Demographics
The Most Loved Brands, by Generation
The Most Beloved Brands, by Generation
When it comes to buying into brands, consumers are spoiled for choice.
The vast amount of options available makes it increasingly difficult for brands to build meaningful emotional connections with them—but for the brands that do, the payoff can be huge.
Today’s graphic pulls data from MBLM’s 2020 Brand Intimacy Report and visualizes the top 10 brands that different generations connect with the most.
Can Emotion Be Measured?
Brands that tap into consumers’ emotions can establish higher levels of trust. This in turn creates a culture of loyalty that could ensure a unique standing in the market and long-term growth.
In fact, intimate brands that have a strong emotional bond with their consumers tend to outperform top companies listed on the S&P 500 and Fortune 500 in both revenue and profit. To measure how brands emotionally connect with consumers, MBLM looked at four key factors:
- Users: The existing relationship between a brand and a consumer
- Emotional Connection: The degree of positive feelings the user has for a brand, and the extent to which their personal values align with the brand’s values
- Archetype: The six markers that are present among intimate brands, which include fulfillment, identity, enhancement, ritual, nostalgia, and indulgence
- Stage: The degree of intensity in the relationship across three phases: sharing, bonding, and fusing
- Intimacy Score: Based on these four components, a score is assigned, ranging from 0-100
The total score also reveals which brands rank the highest across different age groups. While there are some commonalities across each generation, can brands be all things to all people?
The Chosen One
There are very few brands that have the luxury of retaining loyal customers from different age brackets. Amazon, however, manages to transcend age. The retail giant appears in the top five for Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers—with the latter awarding the brand their #1 spot.
Every generation named “enhancement” as Amazon’s defining trait, meaning their lives have improved as a result of the relationship. The “ritual” trait also scored high, with users claiming the brand has become ingrained into their daily behavior.
Ranked: Top Brands by Generation
Gen Z and Millennials (18-34)
Sony-owned PlayStation holds the title for the most intimate brand among Millennials, climbing up from the 8th spot in 2019. Impressively, more than 50% of Millennials have an emotional connection to the brand, with men having a particularly strong affinity for it.
Having recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, the gaming brand’s success has been fueled by the increasing popularity of multiplayer and professional gaming, as well as new product innovation—with five of the ten best selling consoles owned by PlayStation.
Rank | Brand | Score | Industry | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | PlayStation | 78.3 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#2 | Amazon | 76.6 | Retail | |||
#3 | Target | 68.7 | Retail | |||
#4 | Disney | 67.8 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#5 | Ford | 67.4 | Automotive | |||
#6 | Jeep | 66.8 | Automotive | |||
#7 | Apple | 65.9 | Technology | |||
#8 | YouTube | 63.0 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#9 | Xbox | 59.8 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#10 | Nintendo | 56.8 | Media and Entertainment |
Interestingly, when Gen Z (18-24) are singled out, Microsoft-owned Xbox ranks as #1, increasing its score to 73.5 in 2020 from 49.7 in 2018.
Gen X (35-54)
As the generational middle child, Gen X did not grow up with the same access to technology. However, their tech adoption is almost on par with Millennials, with similar adoption rates across tablet and smartphone ownership.
It is no surprise therefore, that Apple has captured the hearts of this generation, sitting proudly in first place. When the iPhone launched in 2007, this group was between 22-41 years old, so they have likely been loyal followers of the tech brand since its earlier days.
Rank | Brand | Score | Industry | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Apple | 72.1 | Technology | |||
#2 | Amazon | 66.8 | Retail | |||
#3 | Netlix | 66.1 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#4 | Jeep | 65.1 | Automotive | |||
#5 | Disney | 65.0 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#6 | Ford | 63.6 | Automotive | |||
#7 | Samsung | 58.5 | Technology | |||
#8 | Xbox | 57.0 | Media and Entertainment | |||
#9 | Walmart | 55.2 | Retail | |||
#10 | Nike | 54.6 | Apparel |
While this generation has no qualms about shopping online, 72% of them shop in brick and mortar stores and are satisfied with doing so—which may be part of the reason why retail giant Walmart joins Amazon in the top 10.
