Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business - and What to Do About It

by Jason R. Dorsey, Denise Villa

Overview

The most complete and authoritative guide to Gen Z, describing how leaders must adapt their employment, sales and marketing, product, and growth strategies to attract and keep this important new generation of customers, employees and trendsetters.

Gen Z changes everything. Today’s businesses are not built to sell and market the way Gen Z shops and buys, or to recruit and employ Gen Z the way they find and keep jobs. Leaders need answers now as gen Z is the fastest growing generation of employees and the most important group of consumer trendsetters. 

The companies that quickly and comprehensively adapt to Gen Z thinking will be the winners for the next twenty years. Those that don’t will be the losers or become extinct.  Zconomy is the comprehensive survival guide on how leaders must understand and embrace Generation Z. 

Researched and written by Dr. Denise Villa and Jason Dorsey from The Center for Generational Kinetics, the insights in Zconomy are based on their extensive research, they’ve led more than 60 generational studies, and their work with more than 500 companies around the world.

In Zconomy, Dr. Villa and Dorsey answer: Who is Gen Z? What do employers, marketers, and sales leaders need to know? And, most importantly, what should leaders do now?

This is the critical moment for leaders to understand and adapt to Gen Z or become irrelevant. Gen Z is already reshaping the world of business and this change is only going to accelerate. Zconomy is the definitive manual that will prepare any executive, manager, entrepreneur, HR or marketing professional to successfully unlock the powerful potential of this emerging generation at this pivotal time.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062970299
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/22/2020
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	274,320
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Jason Dorsey has been featured as a generational expert on 60 Minutes, The Early Show, and 200 more television interviews. His clients include many of the biggest brands in the world, from Four Seasons Hotels and Mercedes-Benz to Taco Bell and Discover. Dorsey has served on the board of both public and private companies, including Ultimate Software which was acquired for approximately $11 billion. As a keynote speaker, he has received more than 1,000 standing ovations around the world from audiences as large as 16,000.

Denise Villa, PhD, is the CEO and visionary behind The Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK), the leading Gen Z and generational research, speaking, and consulting firm. CGK works with over 100 clients around the world each year, ranging from financial services and global retailers to pioneering technology companies. The firm’s specialty is research that enables leaders at established brands to adapt to win new generations while teaching emerging companies how to quickly leverage generational change to grow faster.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Gen Z Is Here 1

Part I The Making of Gen Z

1 Welcome to the New Normal 19

2 Redefining the Term "Generation" 31

3 The Events That Shaped Gen Z 41

4 Life Through a 6.1-Inch Screen 55

5 Money, Saving, and Spending 75

Part II Meet the World's Most Influential Customers

6 What Gen Z Wants from a Brand 93

7 What Gen Z Is Buying 107

8 Earning Brand Loyalty with Gen Z 133

9 Customer Engagement and Awareness 145

Part III How Gen Z is Changing the World of Work

10 Getting the Right Start with Gen Z Employees 165

11 Unlocking the Gen Z Employee's Long-Term Potential 191

Looking Ahead: The Disruptive 10 225

Conclusion: Gen Z Is Just Getting Started 237

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247

Index 259

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

A discussion of the buying and working habits of Generation Z arrives in this puzzlingly obvious guide from Dorsey and Villa, respectively president and CEO of the Center for Generational Kinetics. They describe having conducted, for the past four years, an annual “State of Gen Z” study, leading to the “key conclusion” that “the ways in which leaders typically recruited, managed, and marketed to older generations will not work with Gen Z.” It’s genuinely difficult to imagine which businesspeople might still need to hear this, and the effect is that this guide comes across like a missive from 10 years ago. The authors delve into how Gen Zers spend money (mostly online and largely on-demand), how to win their brand loyalty (they cite Nike’s ad with Colin Kaepernick as a success story), and their strong work ethic and independent attitude as employees. The familiar observations, such as of young peoples’ affinity for their phones, fall flat, and the authors’ fascinated tone strikes a slightly creepy note, as if they’re marveling at animals in zoos rather than analyzing the buying habits of human beings. The resulting primer is outdated and safe to skip. Agent: Nena Madonia Dupree, Miller & Assoc. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Jason’s work with our team has had a profound impact on how we communicate with our consumers and manage our multi-generational workforce.” — Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America

“Zconomy is exactly what CEOs, board members, and innovators need to read to strengthen their future with Gen Z. It provides a clear and valuable roadmap of how to connect and build employee engagement and customer loyalty.” — Betsy Atkins, member of the boards of directors of Volvo Car AB, Wynn Resorts, and Oyo

