Generation Alpha: Behavioural Insights and Marketing Levers

Nés à partir de 2010, les enfants de la Génération Alpha ne sont pas seulement de futurs consommateurs : ils influencent déjà les décisions d’achat de leurs parents et redéfinissent les stratégies des marques. Pour capter leur attention, il est essentiel d’analyser leurs schémas comportementaux et de comprendre ce qui les motive, les engage et les détourne.

 

  • 1. Purchasing Behaviour: Family Influence

    Gen Alpha exerts a direct influence on household purchases. Their preferences affect spending on food, entertainment, digital tools and even travel. Brands must therefore adopt a dual-targeting strategy: appealing to children while also reassuring parents (mainly millennials, who are highly demanding on values, quality, and ethics).

  • 2. Digital Behaviour: Hyper-Connected Natives

    For Gen Alpha, digital is not a tool but a natural environment.

    • They expect interactive, immersive, and personalised experiences.

    • They prioritise fast, multimedia-rich, engaging content.

    • With shorter attention spans, storytelling must be immersive from the very first seconds.

    For brands, this raises the bar in terms of UX, gamification, and customisation.

  • 3. Social Media Behaviour: Enhanced Sociability

    Social media is an extension of their social, educational, and recreational life.
    Their main motivations are:

    • Communicating with family and friends (58%)

    • Finding funny content (57.2%)

    • Passing the time (42%)

    • Discovering new music (37.7%)

    • Following trends (32.9%)

    For brands: success lies in leveraging humour, creativity, and music, while tapping into micro-trends and viral formats.

  • 4. Media Consumption: Streaming and Digital Heroes

    Gen Alpha consumes on-demand content massively, especially via streaming platforms and YouTube.

    • Top favourites: Spider-Man (44%), Minions (48%), Elsa from Frozen (25%).

    • Drawn to interactive storytelling and digital creators.

    Brands should invest in strategic partnerships with content creators and develop narrative universes that encourage identification and immersion.

  • 5. Gaming: Creativity First

    Over one-third of Gen Alpha play video games almost daily.
    Unlike Gen Z, who value the social aspect of gaming, Gen Alpha primarily seeks:

    • Immersion

    • Exploration

    • Creative expression

    Brand opportunity: develop immersive, customisable, and exploratory experiences, including augmented reality and co-creation.

  • 6. Toys: Learning Through Play

    LEGO, puzzles, and building games remain popular, as Gen Alpha values toys that stimulate creativity, problem-solving, and logic.
    For brands: the key lies in designing hybrid products that combine physical and digital play, meeting their dual appetite for tangible + virtual experiences.

  • 7. Marketing Strategies to Engage Generation Alpha

    To connect with this generation, brands must blend innovation, authenticity, and responsibility:

    • Immersive experiences: AR, gamification, interactive storytelling.

    • Strong values: sustainability, inclusivity, transparency.

    • Co-creation: enabling young consumers to express creativity and actively participate.

    • Education + entertainment: “edutainment” is a powerful lever to match their curiosity.

Conclusion: A Prescriptive and Pioneering Generation

Generation Alpha is not just a market in the making – they are already reshaping consumption codes. Anticipating their expectations is not only a way to secure tomorrow’s market share but also an opportunity to build a world that is more sustainable, inclusive, and digital-first.

For brands, the challenge is clear: support Gen Alpha in their growth by becoming active players in their creativity, learning, and values.