Generation Alpha: the new wave that is shaking up marketing and influence

First generation to have grown up in a completely digital world, Generation Alpha is already shaking up the codes of communication and influence. Accustomed to short, immersive and interactive content, these children demand greater creativity and transparency from brands. Between the rise of kidfluencers, the emergence of AI and parental responsibility, the entire marketing ecosystem must reinvent itself to capture the attention of this new audience that has always been connected.

Generation Alpha – children born since the early 2010s – is the first to have grown up in an environment steeped in new technologies. While Millennials and Generation Z experienced the emergence and then the explosion of social networks, today’s youngest generation has never had to switch from ‘offline’ to ‘online’, “for them, everything is fluid and instantly connected. Studies conducted by institutes such as the Pew Research Center and Nielsen show that these children are constantly looking for interactive and immersive experiences, abandoning formats that are too static or too long more quickly and moving towards short and fun video content, often on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok or other applications designed specifically for a young audience,” explains Guillaume Doki-Thonon, CEO of the agency Reech.

By observing their first choices of influencers, we see the emergence of content creators who focus on authenticity, co-creation and interactivity. This generation is no longer content to passively watch videos; they like to comment, test filters, participate in challenges and share their own creations. Platforms like TikTok are therefore gaining ground because they offer short, engaging formats that match the more volatile attention span of these children. According to Guillaume, ‘this trend will grow as new interfaces and new uses emerge. Alphas are not just interested in the product or the influencer, they expect to be offered an experience. They are very quick to switch from one platform to another, they are used to testing and adopting new features very quickly.

Without delay, brands must anticipate influence strategies that are very different from those implemented for Millennials or Gen Z. It is essential to integrate augmented reality formats, ultra-short content and interactive solutions. ‘For example, the trend towards live shopping could be reinvented for a younger audience in the form of fun challenges, serious games or gamified experiences where children discover products while playing’.

Although parents sensitive to marketing that uses nostalgia as a lever continue to play an important intermediary role in the purchasing decision, but also in the validation of the content consumed, Alphas have a significant impact on consumption decisions within the household. Toys, fashion and family leisure brands are already realising how much children can influence their parents, by showing them videos, introducing them to a particular influencer or encouraging them to download an app. “This balance between the growing prescriptive power of Generation Alpha and parental responsibility reinforces the need for ethical and transparent marketing. Moreover, at a time when regulations on advertising to minors and data protection are becoming increasingly strict, agencies and brands must be extra vigilant in respecting parental consent and avoiding any form of abusive practice. It is crucial to avoid any confusion between what is purely editorial and what is advertising.”

Influencers who address this target group must adapt and adopt a more accessible tone, offering children the opportunity to participate and express themselves. With this in mind, we are seeing the emergence of ‘kidfluencers’, children or pre-teens who bring together large communities on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. Their credibility in the eyes of their peers is based on their natural and spontaneous nature, and their impact on the influencer market is real. Agencies have an essential role to play in supervising the collaborations of these kidfluencers. ‘We must guarantee the safety of children, compliance with advertising laws and the protection of minors, while ensuring the sincerity of recommendations’. Personal data requires special attention, as do the new rules put in place by the European Union or other international bodies, pushing the sector to innovate in order to remain compliant. “Although traditional posts, stories and YouTube videos are still present, Generation Alpha is showing an appetite for more immersive experiences. Thus, the rise of generative AI or augmented reality could mark a turning point by allowing this young audience to dive into personalised virtual universes. Brands offering filters or interactive characters are likely to enjoy growing success, especially as these tools encourage co-creation. “In the near future, we will see a proliferation of virtual ambassadors. As children are already used to interacting with avatars in their online games, virtual influencers could take on a significant role. In fact, we could see a coexistence of human and virtual influencers, each with their own role to play depending on the nature of the campaign and the target audience. It is therefore not absurd to imagine brands mixing approaches, with children or adolescent influencers coexisting with virtual versions capable of offering personalised fun or educational experiences.

In short, Generation Alpha is already marking a major transition in the way content is conceived and consumed. Brands must deal with new challenges: being more responsible, more transparent, innovating with immersive technologies, while taking into account the ever-decisive role of parents in the act of purchase. Influencers, for their part, must adapt to this demanding audience, fond of authenticity and participation, while kidfluencers and virtual influencers are already illustrating the beginnings of a new era of marketing influence. Always connected, Generation Alpha is profoundly changing the codes of communication and advertising, and this is only the beginning!