Generation Alpha

While some of these aspirations - like job prospects - are admittedly far off for this young age group, other guiding values such as inclusivity are more immediately relevant. Brands like Mattel are already espousing these tenets to appeal to generation Alpha; in September 2019, the Barbie manufacturer announced that it would be releasing the first gender-neutral doll to accommodate shifting gender norms.

“Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels,” said Kim Culmone, Senior Vice President of Mattel Fashion Doll Design. “Through research, we heard that kids don’t want their toys dictated by gender norms. This line allows all kids to express themselves freely, which is why it resonates so strongly with them.”

Thus, “despite not necessarily being active purchasers right now,” Fletcher acknowledges, gen Alphas are undoubtedly already impacting brand decisions and guiding purchase behavior. According to a July 2018 study on gen Alpha parents, 81% of American millennial parents said the habits of their children influenced their last purchase and 27% said they asked their kids’ opinions before buying a new TV, laptop, tablet or phone.

While generation Alpha’s technological prowess is undeniable - when it comes to technology, they will reportedly outsmart their parents by the age of 8 - it may surprise brands to learn that they prefer a comfortable balance of tech to analog. “They like physical and omni-channels,” Fletcher reveals. “So although they’re digitally native, they’re not digitally exclusive; they want to be able to operate across the digital and the physical worlds and they want to see consistency across those experiences.”

To prepare for their future consumers, it’s imperative that “[brands and marketers] know what’s happening with this very young generation,” Fletcher emphasizes. “Generation Alpha will be the most formally educated generation ever, the most technology-supplied generation ever, and globally the wealthiest generation ever,” said Mark McCrindle, an Australian social researcher who coined the appellation generation Alpha. “Whatever [brands] start doing now needs to be built around what gen Alpha customers expect,” Fletcher advises.