Opportunity in Front

China’s Gen Z is emerging as an influential demographic, and as they come of age, brands need to adapt to stay relevant to them. Therefore, we embarked on an exciting journey to find out “who they are” and what they are looking for in a brand.

Labbrand Group was approached by a leading automotive brand to conduct innovation research and gain a better understanding of China’s premium Gen Z consumers. The objective of the research was to formulate future strategies and strengthen brand resonance with this influential demographic.

The Journey from Insights to Impact

Through the focused group research, we gained a comprehensive understanding of their Lifestyle, Values, Motivation, Consumption Patterns, and Mobility Usage and Expectations. The insights provided critical guidance to strengthen brand resonance with Gen Z consumers and develop product strategies to win over Chinese Gen Z consumers. We unveiled China’s Gen Z’s six key values: Authenticity, Sense of Belonging, Transformation, Self-direction, Pragmatism, and Equality, and took a closer look at the three factors that shaped Gen Z’s values: social and economic development, parenting styles, and the internet and smartphones.

We found the clues on the map that linked Gen Z’s values, consumption patterns, and mobility needs and suggested three cohorts for the brand to focus on and what they could do to resonate with them: Innovative Leaders, New Urban Progressives, and Modern Professionals. Furthermore, we discovered that Gen Z consumers buy branded products and put importance on core technology, a match with their personality, and great user experience. They give a new definition of “PREMIUM” brand with a strong focus on technology, innovation, and social commitment. The findings also showed that Gen Z’s mobility needs from three perspectives: personalization, technology, and specific needs of electric vehicles. Gen Z is looking for a personal space to reflect who they are in their automobile, and they have high expectations towards future car technology, especially L4 autonomous driving. The aesthetic feature is getting appealing and symbolizes new premium-ness for Gen Z.

Value Created through Human (Customer)-centered approach

The research revealed that a premium automobile brand should be a “progressive leader” that disrupts traditional thinking and continuously makes new and cross-industry innovation. It should be a “life friend” that is approachable and relevant to consumer lifestyle and a driving force of “advanced technologies” for the future of mobility, taking sustainability into account and building technology that reduces environmental impact and benefits future generations’ well-being.

The customer-centric approach provided valuable insights into China’s premium Gen Z consumers, helping the brand strengthen its resonance with them and develop product strategies to win them over. Our research showed that a premium automobile brand must adapt to the changing values and lifestyles of Gen Z and embrace technology, innovation, and social commitment to stay relevant in the industry.