YouTube, Google and McDonalds remain firm favourites for a youthful crowd, a survey of the most popular 100 brands for young people in Australia found.
YouTube is the country's top entertainment brand with a whopping 90 per cent of young people supporting the video sharing service for the "content and sense of belonging".
Research director Anna Denejkina said YouTube's appeal was consistent across all demographics.
More than 1000 people aged between 14 and 24 years weighed in on the survey by YouthInsight which found "Generation Z does not compromise on quality but is still conscious of a brand's affordability".
"Brands championing ethical values, inclusivity, affordability and convenience consistently occupy the top positions," she said.
As well as brands offering a student discount.
Top brands
Fast food favourite McDonalds was the top-rated brand in the category for food, restaurants and takeaway.
It was followed by Krispy Kreme, which was preferred by female respondents and KFC, which was favoured by males.
While H&M and Crocs were popular, the top fashion brand was Cotton On based on value for money.
Millennials may be amused to hear Supré and Jay Jays continue to rank in the top 20.
Long-running brands Telstra (communications) and Woolworths (retail) were favoured by Gen Z.
Canva and ChatGPT were popular brands but Google won the technology category.
Nike beat out Adidas and Converse as the top sport and fitness brand.
Generation Z agreed that Commonwealth Bank was their favoured provider for banking, finance and insurance due to their "high-quality products".
"Within specific brand categories, we observe a consistent trend where the leading brands are those that possess a deep understanding of the preferences and motivations of young people," Ms Denejkina said.
Anna Houlahan
Anna Houlahan is a journalist for Explore and the Senior. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au
