Gen Z
Ranked: Gen Z’s Favorite Brands, Compared with Older Generations
Gen Z’s Favorite Brands, Compared with Older Generations
Generation Z’s favorite brands, in absolute terms, aren’t wildly different from preferences of other generations, with Walmart, Google, and Netflix ranking high. But when it comes to the brands that do the best with Gen Z compared to their elders, the list shakes up dramatically.
This ranking uses consumer preference data from Morning Consult to show which brands are favored considerably more by Gen Z when compared to the general public. A brand’s rank is determined by the difference in favorability between Gen Z’s survey responses and the average of all U.S. adult respondents.
Note: Gen Z is the generation born between 1997-2012. Favorability in this ranking is measured using the share of a generation who said they have a “very” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of said brand.
Brands Preferred by Gen Z
Compared to Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, who may not care as much for these 20 brands, Gen Z—currently between 9-25 years old—loves them. Let’s dive in:
| Rank | Brand | Favorability Difference | U.S. Adult Favorability | Gen Z Favorability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | TikTok | +30 | 39% | 69% |
| #2 | Discord | +29 | 21% | 50% |
| #3 | Snapchat | +29 | 35% | 64% |
| #4 | +25 | 48% | 73% | |
| #5 | Cash App | +25 | 41% | 66% |
| #6 | Spotify | +23 | 47% | 70% |
| #7 | Shein | +22 | 22% | 44% |
| #8 | Trolli | +21 | 24% | 45% |
| #9 | Twitch | +21 | 21% | 42% |
| #10 | Apple Pay | +20 | 39% | 59% |
| #11 | DoorDash | +18.7 | 46.7% | 65.5% |
| #12 | Fenty Beauty | +18.6 | 17.1% | 35.7% |
| #13 | +17.8 | 33.0% | 50.7% | |
| #14 | +17.3 | 33.7% | 50.9% | |
| #15 | Epic Games | +17.1 | 24.9% | 42.0% |
| #16 | Roblox | +16.8 | 22.0% | 38.7% |
| #17 | Vans | +16.5 | 51.7% | 68.2% |
| #18 | Xbox | +16.4 | 48.4% | 64.8% |
| #19 | Capri Sun | +16.2 | 60.4% | 76.6% |
| #20 | PlayStation | +15.9 | 56.4% | 72.2% |
Note: Differences may not add up exactly due to rounding.
Unsurprisingly, TikTok takes the top spot. The app that is frequently used to poke fun at older generations and that in many ways is a reflection of Gen Z culture, is 30 points more favorable with the young generation than others.
Members of Gen Z are the first true “digital natives”—meaning they were raised in the age of digital technology. As a result, many of their favorite brands are either some kind of social media platform and/or digital service, like Apple Pay, Snapchat, or Spotify. In fact, eight of Gen Z’s top 10 favorites on the above list are digital brands.
Another distinguishing feature of consumers in this generation is that they’re more likely to care about brand ethics and sustainable consumption than other generations.
However, one brand among their top 20 that defies that sentiment is the Chinese clothing company, Shein. This fast fashion company’s model promotes a culture of mass clothing hauls and thus, clothing waste—making it far from environmentally conscious. Shein has also come under fire recently for violating labor laws in its Chinese production facilities. And yet 44% of Gen Zs have a good impression of the brand, and it particularly does well with Gen Z women.
Interestingly, members of Gen Z in the U.S. are also the first cohort to have strong awareness of Chinese brands more generally.
Gen Z vs. Millennials
Two generations that are often lumped together, Gen Z and Millennials have some considerable differences when it comes to their favorite brands. Here’s a brief look at some of the brands that do better with Gen Z compared to Millennials specifically, using favorability difference:
- TikTok: 14.2
- Crocs: 13.4
- Pixar: 8.1
- Morphe: 6.1
Compared to their generational neighbors, one interesting standout is Crocs—the utilitarian, but highly-customizable foam clogs—which almost 60% of Gen Zs see as favorable compared to only 46% of Millennials.
