• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Email senders should pay special attention to age — each cohort reacts to messaging in their own way, judging by a new study from Emplifi titled “Marketing Across Generations: How Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers Engage with Brands Differently.” 

Case in point: 53% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials have bought through social media in the past three months, compared to 39% of Gen X and 29% of Boomers. 

A separate survey by ZeroBounce shows that email is the favorite channel of Gen Z at work.  

Their expectations are different — Gen Z wants to hear from brands on social, while Boomers prefer a website. And Boomers are much more likely to pick up the phone — and notably, 81% expect a real person to answer. 

Should emails and posts be tailored toward the different groups? To some degree — 34% of Gen Z are influenced by content geared toward their generation, versus 24% for Millennials, 23% for Gen X and 21% of Boomers. 

Meanwhile, a separate survey by ZeroBounce shows that Gen Z favors email on the job despite their love of instant messaging. This study also found that:

42% of Gen Z consumers surveyed say email is their favorite work channel, twice as many as those who say the same about Slack or WhatsApp

36% check their inbox mainly because of FOMO (fear of missing out on brand deals, job offers, event invites).

92% say the number of emails they get affects their productivity to some degree – with 33% saying this is “always” or “often” the case.

60% of Zoomers admit using email to avoid a conversation or confrontation.

27% don’t use AI, while 24% admit that AI email tools save  time managing their inboxes.

Gen Z would rather get on a phone call (7%) than a video call (a channel favored by only 2%). The study asks if email be obsolete in 10 years? Of the gen Zers polled, 63%  don’t think so,.

But those who think email is on its way out make such comments as, “it’s only used by old Boomers or Gen X” and that “the younger generations rely on text messaging.”

“For marketers and creatives, there's a clear takeaway: Gen Z isn't as quick to abandon email as we might assume – a small 6% even uses it to stay in touch with friends and family," a ZeroBounce spokesperson confirms. 

Looking at the generations, nearly half of Gen Z (46%) say interactivity makes a brand video stand out, while only 15% of Baby Boomers feel the same way, Emplifi reports.  

In contrast, 84% of Baby Boomers prioritize informativeness in videos, showing their preference for substance over style. 

What motivates people to purchase? For 55% of Boomers, search product reviews prior to buying, compared to 46% of Gen X, 45% of Millennials and 35% of Gen Z.

The biggest factor for the latter group is the appearance of a post. 

“Younger consumers are increasingly drawn to dynamic, interactive content that fosters engagement and reflects their need for real-time connection, while Baby Boomers prioritize clear, informative messaging that provides immediate value,” says Susan Ganeshan, CMO at Emplifi. 

Ganeshan adds:“To stay ahead, brands must move beyond one-size-fits-all strategies and deeply understand the distinct expectations of each generation. By leveraging AI, brands can efficiently scale personalized content that speaks directly to the unique preferences of each audience. This approach not only enhances engagement but also builds stronger, more meaningful customer relationships across various age groups.” 

ZeroBounce surveyed almost 1,400 Gen Z consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and other European countries.

Emplifi surveyed 965 U.S. consumers (including 229 Gen Z consumers, 242 Millennials, 241 Gen X, and 213 Baby Boomers) from November 14-26, 2024.