Fomo As A Marketing Strategy: Why Is It Hard For Gen Z To Resist Trends?

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is utilized as a marketing strategy to influence Generation Z’s consumption behavior and to identify the factors that make it difficult for this group to resist emerging trends in digital media. Previous studies have shown that FOMO influences purchasing decisions and consumer engagement on social media; however, there is a limited body of research that specifically links this phenomenon to the characteristics of Generation Z as a group that has grown up with digital technology. This study employs a literature review method by examining various scientific articles, research reports, and relevant academic sources regarding FOMO, consumer behavior, digital marketing, and the characteristics of Generation Z. The results of this study indicate that FOMO-based marketing strategies effectively increase purchase intent by creating perceptions of scarcity, time urgency, and social validation, as well as by amplifying the influence of trends disseminated through social media and influencers. Generation Z tends to be more susceptible to such strategies due to their high intensity of digital media use and the need to stay connected with their social environment. The contribution of this study lies in presenting an analysis that integrates the psychological aspects of FOMO with contemporary digital marketing strategies within the context of Generation Z’s consumption behavior, thereby enriching consumer behavior-based marketing research in the digital era.