Netflix, YouTube and McDonald's among coolest brands for Generation Alpha

Netflix has topped the list of 100 coolest brands among children and teenagers, a survey has revealed.

The streaming service stole the top place from last year’s winner YouTube, while McDonald’s, Nike and new entry Oreo made up the rest of the top five.

The survey of 60,00 children aged seven to 14 across the UK is detailed in the annual Coolest Brands Report by Beano Brain, a family insight agency.

There are no UK brands in the top ten this year, with Harry Potter achieving the highest rating at 32, down from 11 year.

The BBC is the biggest faller, dropping 28 places from 43 to 71, while video game Minecraft dropped 22 places to 28, having failed to maintain the buzz outside its predominantly male fanbase, where it still ranks at 11 for boys.

After a year of headlines, shortages and queues outside supermarkets, one of the most hyped brands of the year, the energy drink PRIME by YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul managed to rank at only 82.

Amazon (15 down from four) and Apple (11 down from eight) all dropped out of the top ten this year.

YouTube was beaten out by Netflix, coming in second place in the survey iStock

The Beano Brain team spent a year talking to young people aged seven to 14, known as Generation Alpha, about their likes and dislikes and observing the brands kids were wearing, chatting about and coveting, before testing their findings with the Beano Brain omnibus panel.

The agency said kids were talking about more brands than last year, leading the report to double in size from 50 in 2022 to 100 in 2023.

Beano Brain managing director of commercial insight Pete Maginn said brands that want to resonate with the whole family should take note of the rankings.

He said: “By talking directly with the kids and not going through the parental filter, Beano Brain’s 100 Coolest Brands is a genuine snapshot of what kids love and, perhaps more importantly, why they love them.

“This is a unique opportunity to see what kids truly love and how brands integrate into their daily lives, and will help inform smart business decisions.”

According to Helenor Gilmour, director of insight, Beano Brain, Generation Alpha is a “hugely creative generation” of critical consumers with expectations and benchmarks which are often higher than those of adults.

She said: “Kids love a sense of occasion, from Apple releases to the ritual of Oreo dunking, and they love sharing these with their families.

“Brands that are there at key life moments will rank highly for cool. McDonald’s scored well for their Fifa World Cup promotions and Fun Football Centres while Nike is king when it’s back to school.

“Gen Alphas are the original YouTube generation raised on influencer collaborations, and so their discovery and loyalty are often driven by collaborations such as Nike Chunky Dunkys in collaboration with Ben & Jerry’s.

“Gen Alpha are still finding their way and shaping their own opinions, and they really get behind brands that are brave, such as Disney tackling puberty in the movie Red or championing diversity in the live action Little Mermaid.”