Decoding life and times of ‘Gen Z-hurricanes’

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After a hectic week as I put my feet up and called out to my niece to catch up on what she had been doing since her last visit to India, I was flummoxed by a whizzing pink tornado who zipped past me on her skates and called out APS NIBS TTYL (she later clarified it as Apologies Nina Bua talk to you later)! Bewildered? Let us seek answers together.

Every cohort historically is personified with an attitude that seems to be so typically them that it makes the marketer’s job that much simpler. Thus one had the baby -boomer rebels (1946-1964); the Gen X-achievers (1965-1976) and the Gen-Y innovators (1977-1994). Post this era we have what I personally call the Gen Z-hurricanes (1995- ). This generation is now emerging out of the teens and is for sure in a rush. This young punter has dumped the past by default in the “recycle bin” and has the security net of double income parents who will manage all the “future updates”. And if you are wondering how to solve the mystery you first need to play Sherlock Holmes as you unravel the serial clues.
l Clue 1: His abode: Well if you were thinking he has an address where you can visit and locate him you need to move out of your three dimensional world and explore the multi-dimensional virtual connected universe of Facebook.
Wired to the surreal (Harry Potter’s Hogwart) and parallel (Matrix and Inception) realities; sitcoms (How I met your Mother) and TV shows (Castle and Homeland) on his electronic gizmo is the second place to search. And if all else fails there is always dosti ka naya adda KFC that you can find him hanging out at.
l Clue 2: His partners in crime: Samba and Robert and Mona are passé, this budding consumer operates in a crowd. And he truly believes whether it is his neighbours’ Wi-Fi password or his friend Popat’s mobile Internet, there is a very simple rule of an equitable share because “jo tera hai who mera hai”. This highly social youngster is always willing to connect with a smile, a wave, a sharing of a coca cola as spreading happiness even with strangers is what you can always see him doing as he sings along “agar sab ko khush kar jana crazy hai to haan mein krazy hoon”.
l Clue3: His occupation: I can almost preempt the question you want to ask ye banda karta kya hai? Well the ones who are still at the portals of learning, as the student of the year. They are either in a pressure cooker, jahan latki hai performance ki talwar... isliye he is working towards the only solution of ratta maar (rote learning) and the other half is doing vellagiri (idling time) as he nonchalantly strums assi vele saab vele , aa vela ho ja re. And if your suspect is not a jhala valla ishakzada well he is an innovative entrepreneur. The commonplace dhake khana, and constant competition and race are not his mantra for success. This daredevil is like the “IPL Player” — Anupam Mukerjee, the Twitter celebrity or the Cyber rock star Shraddha sharma, the Facebook celebrity who made it big by just using an alternative MTS medium. This new kid on the block is truly out of the box.
l Clue 4: His creed: So how does one catch this free spirit? Elementary my dear Watson, you just have to understand what makes him tick. Not for him Wordsworth’s golden daffodils or Robert Frost’s miles to go before he sleeps, angry birds and temple run are what he swears by. Like the hurricane he has passion unbridled as he wants everything Quickrrrrrrr. I rest my case by drawing from a voice that has always personified the new generation. He listens to what his dil kahe and does not seek any muhurat for it. Impatience about jo dil chahe, who abhi kyon nahin. And as she gets a tattoo proclaiming now or never, her zesty friend tosses all worries as he runs into the sea. Thus, Mr marketer your target protagonist is as unpredictable as the hurricane — you never know when and where he will strike. He has no malice in him — crazy to help dogs and strangers as he swigs on his Cola.
The world is his friend and he does not have a single possessive bone in him — “Jo tera hai woh mera hai”.
A structured defined path of a meticulous struggle which will help achieve success is not for him — he would rather go viral and operate virtually.
Restless, impatient and hungry, the marketing cycles and supply chain need to be working on a fast track as he wants everything issi waqt, abhi, oh yes abhi.