How to Recruit Gen Z Participants for Mobile Ethnography Studies

With each new generation comes new best practices of how to grab their attention and earn their business. This is no different of the newest buyers – Generation Z, or Gen Z for short.

Marketing to Gen Z is unlike every generation before them. While this generation often gets a bad reputation for having a short attention span, once a business has demonstrated attention-worthiness, those of Gen Z can become immensely committed and focused.

This is where market research comes into play. Market research with Gen Z participants can help your business understand what it is that grabs their attention and how they choose who will earn their business. Generation Z market research is the answer to crafting a customized marketing message and be the solution to their problems.

Our Generation Z market research company recently completed a qualitative recruitment project in which Gen Z participants had to complete a mobile ethnography study about their decision-making when it comes to college.

This case study outlines the overview of the study, the qualitative recruitment and screening process, and the incentive that drove Generation Z to participate.

qualitative recruitment with generation z

Marketing to Gen Z is unlike every generation before them. This is where Generation Z market research comes into play. Learn how Drive Research used qualitative recruitment to encourage Gen Z participation in a mobile ethnographic study.


Overview of Gen Z Research Study

Drive Research recently partnered with a leader in generational research and solutions, especially with Millennials and Generation Z. The generational research company hired our qualitative recruitment company for a national study.

The qualitative recruitment focused on the following criteria:

  • High school students entering in grades 9 to 12
  • Those interested or planning on attending a college or university
  • A split of males and females
  • A split of household incomes
  • A split of ethnicities
  • A mix of regions across the country

Gen Z participants who met this criteria were asked to complete a 10-question mobile ethnography study in which they were sent an interview guide and asked to video record their responses. Each recorded video response lasted 30 seconds to one minute.


Process of Pre-Recruiting Generation Z Participants

Drive Research, a national qualitative recruitment firm followed our tested and proven guaranteed recruitment process for encouraging Gen Z participants for this mobile ethnographic study.

First, our team scheduled an initial meeting with the generational research and solutions company to acknowledge all project touchpoints. This includes the mobile ethnographic project’s objectives, process, timeline, and screening criteria.

Because this study was hoping to obtain feedback from Gen Z, Drive Research had to recruit parents of high school students via paid social media advertisements. The qualified parents would eventually download the video response app and have their child participate in recording and submitting their responses to the 10-question interview guide.

Also in order to find and recruit parents with children of Generation Z, Drive Research utilized targeted email lists of panel participants who matched the necessary criteria as reference above. These panel lists have acquired parental consent, allowing our team to streamline Gen Z participation with no additional steps of permission.


Process of Screening Pre-Recruited Gen Z Participants

Our national market research company, specializing in recruitment for qualitative research, developed an online survey of questions to pre-screen those who responded to our targeted email lists and paid social media advertisements.

The online survey screener asked questions regarding age, gender, geography, grade level, plans to attend a 4-year college or university, and more. Young adults who qualified for the next phase of the study based on their answers to the online survey screener received a follow-up phone call from our recruitment team to be screened yet again.

This assures all participants are qualified and meet the standards set forth in the kickoff meeting by the generational research and solutions client.

Our qualitative recruitment team called potential Gen Z participants to confirm their information and supplied the next steps for the mobile ethnographic project. Participants received a confirmation email with instructions on how to complete the video task portion of the study.


Reward for Gen Z Participants

All 30 qualified participants were selected and completed their video responses to the 10-question interview guide. As a way to say thank you for the feedback and time of Gen Z participants, they were rewarded with a $50 Amazon gift card.

Our qualitative recruitment firm highly recommends offering some type of reward or incentive for market research participants. This could be in the form of cash, gift cards, or prizes. Not everyone who participates always needs to be offered a reward – it can be prize that is raffled off.

This decision of what incentive to offer definitely varies based on the methodology and what you’re asking participants to complete


Contact Drive Research

Drive Research is a market research company located in Syracuse, NY. Our team of experts can successfully target and design a full study around Generation Z participants for your needs.

Interested in learning more about our market research services? Reach out through any of the four ways below.

Message us on our website
Email us at [email protected]
Call us at 888-725-DATA
Text us at 315-303-2040

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