CASE STUDY

Getting a Sense of Gen Z

CLIENT: The Center for Food Integrity

The Challenge

Generation Z is poised to change the face of food through the developing beliefs and surging marketplace influence of these young adults. To effectively engage this unique consumer segment, those in the food system need to clearly understand Gen Z attitudes, behaviors, fears, and preferences – and then engage transparently to show what’s going on behind the scenes to produce food sustainably.

Gen Z consumers, born between 1997 and 2012, feel what they eat is part of their identity. They look for foods that are nutritious, support long-term health, and are good for people, animals, and the planet. As employees, they are cause-driven, desiring brands and workplaces that are part of something bigger, that stand for something. They are the most diverse consumer segment, are more concerned about mental health than other generations, and are willing to challenge the status quo. They want their voices to be heard – especially on the social and environmental issues they are inheriting. They champion technology because they know it can solve challenges, and they want to be asked to the table to help find solutions.

Recognizing the urgent need, the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) requested ideas from Look East to better understand and more effectively engage with Gen Z.

The Results

Our Approach

The work started with in-depth research to understand Gen Z drivers, including a digital cultural ethnography of their eating habits. Then, we analyzed 15 bodies of research from reputable sources focused on Gen Z.

With research insights in hand, Look East leveraged Gen Z’s interests and preferences to create a dynamic plan to engage. Gen Zer’s love to use technology and crave immersive experiences. They are curious about where their food comes from, and most do not have farm experience.

Look East designed two unique influencer experiences – one in Texas, one in Iowa – tailored to these characteristics. A three-day adventure around San Antonio, Texas, highlighted sustainability. We recruited three Gen Z foodies and three Gen Z farmers to take the tour and then share their experiences via social media. While Gen Z foodies learned about agriculture, the Gen Z farmers better understood the broader food system and consumer interests. Our goal was to enlighten both groups and showcase who is involved and how decisions are made – on the farm, at the meat case, and in the kitchen. On a ranch, they saw cattle up close, asked the rancher and veterinarian every question on their mind, and even tasted the livestock feed. A beef processing plant tour, butcher shop visit, and cooking competition delivered more Instagram-worthy moments.

In Iowa, influencers toured livestock and crop farms and engaged with a flower grower in the Cedar Rapids area.

Our next step was to create a resource that was informative, instructional, and useful for CFI’s members and project partners across the food system. We developed a 38-page guide with research insights, learnings from the immersion experiences, and “how-to” sections to understand and engage Gen Z consumers, workforce, and farmers and ranchers.

The guide details specific actions to meaningfully connect with Gen Z shoppers, prepare young leaders in agriculture, and attract and integrate these workers into today’s multigenerational workforce. “Engaging Gen Z: The Consumer, The Farmer/Rancher and The Workforce” has been promoted to food system stakeholders through foodintegrity.org, unveiled via webinar, and presented to diverse organizations and companies across the agri-food chain.

The Results

During and after the immersion, the Gen Z influencers developed and shared photos, videos, and blogs on their popular digital platforms, providing a sneak peek into food production, processing, and retail and reaching more than 723,000 loyal followers.

Importantly, influencers shared these “aha” moments from the Texas and Iowa tours:

  • “I wish people knew that there are many farmers out there who care just as much, likely more, about sustainability than the general population.”
  • “The tour has made me think more about labels on animal products and where my meat is coming from.”
  • “I wish people not involved in ag could have access to better information about where their food comes from. I also want people to see that farmers and ranchers truly do care about producing healthy, nutritious food.”
  • “I was really impressed with all of the USDA regulated checks and balances that this industry has. One wrong move and there are severe repercussions and penalties that put businesses weeks behind (hellooo supply chain).”

Tour takeaways have been viewed by nearly one million users via CFI’s consumer-facing platform Best Food Facts. The content includes videos and blogs that highlight the influencers and link to their platforms and authentic content.

Gen Z Explores Cattle Ranching and Sustainability

Best Food Facts Tour: Sustainability on the Farm

In the first three months after the “Engaging Gen Z: The Consumer, The Farmer/Rancher and The Workforce” guide was published, it was downloaded nearly 1,000 times. More than 350 people registered for the live webinar introduction, and that recording has been viewed nearly 250 times. Gen Z is a popular topic for CFI presentations and trainings tailored for each audience and organization’s needs.