Young kids love YouTube more than Disney and Oreo, study finds
A new study has determined something most astute parents already know: YouTube is the most-loved brand among young kids.
The digital video service, owned by Alphabet Inc., scored highest among children 6 to 12 for the first time in market research firm Smarty Pants’ eighth annual “Brand Love†study. YouTube beat out more traditional kid-friendly brands such as Oreo, Disney and Toys R Us, and it bested its online video counterpart Netflix, which ranked 11th.
“Based on kids’ attention spans now, [YouTube has] the type of content they really crave,†said Blair Fischer, who analyzed data for the Smarty Pants study. “They can operate in isolation and enjoy two- to three-minute, snack-sized videos, versus watching long-form movies on Netflix.â€
For its report, Smarty Pants surveyed a representative sample of U.S. households over a three-month period, asking 8,125 children and their parents to evaluate 285 consumer brands spanning about 20 categories. The firm ranks brands using a custom score that measures brand awareness, affection and popularity.
YouTube, which ranked seventh in 2015, grew in popularity among children ages 9 to 12, particularly boys, according to Smarty Pants. The video site also picked up approbation from parents, making it more of an accepted staple on kids’ mobile devices.
“YouTube is becoming a brand that parents are getting more comfortable with,†Fischer said. “And kids are getting mobile devices at earlier ages.â€
Oreo ranked second, and other junk food brands rounded out the top five. Disney came in sixth.
Disney Channel, meanwhile, ranked ninth. Fischer said the linear TV network has done a great job appealing to children with new programming. And, thanks to “Stars Wars†licensing deals, Toys R Us is also winning back favor with young kids. The toy company placed seventh this year, up from 21st last year.
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UPDATES:
5:25 p.m.: This article was updated to add the rankings of additional brands.
This article was originally published at 2:45 p.m.
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