Baby Boomers (55-64)
Controlling almost 70% of disposable income in the U.S., Baby Boomers are arguably the most influential of all consumer groups.
While they feel the most emotionally connected to Amazon, it’s also true that Apple was another tech brand to win the affection of this age group.
Rank | Brand | Score | Industry | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Amazon | 70.0 | Retail | |||
#2 | Toyota | 63.6 | Automotive | |||
#3 | Apple | 61.4 | Technology | |||
#4 | Costco | 61.2 | Retail | |||
#5 | Macy’s | 55.2 | Retail | |||
#6 | Hershey’s | 54.8 | Consumer Packaged Goods | |||
#7 | Hewlett-Packard | 54.4 | Technology | |||
#8 | Pillsbury | 51.8 | Consumer Packaged Goods | |||
#9 | Kellogg’s | 50.0 | Consumer Packaged Goods | |||
#10 | Pepsi | 50.0 | Consumer Packaged Goods |
This generation dominates almost 50% of consumer packaged goods (CPG) sales in the U.S.—which likely explains why the rest of their top brands are more traditional household names, such as Macy’s, Hershey’s, and Kellogg’s.
It is also clear from the ranking that this group values brands with nostalgic qualities, as well as the ability to provide them with moments of indulgence.
The Changing Brand Landscape
The brand and consumer relationship has shifted with the ages, but each generation’s unique value system has remained the most important piece of the puzzle.
It is worth noting that none of the Baby Boomer’s favorite brands appear in the ranking for those aged 18-24 (Gen Z). Are the preferences of younger generations signalling a cultural shift, in which we place more value on distraction rather than satisfaction?
Note: The 2020 Brand Intimacy Report covers an age range of 18-64. The way that the ranking is structured makes it difficult to reflect conventional demographic groups (e.g. Gen Z, the Silent Generation etc.)
Demographics
Visualized: The Head of State of Each Country, by Age and Generation
This graphic visualizes the ages of every country’s head of state, and compares them with the median population of their respective states.

The Head of State of Each Country By Age and Generation
How many world leaders are in each generation?
This visualization by Edit Gyenge visualizes the ages of every nation’s head of state as of March 22, 2023, comparing them with the median population of the respective country. It uses data from the CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.
Editor’s note: This visualization looks specifically at heads of state. It should be mentioned that depending on the system of government in a country, heads of state shown here may or may not have actual political power. In some countries, the head of state may be a ceremonial position that does not impact day-to-day governance.
The Oldest and Youngest Heads of State
Here is the full list of heads of state, from oldest to youngest:
Country | Head of State | Gender | Age | Generation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cameroon | Paul Biya | Male | 90 | Silent Generation |
Palestine | Mahmoud Abbas | Male | 88 | Silent Generation |
Saudi Arabia | Salman | Male | 88 | Silent Generation |
Norway | Harald V | Male | 86 | Silent Generation |
Kuwait | Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Male | 86 | Silent Generation |
Iran | Ali Khamenei | Male | 84 | Silent Generation |
Denmark | Margrethe II | Female | 83 | Silent Generation |
Ireland | Michael D. Higgins | Male | 82 | Silent Generation |
Italy | Sergio Mattarella | Male | 82 | Silent Generation |
Namibia | Hage Geingob | Male | 82 | Silent Generation |
Cote d'Ivoire | Alassane Ouattara | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
Malta | George Vella | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
Equatorial Guinea | Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
Zimbabwe | Emmerson Mnangagwa | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
United States | Joe Biden | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
Nigeria | Muhammadu Buhari | Male | 81 | Silent Generation |
Dominica | Charles Savarin | Male | 80 | Silent Generation |
Congo, Republic of the | Denis Sassou Nguesso | Male | 80 | Silent Generation |
Bangladesh | Abdul Hamid | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Austria | Alexander Van der Bellen | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Ghana | Nana Akufo-Addo | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Iraq | Abdul Latif Rashid | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Uganda | Yoweri Museveni | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Nepal | Ram Chandra Paudel | Male | 79 | Silent Generation |
