Velvet Ropers Essay

They’re a massive group. Hyper-connected. Informed. Opinionated. Principled. Confident. And committed. To their beliefs, groups, connections, expectations. And at 356 million, these young under-25 consumers who constitute the world’s largest Gen Z population in any country, are without a doubt the single largest, fast-growing group with the kind of purchasing power that can make or break the fortunes of most manufacturers and marketers of goods and services in India.

On the surface, therefore, this generation -- born into and weaned on a super-connected digital-and-online environment -- represents a huge opportunity to most providers of goods and services. But wait. Before it can become an opportunity for brands and marketers, this hyper-connected

One in four Gen Z-ers has demonstrated the volunteer spirit. An important personality trait is independence, unlike Millennials who generally seek mentors; they don’t suffer from FOMO but worry about crime, their parents’ job security, politics and the cost of goods and services, though they won’t hesitate to spend on something they perceive both, value and values in.

They are big on customized, bespoke, personalized and invite-only offerings from brands that are also emotionally invested in the country. Education, gender quality, global warming and the environment, economic disparity, irresponsible individual behavior that disrespects social obligations -- like texting while driving and littering for example. Their issues-aware focus on value and values make their purchase decisions veritable emotional

Their biggest currency of social and online behavior is privacy. They don’t over-share, they are driven by secrecy and will guard their privacy. This is the most selective generation in history; where friends and family are filtered, classified and ruthlessly prioritised. They do not suffer from FOMO or feel the need to over-engage. The Velvet Ropers reject the Gen Y proposition which seems to be ‘I Share, Therefore I Am’. Hyper-aware of over-share-ability, the Gen Z-ers are at virtually the other end of the ‘social Sharing spectrum’, and will even unfollow brands pages that add to the clutter of online noise. And the Velvet Ropers do this because of another key personality trait: they are always looking for curated, filtered and personalized, made-for-me content that feels relevant. And they search for newer and more bespoke and closed-peer-groups-endorsed sources of information to make their purchase