Gen Z’s Favorite Brands Overall
While Gen Z differentiates itself from the older generations in many ways, a lot of the overall favorites still align with everyone else’s.
| Rank | Brand | Favorability |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | YouTube | 86.2% |
| #2 | 83.9% | |
| #3 | Netflix | 82.2% |
| #4 | Amazon | 80.3% |
| #5 | M&Ms | 79.8% |
| #6 | Walmart | 79.8% |
| #7 | Target | 79.7% |
| #8 | Doritos | 79.3% |
| #9 | Kit Kat | 79.0% |
| #10 | Oreo | 78.6% |
| #11 | Gatorade | 78.5% |
| #12 | Nike | 78.4% |
| #13 | Cheetos | 77.5% |
| #14 | Dollar Tree | 77.4% |
| #15 | Sprite | 77.4% |
| #16 | Pringles | 76.7% |
| #17 | Capri Sun | 76.6% |
| #18 | Pixar | 76.6% |
| #19 | Skittles | 76.3% |
| #20 | Apple | 75.9% |
Removing the favorability difference score reveals that many of the most popular brands overall still win out, such as Netflix, Google, and Amazon.
Gen Z Trends
Overall, the report found that it’s hard for brands to win with Gen Z. Across all brands that were scored, 33% of the general American public rated them as favorable, but for Gen Z respondents the number dropped to 27%.
In general, Gen Z tends to value conscious consumption and subsequently, brands that can meet those expectations. Digital services and products also do well with this generation that has never known a world without internet.
As more and more Gen Zers enter the labor market and grow their consumer power, they will be an important generation to watch.
Demographics
How Media Consumption Evolved Throughout COVID-19
This infographic examines trends in each generation’s media consumption to see how Americans adapted during the pandemic.
How Media Consumption Evolved Throughout COVID-19
View the full size version of this infographic by clicking here
Media consumption spiked in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak as Americans actively sought information and entertainment while at home. Whether this changed over the course of 2020 remains unclear, however.
To dive deeper into the issue, this infographic explores each generation’s shifts in media consumption habits as the pandemic wore on.
Further below, we’ll also examine which media sources Americans deemed to be the most trustworthy, and why consumption habits may have changed for good.
Changes in American Media Consumption, by Generation
The data in this infographic comes from two surveys conducted by Global Web Index (GWI). The first was completed in April 2020 (N=2,337) and asked participants a series of questions regarding media consumption during COVID-19.
To see how consumption had changed by the end of the year, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation commissioned GWI to complete a follow-up survey in December 2020 (N=2,014). The following tables provide a summary of the results.
Gen Z
Unsurprisingly, a significant percentage of Gen Z reported an increase in digital media consumption in April 2020 in comparison to pre-pandemic habits. This bump was driven by higher use of online videos, video games, and online TV/streaming films.
By December 2020, these media categories became even more popular with this cohort. Most notably, podcasts saw the highest increase, jumping almost 15% by the end of the year.
| Category | April 2020 | December 2020 | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podcasts | 10.9% | 25.8% | +14.9% |
| Video Games | 29.9% | 42.1% | +12.2% |
| Music Streaming | 28.0% | 34.6% | +6.6% |
| Broadcast TV | 24.1% | 17.0% | -7.1% |
| Online TV / streaming films | 36.8% | 39% | +2.2% |
| Online Videos (Youtube/TikTok/etc.) | 51.4% | 59.1% | +7.7% |
| Livestreams | 17.4% | 19.5% | +2.1% |
| Books / literature | 17.1% | 20.1% | +3.0% |
| Online Press | 19.9% | 17.0% | -2.9% |
| Physical Press | 8.9% | 6.3% | -2.6% |
| Radio | 17.8% | 10.7% | -7.1% |
| None | 9.0% | 13.8% | +4.8% |
The popularity of traditional outlets like broadcast TV and radio declined from their April 2020 highs, though they are still up relative to pre-pandemic levels for Gen Z survey respondents.
Millennials
Results from the December 2020 survey show that Millennials trimmed their media consumption from earlier in the year. This was most apparent in news outlets (online and physical press), which saw double digit declines in popularity relative to April.
| Category | April 2020 | December 2020 | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podcasts | 20.9% | 26.3% | +5.4% |
| Video Games | 32.1% | 29.6% | -2.5% |
| Music Streaming | 37.4% | 30.2% | -7.2% |
| Broadcast TV | 35.7% | 24.6% | -11.1 |
| Online TV / streaming films | 42.2% | 39.2% | -3.0 |
| Online Videos (Youtube/TikTok/etc.) | 44.9% | 42.5% | -2.4% |
| Livestreams | 32.9% | 15.6% | -17.3% |
| Books / literature | 20.4% | 24% | +3.6% |
| Online Press | 37.0% | 16.5% | -20.5% |
| Physical Press | 20.3% | 8.0% | -12.3% |
| Radio | 27.2% | 17.9% | -9.3% |
| None | 9.1% | 20.3% | +11.2% |
Books and podcasts were the only two categories to capture more interest from Millennials over the time period. It’s also worth noting that the percentage of respondents who said “none” for media consumption rose to 20.3%, up significantly from 9.1% in April.
