YouTube has overtaken Netflix and regained the top spot among the 100 coolest brands for kids and teens, according to a study of 21,000 young people conducted by Beano Brain, the agency specializing in child and family research.
In the third edition of Beano Brain’s annual 100 Coolest Brands report, entertainment giants continue to be neck and neck for the top spot in teens’ favour. Brands rooted in storytelling and offering depth and breadth of content – YouTube, Netflix, Nintendo and Disney (9) – all occupy places in the top 10.
The list is dominated by food and drink brands, which make up 50% of the top 20, including McDonalds (3), Oreo (7), Pringles (8), Skittles (12), Coca Cola (14), KFC (15), Domino’s Pizza (16), Fanta (17), Cadbury’s (19) and M&Ms (20), which will not please healthy eating advocates. Children value these products because they are closely associated with sweets and fun family time.
The popularity of social media apps declined, with all major brands falling in the rankings, including TikTok (-7 to 28), WhatsApp (-8 to 38), Snapchat (-3 to 40) and Instagram (-11 to 66).
The lightweight shoe brand Crocs, once considered kitschy and ugly, saw the biggest rise this year (up 35 places to 49th place). The second big jump was made by the plush toy brand Squishmallows, which jumped 29 places to 18th place and entered the top 20.
LEGO entered the top 10 at number 10, replacing Coca Cola (-4 to 14), which was helped by collaborations with companies such as Minecraft (30th).
Argos (89) is the biggest loser this year, falling 21 places, and Jolly Ranchers, Hot Wheels, The Entertainer, Under Armour, Oculus VR and Wagamama fall out of the top 100.
There are no British brands in the top 30. Greggs Bakery is the highest-ranked British brand at 31st place (up 2 places from last year). Harry Potter slipped 5 places to 37th place for the second year in a row.
The BBC recovered slightly from last year’s disgrace as biggest loser, rising 8 points to 63rd place.
New additions included SuperDrug (98), Boots (91), Uno (46), Subway Surfers (52), EA Sports (65), Samsung (53), Pandora (78), Poundland (80) and Taco Bell (87).
The Beano Brain team spent a year talking to children and teenagers aged 7 to 14 (Generation Alpha) about their likes and dislikes, observing what brands the children wear, talk about and desire, before testing their findings on Beano Brain’s Omnibus panel.
Strategy director Helenor Gilmour says: “Children see YouTube as a ‘safe’ place, a place where they are less likely to encounter disturbing or inappropriate content, unlike TikTok. By successfully positioning music and TV in its offering, YouTube has ensured that it is the one-stop shop for this generation.
“YouTube is considered the platform where children find and learn from experts or get help with homework. Thanks to its reputation, educational content and extensive library, YouTube has achieved something that every brand strives for: parental approval.”
Beano Brain 100 Coolest Brands 2024 UK Top 10
Brands (2023 ranking in brackets)
1/YouTube (2)
2/Netflix (1)
3/McDonald’s (3)
4/Nintendo- (6)
5/Nike (4)
6/Roblox (9)
7/Oreo (5)
8/Pringles (7)
9/Disney (5)
10/LEGO- (13)
The full report will be available here.
