Best in Class
Food and drink dominate the most liked brands amongst 16-34 year olds, accounting for seven of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20, according to a new report, Generation Y and Brand Loyalty, from w00t! Media.
The report, which looks at the changing relationships Britons have with brands as they age from 16 to 34, reveals FMCG brands and grocery retailers account for over half (52) of the 100 most liked brands.
Cadbury (liked by 82%) beat Amazon (78%) as the most liked brand while Pringles, Walkers and Heinz (all 74%), Coca-Cola, (73%), Galaxy (71%) and Kellogg’s (70%) all rank in the top 10.
Dan McDevitt, w00t! Media’s joint managing director, said: “Despite all the media attention given to internet, technology and mobile brands, the top 100 overall shows Generation Y remain most fond of traditional grocery brands which account for over half the entire list.”
Top 100 by category
Most liked brands by category
Cadbury, Pringles and Walkers are the top three food brands whilst Robinsons (58%, ranked 22nd overall) and Pepsi (57%) followed Coca-Cola in the drinks sector. Smirnoff leads the way amongst alcohol brands (47%) ahead of Baileys (36%) and Jack Daniels (34%).
Colgate (58%, 23rd) is the most liked personal care brand followed by Gillette (45%) and Dove (43%).
Tesco is the most liked grocery retailer (59%, 21st overall) ahead of Sainsbury’s (53%) and Asda (50%). Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Co-operative all appeared in the top 100, leaving Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland as the only top 10 supermarkets – by Nielsen market share – not in the list.
Why brands appeal
Quality (cited by 72%) and how the product performs versus the competition (67%) are the major reasons why brands appeal to 16-34 year olds. Six in 10 say it’s because the brand fits their own personality while ‘what the company represents appeals’ and the ‘price being fair’ are both cited by half of 16-34 year olds.
McDevitt said: “Regardless of age, two common denominators emerged about why brands appeal to Generation Y – the product’s perceived quality and performance. These ‘functional’ reasons run counter-intuitive to those who believe young adults are preoccupied with simply jumping onto the next big thing.”
How brand preferences change from 16 to 34
The report identifies three life-stages within Generation Y and how brand preferences change. The ‘all about me’ stage are typically 16-21 years and only need to consider brands for themselves, not having to buy for partners or kids; Snacks along with fashion and the internet dominate their most liked brands.
The ‘all about us’ stage are typically 21-30 and becoming independent – moving into their first home, moving in with a partner or stepping onto the career ladder. The most liked brands here start to include more alcohol, retailer and household grocery brands such as Colgate and Waitrose.
The ‘all about them’ stage are 25-34 years old and are accountable to other considerations such as a partner, children or a mortgage – which trump initial personal preferences. Their brand repertoire grows considerably and more family-orientated brands such as Johnsons, Warburtons and Kellogg’s appear. Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Asda also feature here.
McDevitt said: “Despite being subject to the biggest life changes, no other age group is treated as such a homogenised unit by advertisers and the media as 16-34s. The study reveals how Generation Y’s relationships with brands change considerably as they move through these very different life stages.”
Generation Y (16-34 year olds) top 25 most liked grocery brands
| Grocery Rank | Brand | % Liked | Sector | Overall Rank |
| 1 | Cadbury | 82% | Food | 1 |
| 2 | Pringles | 74% | Food | 3 |
| 3 | Walkers | 74% | Food | 4 |
| 4 | Heinz | 74% | Food | 5 |
| 5 | Coca Cola | 73% | Drinks | 7 |
| 6 | Galaxy | 71% | Food | 8 |
| 7 | Kellogg’s | 70% | Food | 9 |
| 8 | Kit Kat | 69% | Food | 11 |
| 9 | Maltesers | 68% | Food | 13 |
| 10 | Ben & Jerry’s | 67% | Food | 15 |
| 11 | McVities | 65% | Food | 17 |
| 12 | Nestle | 64% | Food | 18 |
| 13 | Mars | 61% | Food | 20 |
| 14 | Tesco | 59% | Retail | 21 |
| 15 | Robinsons | 58% | Drinks | 22 |
| 16 | Colgate | 58% | Personal care/h’hold | 23 |
| 17 | Pepsi | 57% | Drinks | 27 |
| 18 | Fanta | 56% | Drinks | 28 |
| 19 | Muller | 55% | Food | 30 |
| 20 | Warburtons | 54% | Food | 31 |
| 21 | Hovis | 54% | Food | 32 |
| 22 | Haagen-Dazs | 53% | Food | 34 |
| 23 | Sainsbury’s | 53% | Retail | 35 |
| 24 | Kettle Chips | 53% | Food | 37 |
| 25 | Asda | 50% | Retail | 39 |
Source: w00t! Media Generation Y and Brand Loyalty report
