Gen Z Girls Have Their Favorites in Their Hearts ~ What is Gen Z Girls' "Favorite Consumption"? ~

To illuminate the consumption patterns of Gen Z women (those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s), this series features a joint investigation by the girls' planning team Dentsu Inc. GIRL'S GOOD LABand zzz.inc., which develops hyper-empathy marketing by Gen Z for Gen Z. We will reveal the attitudes and values of Gen Z women by categorizing them into three distinct consumption behaviors.

Following the first installment on "Buzz Consumption," the second theme is Gen Z girls' " Favorite Consumption."

Why are Gen Z girls so actively engaged in "idol/favorite consumption" – spending money on their favorite idols or anime characters?

And what journey do they take to reach this "idol/favorite consumption"?

Let's explore the secrets behind this.

[Part 1]
"Gotta buy before it sells out!" What is "Buzz Consumption," sweeping Gen Z girls?[May 20, 2021]

Related articles on "favorites"
・Breaking Down Reiwa Girls' "Favorite" Obsessions[2020/02/14]
・New Forms of Idol and Fan Support: What is "Oshi-katsu" Spreading Among Young People? [2020/09/08]
・Asking the Idols Themselves: Creating Content in the Age of Oshikatsu[2021/04/26]

 

Not buying because you want it, but buying because you want to support them

Originally an otaku term, "oshi" (favorite).

The term has spread, ushering in an era where nearly every Gen Z girl has an "oshi."

Gen Z girls' spending contributed to the movie "Demon Slayer" surpassing 40 billion yen in box office revenue, and idol discovery auditions like NiziU and JO1, driven primarily by Gen Z girls, sparked social phenomena.

Beyond that, there are numerous consumption trends supported by Gen Z girls, such as the "real-life crush" phenomenon (where fans genuinely fall for idols or actors) and the immense popularity of Gojo Satoru from "Jujutsu Kaisen."

Why do Gen Z girls engage in "idol-driven consumption"?

Interviews revealed opinions like, " I don't buy fan goods because I want them; I buy them because I want to support my favorite. "

Indeed, when asked, "Do you ever make purchases out of support for your 'favorite' idol, anime character, etc.?" 72.3% of Gen Z girls responded that they have experienced this (often or sometimes).

Why do Gen Z women actively make these support purchases for their favorites?

Two reasons emerged during the survey.

First, consumption makes it easier to feel a tangible sense of "contributing to/supporting my favorite."

For example, when the aforementioned movie "Demon Slayer" surpassed 40 billion yen in box office revenue, many Gen Z girls went to theaters to achieve a shared goal born among fans: "to make Rengoku-san a 40 billion yen man." By watching the movie and paying for it, they seemed to gain a tangible sense of contributing to surpassing the 40 billion yen mark.

Furthermore, the development of crowdfunding has made it possible to place support advertisements for their favorites' birthdays or anniversaries.

When NiziU's leader, Mako, turned 20, fans crowdfunded to display a support advertisement on a large video screen in Shinjuku.

This tangible sense that their spending contributes to their favorite idol, or the feeling of actively supporting them, is precisely why Gen Z girls seem to engage so enthusiastically in "idol consumption."

The second reason is the inability to meet their idols directly due to the pandemic.

This is particularly true for three-dimensional idols. Previously, fans could meet their idols directly at live events and cheer them on, but the pandemic has made this impossible.

Consequently, more Gen Z women are turning to purchasing fan merchandise as a way to indirectly support their favorites, even when direct support isn't possible.

Furthermore, more Gen Z girls are posting photos of their purchased idol merchandise on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag "#推しのいる生活" (Life with My Favorite).

By making these posts, they seem to be reaffirming their support for their favorite idol and connecting with others who support the same idol.

How do Gen Z girls get information about their idols?

So, where do Gen Z girls get information about their idols?

When researching information about their favorites, the survey found that 83.2% "look it up on Twitter," 77.7% "look it up on Instagram," and 63.4% "look it up on YouTube."

Further investigation revealed how they differentiate their tool usage.

First, when interviewing about Twitter, the most widely used platform, opinions included "information is readily available" and "the volume of information is greater compared to other SNS."

Gen Z women who use Twitter to get information about their favorites seem to be drawn to Twitter's unique real-time updates and sheer volume of information.

Consequently, many stated they "get primary information about their favorite from Twitter."

Additionally, many Gen Z girls have dedicated accounts for their favorite idols on Twitter, and communication among fans appears to be quite active.

On the other hand, it was found that many Gen Z girls use Instagram and YouTube seeking richer content than Twitter offers.

Instagram features idols directly managing their accounts and hosting Instagram Live sessions, while YouTube sees frequent uploads of live performances, music videos, and behind-the-scenes footage, emphasizing video-based content distribution.

Since Twitter primarily features text-based and photo-based content, many Gen Z girls use Instagram and YouTube to access higher-quality secondary information.

"Idol consumption" involves immediate purchases without hesitation

So, after obtaining information about their favorite idols, what actions do Gen Z girls take? Let's focus on their purchasing behavior.

First, based on the graph below, we'll analyze whether Gen Z girls compare and consider options before purchasing after obtaining information about their favorite idol.

While "always carefully consider before buying" and "tend to carefully consider before buying" combined account for about 30% of responses, "always impulse buy" and "tend to impulse buy" combined account for about 50% of responses.

Some respondents also stated they "don't particularly compare or consider options for favorite-related services/goods," suggesting many Gen Z women make "favorite consumption" purchases immediately without comparison.

Additionally, interesting findings emerged regarding purchase amounts.

A staggering 63.9% of Gen Z women responded that they would buy without worrying about the price for their favorite.

Despite frequently making impulse purchases, this behavior of spending without concern for price indicates a remarkably high level of enthusiasm for "favorite-related consumption."

Why do Gen Z women make impulse purchases without worrying about the price for services and goods related to their favorites?

While opinions about supporting their favorites continued to surface, the survey revealed Gen Z women prioritizing their favorite things, interests, and hobbies in their spending.

With more free time, especially during the pandemic, Gen Z women seem to be developing a desire to enrich their lives and time by actively investing in their hobbies.

This explains why they impulsively purchase idol-related services and goods without hesitation when they encounter them.

Regarding where they buy, since impulse buying is a strong factor, many Gen Z women find information about their favorite idols online and then immediately purchase items online.

Four Key Points for Managing "Idol Consumption"

Having analyzed Gen Z women's "idol consumption" thus far, let's summarize the key points.

With "idol consumption" exploding among Gen Z women today,

Please keep these points in mind as you observe Gen Z women's "idol consumption."

Our next theme is Gen Z girls' "TikTok consumption."

We'll uncover what kind of consumption Gen Z women engage in through TikTok.

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