The martech company Kids Corp has delivered the results of its Top Brands U18 2024 study, a survey conducted among 21,100 kids and teens aged 3 to 18 along with their parents and guardians in the United States, taking the pulse of their preferences across a wide range of brands, from toys, electronics, and footwear to fast food.
The study, whose data was collected month by month last year, included various demographics and socioeconomic groups, notably including the important consumers of the Hispanic community, with around 20% of the young participants being of Latino origin.
"We implemented a questionnaire in which we first ask several sociodemographic segmentation questions, many of them to identify the Latino target. In fact, we offer the option to respond in English or Spanish, whichever the respondent feels more comfortable with," emphasized Gastón Stochyk, CDO of Kids Corp, to Digiday.
The results highlight the rise of technology, especially the preference for brands like Apple and Amazon among teens aged 13 to 18. Kids aged 6 to 12 include YouTube and Nike in their top 3, while for the youngest, aged 3 to 5, McDonald's and Lego are their favorites. There is a common denominator among these groups: Amazon, which ranked among the top three favorite brands in all age groups.
According to the report's analysts, the U.S. market is more demanding in terms of the number of factors required for a brand to become a favorite; providing happiness or fun is a mandatory condition for ranking high, but that feeling must be accompanied by consumer identification, quality, peer sharing, and trust.
The dominance of tech and entertainment brands
In the details of preference for electronic items in the United States, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon, in that order, are the favorite brands of this sample.
"As kids grow, tech brands gain ground, becoming the favorite brands, especially among teens. It is key to understand how the U18 segment connects with them: they are frequent users of tech devices, influence the purchase and subscription of products and services for the home, and are key players in the purchase journeys of various categories," highlights Stochyk, adding that "without a doubt, Amazon accompanies them in these three major areas: devices, streaming, and e-commerce."
Among streaming platforms, Disney, Netflix, and Amazon Prime take the first, second, and third places respectively. Analysts note that the brand's longevity is a relevant factor, highlighting that the Mickey Mouse giant has more longevity than Netflix or Prime; and that this segment's contact with Disney can be broader than with its competitors focused solely on content, while "Disney, besides being a channel, is a brand of toys, accessories and, speaking of the United States, the presence of amusement parks."
Looking at the group of the youngest, Lego, Crayola, and Hot Wheels lead in the categories of favorite building blocks, arts and crafts, and toy cars brands.
Favorite brands for clothing
When it comes to clothing, Nike is the favorite brand when under-18s are specifically asked about sports shoes, followed by Adidas and Skechers in third place. Nike's preference in the United States nearly triples the numbers of its main competitor, Adidas. Nike, which ranks third among overall favorite brands, placed seventh in the ranking of the top 10 when participants were asked about the trust that products or services generate among this consumer group.
Some of the survey's key factors highlight vital aspects such as: brands they see all the time, brands that stand out for the content they create, brands for everyone, and brands recommended by celebrities. Interestingly, 76% of respondents said they saw the advertising online, and 61% reacted to these commercials.
Favorite brands for food
American kids see McDonald's as a brand that has it all, not just the popular 'Happy Meal' and the play areas in many of its restaurants, but also the ability to generate a feeling of trust. In second place, not far behind in preference, is Burger King, followed by Applebee's.
Lunchboxes in Uncle Sam's land are filled with Oreos, which completely dominate the cookie category, with Chips Ahoy products far behind, and Nestlé just making it onto the podium according to Kids Corp's survey results. In the snack packages, Doritos is unbeatable with more than double the preference, the survey indicates that Pepsico's products lead, with Cheetos also part of the trio, leaving just enough space for Grupo Bimbo's Takis.
Meanwhile, the battle between soft drinks also consolidates Coca-Cola in this survey, tripling the preference over its main competitor Pepsi, which falls to third place behind Dr. Pepper.
In the chocolate category, the sweet ranking of brands is very close, with no significant difference in preferences among M&Ms, Hershey’s, and Kit Kat. In this category, American kids from all socioeconomic and demographic groups agree on these three as their favorites.
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