Marko Stavrou, better known as the Gen Z guy, is a knowledgeable marketer who has made it his mission to understand audiences. In founding one of his many entrepreneurial ventures, Genlink has positioned itself as one of Africa’s leading consulting and insights firms, dedicated to addressing the challenges and opportunities of the next generation, and helping a reputable client list like Standard Bank, Deloitte, Walter Sisulu University and Zoho, speak to a younger audience, specifically in their marketing.
“First and foremost, I am an entrepreneur,” Stravrou highlights. This important point allows him to understand the pain points of fellow business owners and what insights he can share with them.
In 2015, Stavrou downloaded Instagram, which gave him access to a vast world of information for the first time. “For the first time, I had access to podcasts and information that was blowing my mind because I didn’t have access to business people who could share knowledge like that,” he recalls. “This was my first avenue to the belief that I can achieve this as well.”
He started his own podcast, the Young Hustler’s Network, which enabled him to interview over 100 people from whom he could learn and improve his business acumen.
A few years ago, at a Standard Bank event, Stavrou started a career-changing partnership. “One of the executives at the event said that none of their people actually understand young people, and many young people don’t have a relationship with the bank because they only have accounts there because of their parents.”
Speaking to the Different Generations
Marketers, or business owners handling their own marketing campaigns, can easily forget that the “old ways” of marketing to the masses have changed. Not only are consumers paying to avoid digital marketing messages, but they are also actively seeking out engagement with brands that resonate with them. Followers become fans who can be converted into paying customers – but this is only a dream if you don’t learn how to engage with your target audience.
Generations that are currently marketed to consist of Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and even a few Gen Alphas (anyone born after 2010 and before 2024)
“We are all human, but we all need to understand that there are generational defining moments that shape every generation.” He uses the examples of the 2008 global market crash, COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic, and the rise in social media as these ‘generationally defying moments’ that shaped Gen Z consumers. Furthermore, each generation has its own experiences that evoke nostalgia and act as an identifier that binds age groups together. Older Millennials might think of the first Rugby World Cup in 1994, or even the 9/11 tragedy in the USA. And younger Gen Alphas might have their own influences that bind with their own idea of who they are.
Noting this fact, Stavrou explains that this is why cultural hacking is so important. “This is looking at events that are happening in your sphere and applying them to your business.” He shares that a great example of this is any business that is leveraging the success (or rather the popularity) of the Springbok Rugby team to uplift their own brand awareness.
“Cultural hacking means that we are looking at events that are happening relevant to certain groups of people and using that in our marketing just to become more relatable and human.
“A lot of brands are so surface-level and focused on direct selling. We don’t want to be sold to; we want something real and raw. That’s why organic social media is so important.”
Pulling from Genlink’s recent study, 70% of users spend more than 5 hours per day on social media. “These platforms are free, and it doesn’t cost SMEs anything to be on these platforms.”
Marketers and Business Owners Need to Communicate Value
Entrepreneurs need to understand how to add value to their customers and communicate that clearly in a way that authentically resonates with them.
“People care more about what you can actually do for them than what you say you can,” he explains.
More than this, he highlights that brands need to understand that instant gratification has become ingrained in customers’ needs. “Businesses need to take a look at how long it takes customers to get value from the product or service that they are trying to purchase. “The longer it takes, the more friction there is that affects your brand’s reputation.”
Stavrou adds that simplification is often the key, citing that SMEs cannot simply and efficiently communicate what they do (what value they are providing to a customer), other than saying they sell X or produce Y.
“More often than not, they don’t know who their ideal customer is, and they don’t know what the customer needs. They don’t even understand the customer journey map,” he passionately emphasises.
“What an SME needs to do is place the end goal of what a customer wants to achieve at the start point of their journey map. Next, this means that they need to draw on data that helps understand the behaviour and psychology of the user. An entrepreneur will follow this by incorporating the business’s objectives. This is how the gap between what the customer wants and what the business offers is identified.”
Stavrou says that during this stage, an entrepreneur must not be afraid to have conversations with hundreds of people that fall into this target group, as this helps them to better understand what the customer likes or dislikes – it is a step that needs to be taken even before a solution is created. “This means that when you are selling, you have clarity on exactly how your brand is bringing value to the customer and solving their problems.”