Liechtenstein | Hans-Adam II | Male | 78 | Silent Generation |
Brazil | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | Male | 78 | Silent Generation |
Laos | Thongloun Sisoulith | Male | 78 | Silent Generation |
Nicaragua | Daniel Ortega | Male | 78 | Silent Generation |
Algeria | Abdelmadjid Tebboune | Male | 78 | Silent Generation |
Eritrea | Isaias Afwerki | Male | 77 | Baby Boomers |
Sweden | Carl XVI Gustaf | Male | 77 | Baby Boomers |
Brunei | Hassanal Bolkiah | Male | 77 | Baby Boomers |
Samoa | Afioga Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II | Male | 76 | Baby Boomers |
Djibouti | Ismaïl Omar Guelleh | Male | 76 | Baby Boomers |
Finland | Sauli Niinistö | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Antigua and Barbuda | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Australia | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Bahamas | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Belize | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Canada | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Grenada | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Jamaica | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
New Zealand | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Papua New Guinea | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Saint Lucia | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Solomon Islands | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Tuvalu | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
United Kingdom | Charles III | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Portugal | Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | Male | 75 | Baby Boomers |
Barbados | Dame Sandra Mason | Female | 74 | Baby Boomers |
Sri Lanka | Ranil Wickremesinghe | Male | 74 | Baby Boomers |
Pakistan | Arif Alvi | Male | 74 | Baby Boomers |
Haiti | Ariel Henry | Male | 74 | Baby Boomers |
East Timor | José Ramos-Horta | Male | 74 | Baby Boomers |
Bahrain | Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa | Male | 73 | Baby Boomers |
Ethiopia | Sahle-Work Zewde | Female | 73 | Baby Boomers |
Myanmar | Myint Swe | Male | 72 | Baby Boomers |
Marshall Islands | David Kabua | Male | 72 | Baby Boomers |
South Sudan | Salva Kiir Mayardit | Male | 72 | Baby Boomers |
Georgia | Salome Zourabichvili | Female | 71 | Baby Boomers |
Thailand | Maha Vajiralongkorn | Male | 71 | Baby Boomers |
Tajikistan | Emomali Rahmon | Male | 71 | Baby Boomers |
Russia | Vladimir Putin | Male | 71 | Baby Boomers |
South Africa | Cyril Ramaphhosa | Male | 71 | Baby Boomers |
Panama | Laurentino Cortizo | Male | 70 | Baby Boomers |
Cambodia | Norodom Sihamoni | Male | 70 | Baby Boomers |
Kazakhstan | Kassym-Jomart Tokayev | Male | 70 | Baby Boomers |
China | Xi Jinping | Male | 70 | Baby Boomers |
Mexico | Andrés Manuel López Obrador | Male | 70 | Baby Boomers |
Yemen | Rashad al-Alimi | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Turkey | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Angola | João Lourenço | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Singapore | Halimah Yacob | Female | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Belarus | Alexander Lukashenko | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Oman | Haitham bin Tariq | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Egypt | Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | Male | 69 | Baby Boomers |
Malawi | Lazarus Chakwera | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Luxembourg | Henri | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Latvia | Egils Levits | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Ecuador | Guillermo Lasso | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Lebanon | Najib Mikati | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Somalia | Hassan Sheikh Mohamud | Male | 68 | Baby Boomers |
Germany | Frank-Walter Steinmeier | Male | 67 | Baby Boomers |
Guatemala | Alejandro Giammattei | Male | 67 | Baby Boomers |
Greece | Katerina Sakellaropoulou | Female | 67 | Baby Boomers |
Mauritania | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani | Male | 67 | Baby Boomers |
