With over 2.74 million Generation Alpha babies being born each week worldwide, this youngest generation promises significant market size and influence, even greater than the Millennials and Gen Z.  Expected to outnumber the Baby Boomers within the next few years, they will be making up over 2 billion consumers by 2025, becoming the largest generation in the history of the world.

Born from 2010 onwards, Gen Alpha has a significant influence over their parent’s purchasing decisions, making them an absolute gold mine for marketers and brands - provided that they understand their unique consumer patterns and how to craft intimate relationships with this age group.  

So let’s take a look at how Gen Alpha consumes differently from previous generations, how this affects the future of broadcasting, and how you can future-proof your broadcasting platform by winning over Gen Alpha.

Key Takeaway:

To resonate with Generation Alpha, broadcasters must evolve, embracing advanced digital platforms, crafting interactive and visually rich content, harnessing social media for real-time engagement, optimizing for mobile-first experiences, and utilizing data-driven personalization in their strategies

How Gen Alpha’s Content Consumption Affects the Future of Broadcasting

Generation Alpha, born into a digitally-centric world, exhibits unique content consumption behaviors that are shaping the future of broadcasting. This tech-savvy generation, fluent in smartphones, tablets, and video games, demands a broadcasting evolution.

Here’s how broadcasting needs to adapt to resonate with Gen Alpha:

1. Integrated Digital Platforms:

   Gen Alpha expects seamless digital experiences. Broadcasters must upgrade to high-quality streaming and digital broadcasting technologies, ensuring content is accessible across various platforms, especially on-demand services.

   
   

2. Interactive and Visually Rich Content:

   With their short attention spans and preference for visual storytelling, broadcasters need to focus on creating content that is not only visually captivating but also interactive. Incorporating elements that allow Gen Alpha to participate in content creation can significantly enhance engagement.

   
   

3. Maximizing Social Media Impact:

   Live streaming and content sharing on social media are key to connecting with Gen Alpha. Broadcasters should harness these platforms for real-time engagement, tapping into the spontaneity and authenticity valued by this generation.

   
   

4. Mobile-First Content Strategies:

   With Gen Alpha predominantly consuming content on mobile devices, broadcasters must prioritize mobile-optimized content. This includes adapting the format, design, and delivery of content to suit smaller screens and on-the-go consumption.

   
   

5. Personalization Through Data:

   Like the generations before them, Gen Alpha responds to personalization. Broadcasters should utilize data analytics to tailor content and advertisements, making them relevant and appealing. Employing influencers and digital personalities as brand ambassadors can also lend authenticity and relatability to the messaging.

   
   

Broadcasting vs. Streaming: Which will lead in the future?

The landscape of media consumption is at a crossroads, with traditional broadcasting and streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ vying for dominance. Streaming has revolutionized the way we access content, providing on-demand, personalized viewing experiences. Yet, traditional broadcasting isn't bowing out; it's reinventing itself, merging classic models with streaming capabilities to form a hybrid that caters to a diverse audience spectrum.

The future may not see a clear 'winner' but a new era of media where both broadcasting and streaming converge to meet the varied preferences of a global audience.

Future-proof your Broadcasting Platform: Top 7 Key Actions for Brands and Broadcasters

1. Upgrade your broadcasting platform with cutting-edge technology to enable personalization, interactivity, and mobile compatibility, and invest in live streaming capabilities.

2. Leverage technologies such as AI, Holograms, Interactive Web applications, AR, and VR to enhance your storytelling. For instance, Technology Company Snap unveiled ‘City Painter’ in London’s Carnaby Street. The AR tool enables users to virtually spray paint above the street’s shops, decorating them with pre-created murals.   Snapchatters who participated in this campaign were able to showcase their spray painting skills live through the Snapchat app, and a video of the campaign was also broadcast on YouTube.

3. Expand into Over-the-Top (OTT) delivery systems (media distribution over the internet where the content producer does not control the distribution channel), and deploy 5G networks. 5G technology promises a faster, more streamlined future for broadcasters. At around 10 times the speed of 4G/LTE, it can handle even 4K footage wirelessly. Those lightning-fast connections give producers and editors the ability to work with massive amounts of data, even in the field. As 5G connectivity enables broadcasters to produce live coverage remotely, they could lower their production costs by as much as 90%, according to TVU’s estimates.

   
   

4. Adapt and innovate by shifting from traditional linear workflows to flexible software-defined, and standards-compliant hybrid systems. This enables the future of live streaming with AI and ultra-low-latency broadcast infrastructure. One example of a brand that has made this shift is Stream Works. They have been instrumental in transforming the broadcasting industry from traditional linear workflows, which are bound by fixed-function devices, to flexible, software-defined, and standards-compliant hybrid systems.

   
   

   

4. Gen Alpha is set to disrupt the disrupters. Prepare for this transformation by discussing the creation, distribution, and monetization of content for Gen Alpha. Several well-known brands have been successful in reaching Generation Alpha.  For instance, Netflix, Disney, and Nintendo are preferred by Generation Alpha at a higher rate than Gen Z.  Netflix, streams a vast array of content, including shows and movies that cater specifically to Generation Alpha. This streaming service allows for real-time viewing, much like traditional broadcasting, but with the added benefits of on-demand access and personalization. Lego, on the other hand, uses platforms like YouTube to broadcast engaging and interactive content. They share videos that showcase new products, provide building instructions, and even entertain in the form of animated series. This content is available for viewing at any time, similar to how a broadcast would be available for replay. 

6. Create content that will resonate with the newer generations, including visuals and videos, short-form content, and interactive experiences that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Collaborate with digital influencers popular among Gen Alpha to enhance your reach and credibility. Walmart is an example of a brand that successfully used digital influencers to reach Gen Alpha. They collaborated with Ryan Kaji, a popular young influencer known for his toy review videos on YouTube, to create a new line of toys that particularly appealed to Gen Alpha.

7. Utilize data analytics to understand viewer behavior, social interactions, and other data points to deliver targeted content to individual viewers. Again, Netflix is a good example of a streaming service that uses data analytics to understand viewer preferences and prepare for Generation Alpha. Their innovative business model leverages real-time data processing and analysis to provide personalized content recommendations, enhancing viewer engagement and satisfaction. 

Conclusion

To secure a prosperous future in the broadcasting industry, both brands and broadcasters must understand the content consumption patterns of Generation Alpha. This generational insight is not just a means to survive the test of time but a pathway to thriving in the evolving media landscape. The key lies in adapting broadcasting and streaming platforms with precision and foresight.

Interactive live streaming with Stream Works:

Whether you're a broadcaster aiming to captivate the Gen Alpha audience or a brand seeking to remain relevant into the future, Stream Works is your dedicated ally for all your broadcasting and live streaming requirements. We invite you to connect with us and witness first-hand how we can unlock the full potential of broadcasting for this new generation!