TikTok, Snapchat and Spotify top a list of brands Gen Z consumers trust most compared to all U.S. adults, according to a new report from decision intelligence company Morning Consult.
Other names that score high in the rankings, dominated by social and gaming platforms, include Twitch, Discord, Instagram, Xbox, Epic Games and PlayStation.
“Gen Z is a generation looking for community right now,” said Amy He, head of industry analysis at Morning Consult. “Whether through social media or gaming, that’s where they can find it.”
Earning the trust of younger shoppers isn’t an easy feat. Research from Morning Consult, which tracks how consumers feel about thousands of brands each day, reveals Gen Z’s average net trust score for brands is more than 10 points lower than any other generation.
He noted part of this is due to younger people being more anti-establishment in general. When Baby Boomers were in their teens and twenties, for example, many likely held a similar attitude.
Another factor is that building trust takes time.
“There are legacy brands Gen Z’s been less exposed to throughout their lifetimes compared to millennials, Gen X and Boomers,” said He. “So there’s naturally a little bit lower levels of trust there.”
One element that doesn’t apply to past generations, however, is the ubiquity of social media. Today’s young consumers see a flood of news and opinions—both positive and negative, accurate and inaccurate—on brands each day, influencing their outlook. “Gen Z is very closely tied to everything that’s being shown on social media,” He added.
At the same time, common ground exists when it comes to the brands Gen Z and all U.S. adults trust most overall. Band-Aid, Google, UPS, CVS, Dove, Colgate and Tylenol, for example, rank high with consumers regardless of age.
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/the-brands-gen-z-trust-most-relative-to-all-adult-shoppers/