Central African Republic | Faustin-Archange Touadéra | Male | 66 | Baby Boomers |
Uzbekistan | Shavkat Mirziyoyev | Male | 66 | Baby Boomers |
Philippines | Bongbong Marcos | Male | 66 | Baby Boomers |
Rwanda | Paul Kagame | Male | 66 | Baby Boomers |
Tunisia | Kaïs Saïed | Male | 65 | Baby Boomers |
Monaco | Albert II | Male | 65 | Baby Boomers |
Estonia | Alar Karis | Male | 65 | Baby Boomers |
Benin | Patrice Talon | Male | 65 | Baby Boomers |
India | Droupadi Murmu | Female | 65 | Baby Boomers |
Trinidad and Tobago | Paula-Mae Weekes | Female | 65 | Baby Boomers |
Comoros | Azali Assoumani | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Suriname | Chan Santokhi | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Gabon | Ali Bongo Ondimba | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Mozambique | Filipe Nyusi | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Seychelles | Wavel Ramkalawan | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Argentina | Alberto Fernández | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Armenia | Vahagn Khachaturyan | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Mauritius | Prithvirajsing Roopun | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Romania | Klaus Iohannis | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Tonga | Tupou VI | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Carlos Vila Nova | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Malaysia | Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah | Male | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Honduras | Xiomara Castro | Female | 64 | Baby Boomers |
Niger | Mohamed Bazoum | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Tanzania | Samia Suluhu Hassan | Female | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Japan | Naruhito | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Cabo Verde | José Maria Neves | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Belgium | Philippe | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Colombia | Gustavo Petro | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Cuba | Miguel Díaz-Canel | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Sudan | Abdel Fattah al-Burhan | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Kiribati | Taneti Maamau | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
Israel | Isaac Herzog | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
South Korea | Yoon Suk-yeol | Male | 63 | Baby Boomers |
United Arab Emirates | Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Afghanistan | Hibatullah Akhundzada | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Costa Rica | Rodrigo Chaves Robles | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Indonesia | Joko Widodo | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Botswana | Mokgweetsi Masisi | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Czechia | Petr Pavel | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Senegal | Macky Sall | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Azerbaijan | Ilham Aliyev | Male | 62 | Baby Boomers |
Jordan | Abdullah II | Male | 61 | Baby Boomers |
Montenegro | Milo Ðukanovic | Male | 61 | Baby Boomers |
Maldives | Ibrahim Mohamed Solih | Male | 61 | Baby Boomers |
Peru | Dina Boluarte | Female | 61 | Baby Boomers |
Zambia | Hakainde Hichilema | Male | 61 | Baby Boomers |
Venezuela | Nicolás Maduro | Male | 61 | Baby Boomers |
North Macedonia | Stevo Pendarovski | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Félix Tshisekedi | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Bulgaria | Rumen Radev | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Lesotho | Letsie III | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Morocco | Mohammed VI | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Bolivia | Luis Arce | Male | 60 | Baby Boomers |
Micronesia | David W. Panuelo | Male | 59 | Baby Boomers |
Fiji | Ratu Wiliame Katonivere | Male | 59 | Baby Boomers |
Sierra Leone | Julius Maada Bio | Male | 59 | Baby Boomers |
Vanuatu | Nikenike Vurobaravu | Male | 59 | Baby Boomers |
Lithuania | Gitanas Nauseda | Male | 59 | Baby Boomers |
The Gambia | Adama Barrow | Male | 58 | Generation X |
Syria | Bashar al-Assad | Male | 58 | Generation X |
Togo | Faure Gnassingbé | Male | 57 | Generation X |
Liberia | George Weah | Male | 57 | Generation X |
