Revealed: The Top 10 Coolest Brands For Teens (And Why It’s Bad News for Macca’s & Red Bull)

Revealed: The Top 10 Coolest Brands For Teens (And Why It’s Bad News for Macca’s & Red Bull)

A new study of teenagers has revealed what brands they regard as cool and which ones they regard as daggy. And it’s all good news for YouTube and Netflix and it’s bad news for the “uncool” likes of McDonald’s and surf wear brand Quiksilver.

(You can read B&T’s report on the demise of surf wear brands here.)

The survey, “It’s Lit: A Guide To What Teens Think Is Cool,” involved 1100 American teens aged 13 to 17. It was commissioned by Google, so, yes, the tech search company coincidentally ranked high in the cool stakes.

Screen Shot 2017-04-05 at 9.18.46 am

The report noted: “For Generation Z, what’s cool is also a representation of their values, their expectations of themselves, their peers, and the brands they hold in the highest regard.”

When it came to gender, teen girls thought fashion, beauty and music was cool, while for the boys it was video games. Girls thought “cool” was how something made them feel, while for the boys it was more about fads or the opinion of friends.

According to the study, these are the top 10 coolest brands:

One: YouTube
Two: Netflix
Three: Google
Four: Xbox
Five: Oreo
Six: GoPro
Seven: Playstation
Eight: Doritos
Nine: Nike
Ten: Chrome

And the 10 uncoolest brands:

One: Vice
Two: The Wall Street Journal
Three: Whatsapp
Four: McDonald’s
Five: Quiksilver
Six: Yahoo
Seven: Facebook Messenger
Eight: Red Bull
Nine: TMZ
Ten: Virgin America

When it came to social media, Snapchat and Instagram were the leading platforms for teens. Facebook was still a daily habit for “consumption and stalking” but it’s seen as “uncool” to post!

Screen Shot 2017-04-05 at 9.21.27 am

And the coolest celebs for teens (remembering those surveyed were American) – NBA player Steph Curry, actress Emma Watson, musician/actress Selena Gomez, singer Ariana Grande and rapper Chance The Rapper.

Worryingly, Coldplay was among respondents’ coolest bands that also included Twenty One Pilots, Panic At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Beyonce, Drake and – one for the oldies – The Beatles!




Latest News

Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
  • Advertising

Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch

Digital publisher network Scroll Media has employed ex-Amazon Twitch gaming executive Costa Panagos (lead image) to strengthen its Scroll Gaming capability. Panagos is highly experienced in game advertising and media sales professional with two years in account management at Twitch and three years in media sales at News Corp, so will bring his extensive media agency […]

Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
  • Technology

Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs

School-leaver service Year13 has launched a new Artificial Intelligence course to upskill young people in AI, made in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG, at an event to rally industry support behind youth AI fluency. The free online course AI Amplified which is part of Year13’s Academy aims to provide all young people with the opportunity […]

General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
  • Advertising

General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania

General Motors has announced the appointment of Heath Walker (lead image) as the new marketing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, effective April 23, 2024. Walker brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience gained from working across various industries, including IT, sporting, and auto – notably Tesla, Nissan and most recently, Scania in […]