Youth's Favorite Brands

Filed Under: Youth & Family

Published:

Liz Dibley

Liz Dibley, Senior Analyst

When thinking about their favorite brands, our YouthBeat panelists point towards brands most relevant to what they wear, play with, and eat. Is it so different for adults? In the first half of 2021, youth name Nike as their top favorite brand followed by LEGO, Xbox, Adidas, and McDonald’s.* Meanwhile, 11% say they don’t really have a favorite.* When asked to describe their most treasured brands, youth’s descriptions reflect their life stages. Kids (1st-4th grades) are about exploring the wonders of their worlds, and the brands that accompany them are cool, exciting, and creative.* Tweens (5th-8th grades) are relaxing a little more into their identities and leaning towards cool, creative, and comfortable brands. Teens (9th-12th grades) have their eyes on adult prizes, preferring cool, comfortable, and expensive brands.* 

Youth's favorite brands

Youth care about the opinions of their friends and family, especially when it comes to brands they interact with regularly. Eight in ten (79%) say their favorite brand is one their friends also know about, while six in ten (62%) say their fav is one their parents also love.* 

Kids favorite brands
parents favorite brands

Youth appreciate feeling special and self-assured and enjoy brands that help them feel that way. Seven in ten youth (70%) say their favorite brand makes them feel confident.* Six in ten (59%) youth say the brand makes them feel “in-the-know,” with significantly more teens (69%) than younger cohorts (58% for kids and 54% for tweens) agreeing that their favorite brand can be described this way.*

teens favorite brands
childrens favorite brands

Looking more deeply into specific brands, Nike takes the top spot for all ages for both favorite clothing and shoe brand.* Meanwhile, Dove rises to the top as a personal care brand.* Kids, tweens, and teens love a variety of food brands, as evident in the video reel below. From sweet sodas to salty fast food, YouthBeat panelists share what they like best. 
Say What? Video Journals capture live, in-the-moment reflections on intriguing questions relevant today. Want to learn more? Reach out to us, and let our YouthBeat team assist your brand!

*Source: YouthBeat® January-June 2021

explore featured
Case studies

Hey, get our newsletter

join 5,000+ market research professionals
who “emerge smarter” with our insights