Gen Z students inherited their purchasing power in a time of instant gratification - yet they have a remarkable affinity for subscription brands. Here are five that are landing in their mailboxes on a regular basis.
Dollar Shave Club
Gen Zs have called time on the gendered marketing that they grew up with - and have been particularly quick to criticise the “pink tax”, in which near-identical products are priced higher if they’re aimed at women. Dollar Shave Club is a refreshing antidote to this.
A post shared by Dollar Shave Club UK (@dollarshaveclubuk)
The razor subscription brand may have started out with male-centric marketing, but they’ve attracted a wide range of genders to their club. Rather than expanding to introduce gendered ranges within their brand, they’ve opted for a simple and refreshing brand position: if you have hair that you want to shave, our products will work for you. Dollar Shave Club works for Gen Z because it puts an emphasis on quality and delivers razors in recyclable packaging - but most of all because it works for all genders.
Glossybox
Gen Zs have been pioneers within the beauty space, transforming beauty from a rigid pursuit of perfection into a creative, inclusive art form. With challenger brands powered by micro-influencers and social trends, the sector has grown to be fiercely competitive. Yet Glossybox was able to really make its mark on Gen Z students. Working with Student Beans in November 2020 in the build-up to Black Friday, they created a media campaign that spanned desktop and app to reach Gen Z where and when it mattered. In early November, their revenue skyrocketed overnight to 1233% - and secured a new cohort of Gen Z subscribers in the process.
HelloFresh
In a year where we had little else to look forward to beyond food, HelloFresh was always set up to thrive - but no brand’s success is guaranteed when it comes to Gen Z. But with 56% of students doing more home cooking during the lockdown, HelloFresh were able to seize their chance to make a valuable impression. Working with Student Beans, HelloFresh launched a quarterly student-centric campaign with a range of limited-time offers. As a result, they’ve seen a huge growth in Gen Z student revenues over the past year, with an uplift of 2166%.
Ohne
Period products have been overhauled in recent years - and it will come as no surprise that Gen Z has been at the forefront of it. For a generation who pride themselves on authenticity and inclusivity, blue liquid in place of period blood and women doing the splits in white jeans simply won’t cut it any more. Ohne - with its customizable subscription offering, organic tampons and pun-filled product names, speaks to a new generation. Ohne gets the tone right on social, too. There’s plenty of memes and aesthetic images, but all within an undercurrent of information and myth-busting on all things period-related.
A post shared by ohne (@im_ohne)
Starface
Last but not least, we can’t talk about subscriptions without tipping our hats to Starface. The skincare brand already got a shoutout for running one of the best Gen Z campaigns we’ve seen so far in 2021. They get an extra gold star (pardon the pun) for their subscription refill service, which acknowledges the recurring nature of acne - and the convenience that a new sheet of pimple patches can bring to the lives of Gen Z students.
A post shared by STARFACE (@starface)
It’s subscription season for students right now. Put yourself on their radar with an incentive they can’t refuse - contact us today to find out how.
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