Brands must understand the ‘interesting disparity’ of Gen Alpha

As digital natives, Generation Alpha appear confident in their online media consumption, but behind their apparent competence hides “a vulnerability behind that bravado”.

That is according to a new study from independent agency The Kite Factory in partnership with strategic insights company Source Nine, which sought to better understand how to market to Generation Alpha by acknowledging the environment in which they spent the early part of their childhood.

Gen Alpha, generally comprising those born between 2010 and 2024, are considered the first fully digital-native cohort, with their formative years shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic alongside a societal shift in parenting style, according to Lydia Martin, strategy director at The Kite Factory.

The report found that the older people are, the less they agree with the notion that “children should be allowed to express themselves freely”. While less than 40% of the silent generation (those born before 1946) agreed, this figure rises to 68% for millennials.

This shift in how children should be brought up has in turn led to how children behave and how they respond to voices of authority, including brands, the study concluded.

Meanwhile, Martin said, there is evidence to suggest recent coverage of the “loneliness epidemic” among Gen Z is trickling down to Gen Alpha, who were going through a significant developmental stage during the height of the pandemic.

“It changed the ways children were socialising and connecting with their peer group,” Martin pointed out, much of it the result of social anxiety and perceived lack of opportunity.

Confident yet vulnerable

This group thus presents an “interesting disparity” for marketers, according to Rob Harrison-Plastow, founder and CEO of Source Nine, because Covid “happened at such a crucial development stage” that it may have stunted parts of Gen Alpha’s social development — despite the confidence they exude online.

For these reasons, the report suggests security and connection are key themes that marketers need to tap into if they want to appeal to Gen Alpha. “This generation expects more than a product or service — they demand meaningful, personalised connections that reflect their values and needs,” it reads.

At the same time, the shift in parenting style for this cohort, as well as the confidence with which Gen Alpha navigate the digital landscape, also mean they consume media differently.

Gen Alpha’s general rejection of authority means broadcast media — as top-down, authoritative channels — connect less well with them. Instead, they generally gravitate towards social media’s decentralised and personal nature.

The proportion of time parents spend with their children in the evenings is now at its highest level since before the pandemic, presenting advertisers with an opportunity to reach families together.

However, as the demographic ages and becomes increasingly independent from their parents, consumption habits are also likely to evolve.

Presently, Gen Alpha are also more likely to watch their own content, likely on their own device, separate from others. “For planners, it’s a fascinating one to embrace and take to our marketing plans,” Martin highlighted.

Surveyed on their platform preferences, the most popular among Gen Alpha are streaming services and YouTube (each chosen by 23% of respondents), followed by TikTok (17%) and Snapchat (15%).

“That magnetism towards digital and on-demand is one we cannot ignore when we plan for Generation Alpha in a reach and visibility perspective,” Martin added.

That said, the assumption that social media is fully trusted is a false one, she warned. While Gen Alpha are indeed more trusting of social media than older generations, trust is still below 20% and “we find a strong sense of scepticism among this audience”, Martin noted.

Beware of trends

For marketers, this means following social media “trends”, as popular as they may seem, is not always a good idea.

While previously cultural trends move from start to end in cycles lasting up to 20 years, spread through traditional media such as TV and magazines, they now last only months. Indeed, TikTok’s own research has found that trends on its platform have an average shelf life of just 90 days.

These trends are “increasingly very fleeting and not necessarily controllable”, Martin said, with Harrison-Plastow cautioning that this means longer-term loyalty is a better strategy to engage Gen Alpha.

Using Source Nine’s Empathy Framework, Harrison-Plastow said brands should instead seek to understand the beliefs, narratives and emotional needs of Gen Alpha and focus on meeting their unmet needs.

According to Source Nine’s research, the three biggest unmet needs among Gen Alpha are autonomy, play and peace. If brands prioritise these themes in their marketing, Gen Alpha will associate positive feelings with them.

“Then you can move beyond trends and develop something far richer,” he added.

For example, brands should consider customisation options and co-creation ideas to feed into Gen Alpha’s need for autonomy, while open-ended and gamified experiences can facilitate their desire for play.