NewZ lab: Looking at news through another lens

Reaching audiences born between 1997 and 2012 has become increasingly difficult. That’s why NewZ Lab, a research program at Howest, in collaboration with media partners like VRT, Roularta Media Group, Mediafin and DPG Media, is focused on engaging Gen Z with the help of profound journalism and compelling stories. 

Early stages of the research showed that visual storytelling and interaction are key factors in appealing to Gen Z. So, NewZ Lab is exploring whether augmented reality (AR), rather than the more commonly discussed artificial intelligence (AI), can enhance storytelling for the first generation that grew up with digital media. Maybe filters on social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok can add that much-needed value to news stories for the notoriously hard-to-reach Gen Z’ers?  

Marketers already know that AR filters and QR-codes can enhance advertising. So, why not use this technology within the newsroom? With 70% of Flemish 6 to18 year-olds using social media at least once a week as a news source (Apenstaartjaren 2024), it is definitely worth a shot. 

First, NewZ Lab gathered information by talking to other international news organizations, such as The New York Times and Axel Springer DW, who already had some experience with AR. They also had multiple conversations with the demographic itself, because in order to reach Gen Z, you need to understand what’s important to them when they use AR filters. Armed with this knowledge, the research group established some key parameters for using augmented reality:  

• It must be easy to use, as existing filters often have usability issues like malfunctioning or lagging;
• It needs a narrative – a compelling story;
• It must be engaging, shareable, and interactive;
• It should require some form of user participation;
• It should teach something new; and
• It should be funny. 

Besides that, engagement and sharing are also crucial. We saw this with an Olympic Games-themed AR filter where you could virtually sprint against a gold medalist. If there’s some performance or gamification involved, it’s more likely to be shared. 

Together with PLAYAR, GenZLab, Conxion, and HIT Lab, the research team wanted to create their own filters. They started with the question: what is on top of Gen Z’s mind? Together, they co-created an AR filter about inflation, a topic that stood out during the research and inquiries with Gen Z. The development of the AR filter was done with 8th wall, an easy-to-use software that makes it possible to create filters for your own platform, instead of being depended on big companies like Meta or Snapchat. Not only does using web AR software like 8th wall give you more freedom, but it is also convenient to use for researchers with no special programming experience. After setting up the technical aspect of the project, the team linked the story with the prototype and started looking for ways to interact with people who could use it. That is where Instagram came into the picture, where you can still find the “Wakostdanu?!” (or Whatsthecost?!) filter today.  

NewZ Lab, together with the agile market research firm called BUFFL, conducted a survey and a user test among 13- to 26-year-old Dutch speakers and found that 31% of the respondents is ‘curious’ to test the filter because it is something new to them. But interestingly enough, almost 70% states that it’s possible that the AR-technology might distract from the actual journalistic content. When asking if AR could be added value to the existing news formats, the results are 50/50. More information about the research on “Wakostdanu?”, you can find on Medium.  

With this feedback in mind, NewZ Lab, created a second AR prototype about another major topic: mental health. For this filter, they developed an interactive AR filter that helps users take a few deep breaths and calm down a little, meditating in a sense. Building further on that research, they cooperated with Metal Health Europe on a third prototype. Don’t just take our word for it, watch Gen Z’ers from all over Europe talk about it in this Instagram post from Mental Health Europe.  

WHATSNEXT?! 

Overall, the research has provided great insights into the minds of Gen Z: they value visual storytelling, interaction and humor. But it also showed that a bigger challenge was adapting the filter to all kinds of devices. If we want to reach Gen Z, it will have to be on their terms and AR filters might not be the ultimate solution, but they can definitely be a way to bridge that generational gap. 

If you are interested in this AR filter design and want to implement it within your organization, contact ingmar.proot@howest.be  

Article written by Anne Vanoppen, with the input of Ingmar Proot (Howest University)

Additional reading: A Dutch article about the third prototype