The changing tastes and behaviors of Gen Z consumers have been well-documented in recent years, and brands have adjusted marketing strategies to reach them. Now, marketers are busy planning for the next generation of customers—Gen Alpha, the group born beginning in 2010. With the oldest of the cohort turning 14 this year, the buying potential of Gen Alpha is on the horizon and brands need to start building loyalty early on. Yet they need to be cautious: The idea that Gen Alpha is just a miniature Gen Z is a misconception, experts say.
Gen Alpha’s ‘Coolest Brands’ and how marketers can join the list
“Obviously they’re children, and they like to fit in, but at the same time, they like to express their individualism,” said Helenor Gilmour, director of strategy at Beano Brain, the U.K.-based specialist agency that focuses on generational trends.
Speaking about Gen Alpha on the latest episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast, she noted that a lot of the group’s behavior is driven by their millennial parents. “[Gen Alpha] won’t fall back on previous narratives or the way things have been done so they can move to solutions.”
Beano Brain recently published its annual Coolest Brands report, which surveys kids ages 7 to 14 on the brands that they’re using, talking about and engaging with. This year’s list of 100 brands is topped by YouTube. Netflix and Amazon follow in the second and third spots.
Part of the appeal concerns “the depth and breadth of content for both YouTube and Netflix,” Gilmour said. For Amazon, the retailer “has a really clear proposition, and if anything, has set the expectations for Gen Alpha in terms of delivery and breadth of offering as well,” she said.
This year’s list also included Squishmallows stuffed toys (No. 28) and beauty brands Bath & Body Works (No. 59) and Bubble (No. 96).
“This is the first time we’ve seen quite a few skin care and beauty brands come in, all off the back of the aesthetics trends,” Gilmour said, crediting “Get Ready With Me” videos on TikTok for the rising interest.
On the podcast, Gilmour also discusses how a brand can become cool—and why the word cool still resonates despite changing Gen Alpha word choice and slang. She suggests that brands engage kids at an earlier age with gamification or other incentives to participate.