Brand preferences of Gen Z’s and older generations are not
quite different for example brands like Google, Walmart and Netflix are at
highest rankings. When the question narrows down to, which brands do the best
with Gen Z as compared to older generations?, the answer would be different.
The data used for the rankings is 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 position on the list 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 the years 1997 to 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
On the top of the list of brands that Gen Z (people who are currently
between 9-25 years old) loves are apps like TikTok, Discord, Snapchat and
Instagram. Comparing it to Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, they do not care
much for these brands.
It is no surprise that TikTok takes the highest spot. The
app that is normally used to poke fun at older generations and so is a
reflection of Gen Z’s culture.
Members of the Gen Z era are in true means the “digital
natives” as they were raised in the age of digital technology. This is the
reason why many of their favorite brands are either any social media app or a
digital service like ApplePay or Spotify. As a matter of fact, eight of Gen Z’s
top 10 favorites on the list are digital brands.
Another unique feature of consumers in this generation is
that they’re more likely to care about sustainable consumption and brand ethics
than other generations.
However, one brand among the list of top 20 that does not
align with this sentiment is the Chinese clothing brand, Shein. The business
model that this company follows promotes a culture of mass clothing hauls thus,
producing a lot of clothing waste which makes it far away from being
environmentally conscious. Yet, 44% of Gen Z’s have a good impression of the
brand, and it particularly does well with Gen Z women.
Gen Z vs. Millennials
Gen Z and Millennials, the two generations often looked
together have some significant differences when it comes to their favorite
brands. Let’s look briefly 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. Almost
60% of Gen Z’s see them 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 other generations. Removing the favorability difference score reveals that many of the most well-known brands overall still win out, such as Netflix, Google, and Amazon.
Gen Z Trends
The results show that it is hard for brands to win the
hearts of Gen Z’s. Out of all the brands that were scored, 33% of the general
American public rated them as favorable, but for Gen Z respondents the number
dropped to 27%.
Gen Z’s value conscious consumption and the brands that can
meet those expectations. Digital services and products also do well with this
generation.
As more and more people form Gen Z enter the labor market
and grow their consumer power, they will be an important generation to watch.
Infographic by: visualcapitalist
