Diego Perez Tenessa DeBlock: Generation Z is aware that the old models have expired

At the end of June, a new campaign for the bonbon brand – ‘Bontovnici’ – launched in the domestic market, conceived by the agency McCann Zagreb in collaboration with Hrvatski Telekom. In addition to presenting new packages in the campaign, the goal was to further bring this unconventional, ‘quirky’ and rebellious brand closer to younger users, members of Generation Z. As they vividly described, it was necessary to approach ‘the group that we thought was laughing in our faces from TikTok. And after that, about that vlog around the vlog fire.’ The creative process involved a plethora of research and uncovering the prejudices and problems that this new generation faces. ‘Somewhere along the way, something happened that we couldn’t predict: they left us speechless – for a reason.

These young people deal with exceptional topics and create authentic works. They are the backbone of the story about a generation that uses their mobile phones for much more than ‘scrolling’, a story we are proud of,’ they explained at McCann. And of course, they are also proud of the campaign at bonbon. We spoke with Diego Perez Tenessa DeBlock, the director of the Mobile Services Department at HT, who has been responsible for the bonbon brand for the past six years, about this new generation, the challenges of tailoring communication to their ‘taste’, and also tried to answer the question of why we should believe that they, representatives of Generation Z, will make the world a better place.

Who is the ‘Bontovnici s razlogom’ campaign aimed at and what are its goals?

Our campaign targets a new, young generation that was born with technology and does not know a world without it, a generation in which an individual can do more with a smartphone than any company, a generation driven by performance, but which also strives for sustainability and the achievement of some higher goals, and a generation that is fed up with the status quo and sees technology as a way to change the world for the better.

What are the challenges of communicating with young people and how do they differ from older millennials (30+)?

Younger generations are definitely the hardest target group for marketing communication as they are the first generation to grow up in a digital environment, easily mastering technology and accustomed to finding solutions to their challenges quickly, independently, and online. Furthermore, this generation is used to processing enormous amounts of information daily. They read faster, filter faster, easily distinguish authentic from what is fake, compare faster, and are capable of consuming different content simultaneously. They are very hard to surprise because, although young, they have already seen a lot, and it is also a challenge to keep their attention. Their time is not measured equally: what is one second for younger generations is ten for older ones. Aware of this, we did not want to imitate their language, but rather pay them the tribute they deserve. We wanted them to know that we truly believe they can make the world a better place and that we want to help them, support them in that.

Do you think they really expect brands to be more active in the market, publicly advocating for values that are not necessarily related to the company’s business (creating a better world, advocating for diversity, standing up for the disenfranchised, etc.)?

Absolutely. A big car, a mortgage, and endless hours spent in the office make absolutely no sense to them. The traditional values that drove older generations no longer apply, and money is not the only currency. Moreover, we have reached a turning point where much greater challenges lie ahead, and younger generations are aware that the old models have expired.

Does it make sense (and how) to communicate with younger generations through traditional media? Have these generations written off traditional media?

Younger generations have not broken with traditional media; they have simply added new, digital ones. Their hunger for information and their capacity to process it allow them to do so. Traditional media still have some advantages compared to digital ones – they still have an unparalleled capacity to tell the whole story, and no other medium can offer multimedia content, music, or video content in such an uninterrupted way. When it comes to outdoor advertising as another type of traditional media, it is still relevant to younger people, especially because, compared to older ones, they spend much more time outdoors.

The question of brand purpose became particularly relevant during the pandemic. It turned out that for many it is declarative: something that is talked about a lot but is little ‘lived’. What is the purpose of the bonbon brand or ‘T-brand’ and how does it live in practice?

No generation has ever been as ambitious and capable as this one. They do not ask anyone to do something for them; they want to show what they are capable of doing themselves. Our role as a brand is to provide them with the technology and tools so they can get things done on their own, in their own way. In addition to providing them with tools, our plan is to explore the opportunities available in the pan-European market, which we are able to do since we are part of a relevant group like the T-group, and to connect and enable collaboration among bontovnici regardless of where they live in the world.

How has the pandemic affected or will it affect your marketing strategy? What lessons have you learned?

Operationally, the pandemic affected the start of our campaign – the plan was to present it much earlier. Furthermore, we are facing the same challenges as everyone else and had to learn how to work separately, from home. As for the content itself, yes, the pandemic has affected our communication, but the basic attitudes and goals remain the same: we still believe in the new generation, we know what young people are capable of, and we share that desire and will with them to overcome the situation and work together for a better tomorrow. The world is full of opportunities, and this pandemic, although challenging, should not and will not stop younger generations from seeking more and trying to make the world a better place.

You have been working in the domestic market for a full fifteen years. How does it differ, in general, from those you have worked in so far: what do you like, and what do you think could or should change?

The Croatian market has changed significantly in the last fifteen years: the level of professionalism has grown exponentially. But challenges have also increased. I do not think there are many significant differences between the Croatian and Western markets, and this is thanks to the youth who are better educated and prepared. Younger generations globally understand the world, which may not have been the case fifteen years ago. However, it could change in that we should turn more towards automated processes, streaming, and online experiences, which are, after all, a challenge in the rest of the world.

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