“Zconomy delivers the step-by-step solutions leaders need to understand Gen Z and take action right away.” — Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Sports + Entertainment (owners of the Atlanta Falcons) and former president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA

“Listen to Denise and Jason! As someone on the frontlines of entertainment and culture, I highly recommend Zconomy. Every creator, leader, and parent should read this book.” — Kenan Thompson, longest-tenured cast member of Saturday Night Live

“Zconomy is a must-read guide from the most authoritative voices on generational studies of our time. It is insightful, comprehensive, and uses real-world practical applications to provide invaluable guidance in navigating this generation of disruptors.“ — Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer of Ally Financial

“Zconomy is the guide that leaders need to engage this new generation of consumers and employees, and transform the future of their own enterprise.” — Erik Anderson, Executive Chairman, Topgolf Entertainment Group; Founder, WestRiver Group

“Dr. Denise Villa and Jason Dorsey deliver a rare combination of research, insights, strategies, and practical knowledge that any executive can immediately use to understand Gen Z, unlock its potential, and shape the future of their business.” — William Cunningham, PhD, Member, Board of Directors, Southwest Airlines, Lincoln Financial; former Chancellor of The University of Texas System

“Zconomy delivers the stories, insights, and actions that leaders of every generation can use to bravely lead Gen Z in a post-pandemic world.” — Alison Levine, New York Times bestselling author of On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments

“Well-researched, entertaining, and packed with practical tools and advice, Zconomy should be your go-to guide for unlocking the huge potential of Gen Z.” — Andy Sieg, President, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

“Zconomy is a must read. Dr. Villa and Dorsey deliver much-needed strategies, missing data, and insights for executives, business leaders, and board members who need to understand how to engage with Gen Z.” — Martin Taylor, Managing Director, Vista Equity Partners, President, OneVista

"Vital for all businesses and organizations with any direct contact with Gen Z. Highly recommended for all university libraries supporting business and psychology curriculum." — Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

Listen to Denise and Jason! As someone on the frontlines of entertainment and culture, I highly recommend Zconomy. Every creator, leader, and parent should read this book.

Kenan Thompson

Zconomy delivers the stories, insights, and actions that leaders of every generation can use to bravely lead Gen Z in a post-pandemic world.

Alison Levine

Zconomy delivers the step-by-step solutions leaders need to understand Gen Z and take action right away.

Steve Cannon

Well-researched, entertaining, and packed with practical tools and advice, Zconomy should be your go-to guide for unlocking the huge potential of Gen Z.

Andy Sieg

Jason’s work with our team has had a profound impact on how we communicate with our consumers and manage our multi-generational workforce.

Steven Williams

Zconomy is exactly what CEOs, board members, and innovators need to read to strengthen their future with Gen Z. It provides a clear and valuable roadmap of how to connect and build employee engagement and customer loyalty.

Betsy Atkins

Zconomy is a must-read guide from the most authoritative voices on generational studies of our time. It is insightful, comprehensive, and uses real-world practical applications to provide invaluable guidance in navigating this generation of disruptors.“

Andrea Brimmer

Dr. Denise Villa and Jason Dorsey deliver a rare combination of research, insights, strategies, and practical knowledge that any executive can immediately use to understand Gen Z, unlock its potential, and shape the future of their business.

William Cunningham

Zconomy is the guide that leaders need to engage this new generation of consumers and employees, and transform the future of their own enterprise.

Erik Anderson

Zconomy is a must read. Dr. Villa and Dorsey deliver much-needed strategies, missing data, and insights for executives, business leaders, and board members who need to understand how to engage with Gen Z.

Martin Taylor

★ 07/01/2020

Dorsey (cofounder, president, Ctr. for Generational Kinetics) and Villa (CEO, cofounder, CGK) present a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of Generation Z (born roughly between 1996 and 2012). The consulting firm Altitude estimates that Gen Z makes up a quarter of the U.S. population and 40 percent of all consumers. The key points covered include the significant events that shaped Gen Z; how the group is continuously interconnected; how Gen Z earns, spends, and saves money; the importance of branding to Gen Z; the preferred products consumed by the group; strategies for how companies can engage Gen Z customers; and essential aspects for human resource development in recruiting, hiring, and maximizing the potential of this age group. The authors remind readers that Gen Z presents enormous opportunities for businesses if those in leadership are willing to adapt to the characteristics of this massive population. While this material is not necessarily dominated by peer-reviewed psychological research, the authors' extensive experience in surveying and analyzing this major consumer group has developed their unique expertise. VERDICT Vital for all businesses and organizations with any direct contact with Gen Z. Highly recommended for all university libraries supporting business and psychology curriculum.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX

Library Journal