Croatia | Zoran Milanovic | Male | 57 | Generation X |
Kenya | William Ruto | Male | 57 | Generation X |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Željka Cvijanovic | Female | 56 | Generation X |
Albania | Bajram Begaj | Male | 56 | Generation X |
Netherlands | Willem-Alexander | Male | 56 | Generation X |
Dominican Republic | Luis Abinader | Male | 56 | Generation X |
Spain | Felipe VI | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Eswatini | Mswati III | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Slovenia | Nataša Pirc Musar | Female | 55 | Generation X |
Mongolia | Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Burundi | Évariste Ndayishimiye | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Iceland | Guðni Th. Jóhannesson | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Palau | Surangel Whipps Jr. | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Kyrgyzstan | Sadyr Japarov | Male | 55 | Generation X |
Serbia | Aleksandar Vucic | Male | 53 | Generation X |
Vietnam | Võ Văn Thưởng | Male | 53 | Generation X |
Paraguay | Mario Abdo Benítez | Male | 52 | Generation X |
Switzerland | Alain Berset | Male | 51 | Generation X |
Poland | Andrzej Duda | Male | 51 | Generation X |
Moldova | Maia Sandu | Female | 51 | Generation X |
Guinea-Bissau | Umaro Sissoco Embaló | Male | 51 | Generation X |
Slovakia | Zuzana Caputová | Female | 50 | Generation X |
Uruguay | Luis Lacalle Pou | Male | 50 | Generation X |
Cyprus | Nikos Christodoulides | Male | 50 | Generation X |
Madagascar | Andry Rajoelina | Male | 49 | Generation X |
Nauru | Russ Kun | Male | 48 | Generation X |
Libya | Mohamed al-Menfi | Male | 47 | Generation X |
Hungary | Katalin Novák | Female | 46 | Generation X |
France | Emmanuel Macron | Male | 46 | Generation X |
Ukraine | Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Male | 45 | Generation X |
Bhutan | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | Male | 43 | Generation X |
Guinea | Mamady Doumbouya | Male | 43 | Generation X |
Guyana | Irfaan Ali | Male | 43 | Generation X |
Qatar | Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | Male | 43 | Generation X |
El Salvador | Nayib Bukele | Male | 42 | Millennials |
Turkmenistan | Serdar Berdimuhamedow | Male | 42 | Millennials |
North Korea | Kim Jong-un | Male | 41 | Millennials |
Mali | Assimi Goïta | Male | 40 | Millennials |
Chad | Mahamat Déby | Male | 39 | Millennials |
Chile | Gabriel Boric | Male | 37 | Millennials |
Burkina Faso | Ibrahim Traoré | Male | 35 | Millennials |
Though ages vary across countries and regions, Africa has both the oldest and youngest heads of state in the world today.
Last month, Cameroon’s president Paul Biya celebrated his 90th birthday, making him the oldest head of state in the world in a country that has a median population age of just 18.5 years. The African continent is home to about one-third of the world’s silent generation heads of states.
At the other age extreme, 35-year-old Ibrahim Traoré became the youngest head of state in Burkina Faso after a coup d’etat in September 2022.
Traoré is not the only millennial head of state out there. He is joined by others including Chile’s Gabriel Boric, and North Korea’s well-known Kim Jong-un.
Baby Boomers Lead the Way
Born between 1946 and 1964, the baby boomer generation dominates the world’s state leadership roles today.
Over 58% of the world’s heads of state are in this generation, including the UK’s King Charles III who is the head of state of 15 total nations.
Boomers also make up the largest share of women leaders in the top state positions today. While only around 10% of the world’s nations have women head of states, 65% of them are in this generation.
Included in this subset are heads of state such as Peru’s president Dina Boluarte, Honduras’ president Xiomara Castro, and India’s president Droupadi Murmu.
Where Gen X Takes the Lead
According to historical trends, one might expect to see an American president from Generation X in office sometime soon, but that has not yet materialized for various reasons.
However, this generation has made their mark in other parts of the world as heads of state, especially in Europe.
The presidents of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy), France (Emmanuel Macron), and Hungary (Katalin Novák) are in Gen X, and are also Europe’s youngest heads of state.
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