), sexual harassment (90%) and women's equality (89%).
Other topical issues include:
- Climate change (85%)
- Religious freedom and tolerance (83%)
- Immigration (81%)
- Gun control (80%)
- LGBTQ rights (74%)
- Fake news (67%)
Notably, the research saw a significant jump among two specific
topics. The percentage of Gen Zers who saw gun control and LGBTQ+
rights as priority issues for companies to engage around both grew
roughly 15 percent from 2017 (from 68% to 80% for gun control and
65% to 74% for LGBTQ+ rights).
"As a generation that sees a school shooting every twelve days
on average and the rights of their LGBTQ+ friends become
compromised, it's no surprise they are looking to companies to
engage on and influence these issues," says DaSilva. "Gen Zers are
seeing the impact of many of these issues first-hand, and they are
determined to change the course."
Taking action for impact
Generation Z does not expect companies to go it alone, they're
willing to roll up their sleeves and participate. Around
three-quarters of Gen Zers stand ready to support companies that
care in a variety of ways, including: sharing their positive
opinion about a company doing good (85%), buying a product with a
social or environmental benefit (84%) and learning what they can do
to make a difference (84%). Engagement spans both on- and offline
actions:
- Volunteer (83%)
- Sign a petition (82%)
- Donate (81%)
- Boycott/refuse to buy from a company (77%)
- Research if a company is helping or hurting society or the
environment (77%)
- Share social or environmental information with social networks
(77%)
- Take an online action to trigger a donation (76%)
- Protest (67%)
Social media as a change driver
As truly digital natives, Generation Z uses social media not
only to learn about issues, but to make a meaningful difference.
More than nine-in-10 (91%) Gen Zers say they use social media to
learn about and participate in issues they care about. They feel so
well-informed, in fact, that more than three-quarters (77%) say
they know more about important issues than their parents or
guardians.
This generation sincerely feels social media engagement can
drive change. Eight-in-10 (80%) feel they can have an impact on
issues by using social media, so much so that 64 percent believe
supporting issues online is more effective at making a difference
than doing something in their communities. They view their
engagement on their social channels as a powerful way to motivate
others to care (35%). They are less motivated by more self-serving
reasons such as making themselves look like a good person (7%).
Other motivations include:
- It shows others what they care about (17%)
- They want to be a part of the conversation about the world
around them (15%)
- It shows they are informed (9%)
Over the past two years, Generation Z's habits and preferred
social media platforms have changed. While Facebook remains
relevant (61% vs. 66% in 2017), it dropped in importance. Now Gen
Zers are more likely to turn to YouTube (64% vs. 50% in 2017) as
the priority channel, followed by Instagram (63% vs. 51% in 2017).
Other channels include:
- Snapchat (47%)
- Twitter (38%)
- Pinterest (21%)
- Reddit (15%)
- LinkedIn (9%)
"Generation Z has seen the effectiveness of social media to
amplify one single voice into a movement, and they're using it as a
powerful lever to make their demands heard," says MacAfee. "This
generation is empowered, committed and driven, so let's help them
amplify their impact by giving them more tools to change the world
for the better."
About the Research
The 2019 Porter Novelli/Cone Gen Z Purpose Study presents the
findings of an online survey conducted by Toluna from August 12-15, 2019 among a random sample of 1,026
American consumers ages 14-22, comprising 500 males, 515 females
and 11 other. The margin of error for a sample of this size is ± 3
percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.
About Porter Novelli &
Cone
Porter Novelli is a global
public relations agency born from the idea that the art of
communication can advance society. More than 45 years ago, we
opened our doors – and people's eyes and minds – for brands driven
to make a positive impact. Today, we believe that organizations
must find, live and tell their Purpose in order to thrive. Those
companies will motivate action, secure loyalty and encourage
advocacy — all in service to a healthier bottom line.
In 2017, Cone joined Porter
Novelli, and the next year formed the world's largest
dedicated Global Purpose Practice. Together, with a collective 80
years of experience and more than 100 subject matter experts,
Porter Novelli and Cone help more
than 140 organizations define their authentic Purpose, weaving it
into the brand DNA to both grow the business and positively impact
the world. Our deep subject matter expertise in Purpose Brand
Strategy, CSR, Social Marketing, Social Impact and Brand
Communications creates breakthrough work and unforgettable
experiences to ignite action around issues that matter. For
additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com/.
Porter Novelli is a part of the
Omnicom Public Relations Group.
About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of
three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and
specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to
women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility.
It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in
more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to
companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide
range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for
clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of
innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom
Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a
division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more
than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines
including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer
relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding
and research.
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