Possible factors for the increase in “none” responses include easing government restrictions and a return to more normal work schedules.
Gen X
The media consumption habits of Gen X developed similarly to Millennials over the year.
| Category | April 2020 | December 2020 | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podcasts | 11.1% | 13.3% | +2.2% |
| Video Games | 20.4% | 16.8% | -3.6% |
| Music Streaming | 29.6% | 21.7% | -7.9% |
| Broadcast TV | 46.4% | 29.8% | -16.6% |
| Online TV / streaming films | 40.8% | 29.9% | -10.9% |
| Online Videos (Youtube/TikTok/etc.) | 38.5% | 23.6% | -14.9% |
| Livestreams | 23.4% | 8.4% | -15.0% |
| Books / literature | 22.2% | 22.6% | +0.4% |
| Online Press | 32.7% | 14.3% | -18.4% |
| Physical Press | 7.6% | 4.6% | -3.0% |
| Radio | 23.5% | 16.6% | -6.9% |
| None | 16.0% | 28.9% | +12.9% |
Broadcast TV and online press saw the largest declines over the time period, while once again, podcasts and books were the only two categories to capture more interest relative to April. The percentage of respondents reporting “none” rose to 28.9%—a slightly higher share than that of Millennials.
Boomers
Media consumption trends among Baby Boomers were mixed, with some categories increasing and others decreasing since April. Broadcast TV saw the biggest decline in usage of all media types, but remained the most popular category for this cohort.
| Category | April 2020 | December 2020 | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podcasts | 4.4% | 7.9% | +3.5% |
| Video Games | 10.5% | 9.5% | -1.0% |
| Music Streaming | 13.7% | 14.4% | +0.7% |
| Broadcast TV | 42.3% | 36.7% | -5.6% |
| Online TV / streaming films | 22.5% | 22.0% | -0.5% |
| Online videos (Youtube/TikTok/etc.) | 11.6% | 18.2% | +6.6% |
| Livestreams | 8.8% | 6.5% | -2.3% |
| Books / literature | 13.7% | 17.4% | +3.7% |
| Online Press | 13.8% | 11.4% | -2.4% |
| Physical Press | 7.1% | 4.6% | -2.5% |
| Radio | 15.3% | 15.5% | +0.2% |
| None | 23.0% | 31.0% | +8.0% |
Boomers also had the largest share of “none” respondents in both studies (23.0% in April and 31.0% in December).
Where do Americans Go For Trustworthy News?
To learn more about American media consumption—particularly when it came to staying updated on the pandemic—survey respondents were asked to confirm which of the following sources they found trustworthy.
The deviations between each generation don’t appear to be too drastic, but there are some key takeaways from this data.
For starters, Gen Z appears to be more skeptical of mainstream news channels like CNN, with only 28.9% believing them to be trustworthy. This contrasts the most with Gen X, which saw 40.1% of its respondents give news channels the thumbs up.
This story is flipped when we turn to the World Health Organization (WHO). Gen Z demonstrated the highest levels of trust in information published by WHO, at 50.3% of respondents. Only 39.0% of Gen X could say the same.
By far the least trustworthy source was foreign governments’ websites. This category had the lowest average approval rating across the four generations, and scored especially poor with Boomers.
The Lasting Effects of the Pandemic
Habits that were picked up during 2020 are likely to linger, even as life finally returns to normal. To find out what’s changed, respondents were asked which categories of media they expected to continue consuming in elevated amounts.
The chart below shows each generation’s top three responses.
Note that the top three for both Gen Z and Millennials are all digital and online categories (video games can be played offline, but the majority of popular titles are online). This contrasts with the preferences of Gen X and Boomers, who appear to be sticking with more traditional outlets in broadcast TV and books.
With consumption habits of younger and older Americans moving in opposite directions, advertisers and media companies will likely need a clear understanding of their target audiences in order to be successful.
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