Tech brands top the list of brands that young consumers think are most innovative, and the kinds of brands they say they’re loyal to—but which tech brand is their favorite? We asked 1000 13-34-year-olds to tell us…
When we explored the brand loyalty of young consumers in our recent trend Loyal-ish, we found that overall, young consumers are more likely to say that they “have a brand they prefer but don’t mind using other brands” than that “they have one brand they like and will always use”—except when it comes to technology. Almost half of 13-34-year-olds told us that they will always use the brand of smartphone that they already like, and only 13% told us that the brand of their smartphone doesn’t matter to them—far lower than categories like personal care products, food/beverages, and clothing/accessories.
As we’ve said before, their dedication to their tech brands is likely a result of just how embedded their devices are in their lives. Tech addiction is a very real thing, and unsurprisingly, young consumers struggle most. GfK’s global study shows that a third of internet users find it difficult to disconnect, jumping to 44% for 15-19-year-olds, followed closely by those 20-39-years-old. Because of their attachment to tech, we’re always looking at their feelings about devices and screens, from the tech Millennials think is the coolest on the market to their tech shopping habits. But what are their favorite tech brands? In our recent monthly survey of Millennials and Gen Z, we asked 1000 13-34-year-olds to tell us, “What is your favorite technology brand?”* to find out. Here are the top 10 responses:
*This was an open-end response question to allow us to capture the full range of tech brands that Millennials and Gen Z like most—without our preconceived ideas shaping their responses. As with any qualitative question, the responses include those that are top of mind and those that are most popular. The lists are ordered according to number of responses received, and alphabetically when ties occurred.
What Is Their Favorite Technology Brand?
13-34-year-olds
- Apple
- Samsung
- Sony
- Microsoft
- HP
- LG
- Dell
- Android
- Nintendo
Are you surprised? We doubt it. Apple, for the third year in a row, trounced the competition to earn the top spot on the list. The brand earned almost four times as many mentions as the second most popular brand, Samsung. Young consumers’ Apple love is strong. It was at the top of the list of brands they see as most innovative, and indeed, innovation continues to be a major part of the brand’s reputation. One 25-year-old male told us, “Apple is an innovative and forward-thinking technology brand,” and a 32-year-old female explained, “Apple is my favorite brand because they set the trend for other brands to follow.” We saw little variation in top tech brands among age groups and genders, and Apple was the top of the list for all groups.
Ease of use and design were also frequent mentions. But interestingly, there are some hints that Apple is maintaining their spot as Millennials’ and Gen Z’s top tech brand because the brand is already so embedded in young consumers’ daily behavior. After saying Apple is her favorite tech brand, a 23-year-old female told us, “My iPhone is a necessary evil at this point. I would honestly prefer to get an android but it’s just too difficult to switch now…”
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