Gen Z&#8217s Top 50 Most Authentic Brands / 2023

Keep scrolling to find out which brands 75,000 Gen Z say are the most authentic, based on YPulse’s proprietary youth brand tracker data.

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We talked to 75,000 Gen Z to determine which brands were most authentic.

Spotlight: The Top 10 Brands

1. Nike
2. Coca-Cola
3. YouTube
4. Oreo
5. Cash App
6. Dove
7. Jordan
8. Tide
9. Yitty
10. PayPal

”Dove has been a long-time staple for Millennials, but they’ve recently been making a ton of initiatives to reach Gen Z. The beauty brand knows they have to approach this gen differently, and over the last couple of years, they’ve been able to authentically capture Gen Z attention by meeting them in the spaces they are the most, with campaigns around inclusive gaming and the workplace, as well as addressing real issues the young gen experiences like the pressures young girls face on social media. YPulse data can attest to this, showing that Dove ranks no. 5 in our list of young consumers’ top 50 most trustworthy brands.“

Kayla Marino

Editorial assistant

See how Gen Z views your brand.

0 %

of Gen Z say it's important that brands are authentic and true to themselves

”Lacoste made its debut in the Web3 last year, and has successfully managed to transplant its iconic brand to the virtual realm while remaining authentic to its values. We know Gen Z and Millennials want brands to interact with them in virtual worlds, and Lacoste did just that—without loosing itself, or creating a whole different branding. Croco Island, UNDW3 NFT, and Lacoste x Minecraft collab, are just a few (great) examples of how the French clothing brand expanded in the metaverse lately.“

Anto Ficatier

EUROPE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Where does your brand rank with Gen Z?

1. Nike
2. Apple
3. PayPal
4. Lacoste
5. Coca-Cola
6. Fédération Française de Football
7. dm-drogerie markt
8. Mulino Bianco
9. Adidas
10. YouTube

Wait. What does it mean to be authentic?

Authentic is when a company transparently expresses its true identity and values through its business practices, messaging, products, and content.

An authentic brand does not try to conform but instead stays committed to its core beliefs and personality, even if that means taking risks or going against trends. To come across as genuine, brands must operate with integrity, be open about their standards and impact, and avoid pretense. Rather than hiding behind a manufactured image, authentic brands are unapologetically themselves. They build trust and connection with consumers, especially Gen Z, by maintaining transparency and allowing their individuality to shine through.

Being authentic is about being real, flaws and all, and earning loyalty by sharing what truly matters to the company with honesty and consistency.

Being authentic is about being real, flaws and all, and earning loyalty by sharing what truly matters to the company with honesty and consistency.

Brand Spotlights

”Although known for education, Duolingo resonates with Gen Z more for its "unhinged content" and chaotic yet lovable mascot, Duo the Owl. Duo's passive-aggressive reminders to continue language learning became memes that captured Duolingo's playfully unpredictable personality. Leaning into this image, Duolingo collaborates with influencers like Dua Lipa, appears in unexpected places like the Barbie movie premiere, and stays authentic by being in on the joke with Gen Z.“

Camay abraham

trend research coordinator

”Supermarket Edeka may not be known outside of Germany, but it’s a brand Gen Z Germans believe is authentic and trusting; coming head-to-head with Amazon and WhatsApp. It earns Gen Z's trust by supporting causes they care about, like the cost-of-living crisis and environment. Edeka boycotted PepsiCo and Mars for raising prices, and is replacing diesel trucks by 2025 to reduce its climate impact. Taking a firm stance on issues close to European Gen Z's hearts makes Edeka an authentic brand, even rivaling WhatsApp and Amazon.“

cerys whitehurst

content research coordinator

”Innovation and convenience are at Apple’s core, so connecting iPhones to mobile payment and banking services is just another way they’ve managed to do both (and win Gen Z’s affinity!). Gen Z has grown up in an age where product innovation moves fast, and they love brands that are staying ahead of the curve and constantly evolving and improving their offerings. As more Gen Z consumers are looking to their smartphones to manage their personal finances, it’s only natural they’d turn to Apple Pay for a great experience from a brand they trust.“

