Gen Z is the largest generation, making up 30% of our current global population. As the future buyers and decision-makers, they hold immense power over brands. As Gen Z take their place as the new majority, brands around the globe need to seriously re-evaluate how they interact with this generation of digital natives.

 This generation is the first generation to have grown up with the internet; They don’t distinguish between digital experiences and offline experiences, it’s all the human experience to them. Mary Ellen Dugan, CMO of WP Engine, sheds some light in this podcast on how businesses and brands are facing the cataclysmic shift for winning the hearts and minds of Gen Z buyers. What changes do brands need to make to cut it in a Gen Z world?

In this podcast, Mary Ellen Dugan discusses the recent whitepaper published by WP Engine: ‘The Future of Digital Experiences: How Gen Z is Changing Everything’. Generation Z is the most Internet-dependent generation and has been a guiding force for the adoption of technologies across all generations. Gen Z’s identity is inextricably tied to digital—and the way to reach this growing audience is through understanding how they use it. The whitepaper explores two key aspects of Gen Z’s relationship with digital: influence and identity—and compares it to those of other generations: Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers across three global regions. The whitepaper is available to download here.

Based in Austin, Texas, Mary Ellen Dugan is the Chief Marketing Officer at WP Engine, a leading technology platform helping deliver amazing digital experiences built on WordPress. Prior to this role, she held executive marketing roles at Dell and Indeed.com. Mary Ellen has more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and brand building, and she’s launched brands in more than 12 global markets. Her core philosophy is that the brand must equal business, and she loves the challenge of developing fully integrated campaigns across every touch point and media.