Move Over Millennials, the #AlphaGen has Arrived! (Part 2)
Part 1 of our 2-part blog post showed how to spot the differences between the Millennials, Gen Z, and Generation Alpha.
Now, let’s see how one school - Pine Crest, the Pre-K-12th-grade school in Florida - reaches different age groups where they are.
Pine Crest is traditional yet innovative, "Future Ready" in its approach to education. The school’s recently updated branding reflects this unique blend.
New taglines, colorful visuals, and modern fonts signal a more creative approach.
The pièce de résistance is a website that immerses visitors in the Pine Crest experience.
This evolution is part of a strategy to engage different generations. Pine Crest’s marketing team is keenly aware of the school’s brand and is strategic about social media engagement.
“Our primary focus is reaching our admissions target markets,” says Jillian Conway, marketing director. “They are primarily parents of elementary-aged students.”
Pine Crest's marketing meets this audience of Millennials and older Gen Zers where they are.
“Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are where to reach them,” Jill says. Pine Crest’s Interactive Schools-built “story wall” features content from all of the school’s social media feeds.
Pine Crest is also taking note of Gen Z's enormous purchasing power. According to Forbes, to the tune of $143 billion!
“We are mindful of these audiences and tailor our social content to connect with them," Jill says. “Especially on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.”
Marketing to generations with different social media and consumer habits can be challenging. Getting the balance right takes constant evolution and continual reflection.
“We benchmark and review our audience demographics to ensure we are producing compelling content,” Jill says.
When it comes to reaching the Alpha Generation, they also ask the experts.
“We work with our students to identify ways to share relevant content with their peers,” Jill says. “We ask the questions: 'What do you want to share?' 'What is relevant to you?' This is how we build some of our content strategies specific to the younger generations.”
When leveraging social media, Jill and her colleagues want to do it right rather than be rushed.
“We have discussed the idea of having a Pine Crest Snapchat or Tik-Tok,” Jill says. “But, at this point, we have not ventured into those platforms.”
Never say never, though. Social media channels continually evolve to attract emerging generations. And schools should, too, just like Pine Crest.