sira sartori

research analyst

”Ben & Jerry's seamlessly blends activism with fun, showcasing that seriousness and lovability aren't mutually exclusive. On social media, they promote educational content on social, political, and environmental issues alongside lighthearted dessert posts. This meaningful yet approachable messaging proves brands can have uncomfortable conversations while remaining fun. Most importantly, Ben & Jerry's activism isn't one-off or surface level, displaying authentic dedication to social justice without tokenization. This branding makes them more than just an ice cream brand.“

tori d'amico

editorial coordinator

Where does your brand rank with Gen Z?

Gen Z's Top 50 Most Authentic Brands

Rankings are determined by the average reflects true to self score — one of 20 youth-centric metrics tracked with the YPulse youth intelligence platform. YPulse conducts thousands of weekly interviews with 13-39-year-olds across North America (n=2,500) and Western Europe (n=2,500). This dataset was generated from interviews with 13-22-year-olds conducted between 7/2022-7/2023.

01 Nike (59%)
02 Coca-Cola (56%)
03 YouTube (55%)
04 Oreo (55%)
05 Cash App (55%)
06 Dove (54%)
07 Jordan (53%)
08 Tide (53%)
09 Yitty (52%)
10 PayPal (52%)
11 Target (52%)
12 iPhone (51%)
13 Kahoot! (51%)
14 Apple (51%)
15 Apple Pay (50%)
16 Amazon (50%)
17 The Ordinary (50%)
18 Doritos (50%)
19 Duolingo (50%)
20 NBA (49%)
21 Crocs (49%)
22 Bounty (48%)
23 Quizlet (48%)
24 E.L.F. (48%)
25 Google Classroom

26 Fenty Beauty (47%)
27 Reese’s (47%)
28 NFL (47%)
29 Ziploc (47%)
30 Savage x Fenty (47%)
31 Netflix (47%)
32 Old Spice (47%)
33 Canadian Tire (46%)
34 Always (46%)
35 Google (46%)
36 Vans (46%)
37 The Home Depot (46%)
38 Ben & Jerry’s (46%)
39 IKEA (46%)
40 Cheetos (45%)
41 Gatorade (45%)
42 Hershey’s (45%)
43 Kraft Peanut Butter (45%)
44 Gain (45%)
45 McDonald’s (45%)
46 Visa (45%)
47 Clorox (44%)
48 TikTok (44%)
49 Adidas (44%)
50 Disney+ (44%)

1 Nike (68%)
2 Apple (59%)
3 PayPal (58%)
4 Lacoste (57%)
5 Coca-Cola (55%)
6 Fédération Française de Football (55%)
7 dm-drogerie markt (53%)
8 Mulino Bianco (52%)
9 Adidas (52%)
10 YouTube (51%)
11 Italian Football Federation (51%)
12 Amazon (51%)
13 S-pushTAN (50%)
14 Magnum (50%)
15 Jordan (50%)
16 Crédit Agricole (49%)
17 Edeka (49%)
18 Roland Garros (L’open français) (49%)
19 The Football Association (48%)
20 Barilla (48%)
21 iPhone (48%)
22 Kinder (48%)
23 Postepay (48%)
24 WhatsApp (48%)
25 Bonne Maman (48%)

26 Intimissimi (47%)
27 Serie A (47%)
28 Bundesliga (46%)
29 Mercadona (46%)
30 Ruffles (46%)
31 Calvin Klein Intimates (46%)
32 Chips Ahoy! (46%)
33 Netflix (46%)
34 Milka (46%)
35 REWE (45%)
36 Pringles (45%)
37 Instagram (45%)
38 IKEA (45%)
39 PlayStation (45%)
40 Ferrero Rocher (44%)
41 Ligue 1 (44%)
42 Cadbury (44%)
43 Rossmann (44%)
44 Hermes (44%)
45 Apple Pay (44%)
46 NBA (43%)
47 Président (43%)
48 Tezenis (43%)
49 Spotify (43%)
50 BBVA (43%)