How Gen-Z broke the purchase funnel – and why we must listen to them

financialexpress.com:

 By Ashutosh Munshi

India’s Gen Z has done something that the marketing industry should urgently take note of – they have fundamentally broken the purchase funnel.  Born between 1996 and 2010, this cohort is India’s largest (at 472 million, or a little more than the entire population of the EU) and wields buying power and influence like no other generation before them. It has empowered them to reshape marketing, from a discipline that pushes customers through a rigidly defined funnel to a more authentic experience that meets customers where they are.

According to the India edition of the ‘Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel’, there are four foundational shifts that describe the new world of marketing that Gen Z is ushering in.

First, prioritising safety and trust. Gen-Z Indian consumers are feeling more vulnerable to climate change, global conflict, misinformation, concerns for their health, inflation, polarisation, and rights and freedom, in that order. For most Indian consumers (70%), brands that address these vulnerabilities are the brands they trust.

The 14-country report found that most (73%) of Indian consumers are assessing brands based on how they impact their health (76%) and the environment (73%). So, it is not surprising that for most (89%) consumers, the importance of trusting the brand they use ranks almost at par with classics such as great customer service, value for money, and quality (all at 90%).

The 14-country report found that most (73%) of Indian consumers are assessing brands based on how they impact their health (76%) and the environment (73%). So, it is not surprising that for most (89%) consumers, the importance of trusting the brand they use ranks almost