How to win over Gen Z loyalty this festive season

In 60 seconds...

• Christmas shopping starts early for Gen Z, with 23% in the US doing their shopping all year round.
• Deals and discounts are the secret to driving loyalty: 83% of students are more likely to shop with a brand that offers a student or young person’s discount.
• Young people across the US and UK like to get into the holiday spirit online, preferring to see festive marketing on a brand’s social media page.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and for brands, the festive season is the perfect time to spread some Christmas cheer (i.e. drive revenue and foster loyalty). 

Look, we know it’s early. But 35% of UK Gen Zers and 38% in the US start their Christmas shopping in November and 23% in the US do their Christmas shopping all year round* (round of applause for these incredibly organized individuals, please), and this year is set to be no different. 

There’s no time to waste. 

The holiday season provides brands with the perfect opportunity to build loyalty amongst young shoppers (the crème de la crème of marketing): it’s the perfect time to drive sales, connect with your community, and boost customer satisfaction.

In this blog, we’ll share how you can win over Gen Z’s brand loyalty this festive season, dive into the data, analyze some of the best Christmas campaigns for Gen Z, and look at how your brand can drive loyalty beyond the festive season.

The power of a good Christmas campaign

We’ve all seen some unforgettable Christmas marketing campaigns in our time — ones that have stuck with us our entire lives (John Lewis’ 2011 The Long Wait has a special place in our hearts). A great Christmas marketing campaign can provide brands with multiple opportunities, from increased brand awareness to loyal customers, going beyond the festive season. 

But what’s the secret to tapping into Gen Z's emotions and strengthening the connection between brands and audiences?

What kind of festive marketing does Gen Z want to see in 2024?

First thing’s first: what kind of marketing does Gen Z actually want to see? What’s catching their attention and getting them in the Christmas spirit? 

Do they want nostalgia? Something social impact led? Perhaps something that gets them thinking…? 

We asked Gen Z: what kind of festive marketing do you want to see?* 

68% in the UK and 76% in the US said ‘creative’, followed closely by ‘light hearted’ (55% UK, 62% US), ‘nostalgic’ (54% UK, 61% US), and thought-provoking (34% UK, US%). Interestingly, ‘emotional’ was only a popular option with 27% of US survey respondents — tears for the sake of tears will get you nowhere, people.

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All of these things may be easier said than done, but that’s where we come in, with our Student Beans Creators. 

Pion’s Student Beans Creators program uses peer-to-peer marketing to connect young people with brands: they’re multichannel creator campaigns produced by Gen Z, for Gen Z. 

From funny skits to nostalgic throwbacks, our Creators hit the mark every time. Don’t believe us? Check out one of them in action below:

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Where does Gen Z prefer to see holiday themed marketing?

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Knowing where Gen Z wants to see their festive marketing will help brands tweak campaigns and perfect their targeting: understand the market, connect with the shopper!

So, we asked Gen Z: Where do you prefer to see marketing during the festive season?

Gen Z spends a lot of time online, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that young people across the US and UK prefer to see festive marketing on a brand’s social media page (60% UK, 51% US)*. It’s somewhere they’re already spending their time, so they’re after those ads-that-don’t-look-like-ads. 

Emails from discount platforms (like Student Beans) were popular with 54% from the UK and 53% in the US. Others include brand websites (50% UK, 53% US), emails from a brand (44% UK, 49% US), and a discount platform’s website (40% UK, 39% US). 

P.S. Want to know more about how you can supercharge your holiday marketing strategy? We can help. At Pion, our ability to connect with Gen Z is unrivaled. We’re experts in Gen Z and youth marketing, and by combining research, ads, influencers, experiential marketing, and more, we create content that strikes a chord with Gen Z, whatever the brief. 

Christmas marketing ideas: The campaigns resonating with Gen Z

From nostalgic throwbacks to aspirational luxury, Christmas campaigns take over our TV and phone screens as soon as we hit October. But which ads have really made an impact with Gen Z recently, and why?

Urban Outfitters - Happy LOLidays (2024)

The first few Christmas ads of 2024 have arrived, and we’re starting off strong with Urban Outfitters.

The fashion brand launched its holiday campaign, Happy LOLidays, which was kickstarted with a music video (accompanied by an audio by TikToker Lubalin – very Gen Z). It’s chaotic, unexpected, and features animations of characters like Kewpie and Miffy. Rogue, but fun.

The campaign focuses on affordability (following recent grumblings amongst Gen Z that the brand had become too spenny), and will spotlight products across categories like ‘Gifts for your Situationship’ and ‘Gifts that are Mid(priced)’.

Dior - The Garden of Dreams (2023)

Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z aren’t averse to a life of luxury, they just need to be engaged in the right way. And last Christmas, beauty and fashion brand Dior led the way with their The Garden of Dreams campaign, fronted by Anya Taylor-Joy. 

The campaign offered engaging digital and in-store experiences, including advent calendars with limited-edition merchandise and distinctive pop-ups around the world. Thanks to Taylor-Joy’s distinctive style and trend-setting influence, this campaign was perfect for Gen Z: imaginative, aspirational, and unique. 

JD Sports - A Time for Family (2024)

When thinking about British youth culture, what comes to mind? 

It might be Tamgotchis. It might be an Elf Bar. For many, it’s JD Sports. 

The athleisure brand consistently nails its Christmas marketing, and 2024 was no different. 

Last year, JD’s ad stripped it back and focused on what the festive season is really all about: family. 

Featuring famous faces, including Maya Jama, Central Cee, Chunkz, and Paddy The Baddy, the campaign was a true reflection of what it’s like to be a young JD Sports fan in the UK. 

Plus, it ticked all of those aforementioned boxes: nostalgic, wholesome, and creative. 

How can I win over Gen Z loyalty this festive season?

So now we know what Gen Z wants to see over the festive season, but how can brands capitalize on this and drive customer loyalty as we head into 2025?

A recent Pion survey revealed one key driver behind Gen Z’s loyalty: deals and discounts. In fact, 83% of students are more likely to shop with a brand that offers a student or young person’s discount, and 85% would try out a new brand if they offered a student discount. 

Let’s be honest, every sector should be offering a student discount (here are seven reasons why, should you need more convincing…), but in terms of which verticals see the highest action through discounts, Pion research revealed:

• 61% of want to see food and drink discounts 
• 45% want to see fashion discounts 
• 43% want to see tech discounts

Interestingly, 77% of students said they’d switch from their favourite brand if a competitor offered better loyalty rewards: in other words, Gen Z is loyal until it pays to be… 

Gen Z wants to feel special, so brands need to demonstrate how much they really value customers. Offering valuable and personalized rewards will lead to stronger brand loyalty, and the festive period provides brands with the perfect opportunity to kickstart (or optimize existing) discounts. 

Like the rest of us, Gen Z is living through high inflation with smaller budgets, so not only will discounts make products more accessible, but will also drive brand-consumer connection.

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*2023 data

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