Beano Brain reported in a recent survey that Nike ranked #4 in a list of the Top 100 “Coolest Brands” among Gen Alpha in the U.K. and #17 in the U.S. Other vendors in the athletic-lifestyle space the company tracked that made the list included Adidas, Puma, Crocs, Jordan, Under Armour, Champion, and The North Face.

Generation Alpha is the demographic that succeeds Gen Z with birth years starting in the early 2010s with an early-to-mid 2020s ending birth year. 

Beano Brain, a kids-focused research firm and consultancy part of London-based Beano Studios, included over 120,000 responses in the survey from kids between the ages of 7 and 14 conducted in December 2022 and June 2023 to reduce the effects of seasonality.

The company’s findings from the U.K. and U.S. surveys show active lifestyle brands are competing for the attention of Gen Alpha from many of their favorite entertainment properties, tech platforms and foods.

  • In the U.S., the “coolest brand” among Gen Alpha respondents was YouTube, followed in the Top 10 by Netflix, Amazon, Sour Patch Kids, Target, Oreo, Nintendo, Roblox, M&M, and Disney.
  • In the U.K., the “coolest brand” was Netflix, followed in the Top 10 by YouTube, McDonald’s, Nike, Oreo, Nintendo, Pringles, Disney, Roblox, and Coca-Cola. 

Nike, Jordan, Crocs Lead Gen-Alpha Favs In The U.S.
Among active lifestyle brands making the Top 100 list in the U.S. were Nike, at #17, was followed by Jordan #29, Crocs #36, Adidas #39, Under Armour #64, Converse #72, Champion #76, and Fitbit #100.

Dick’s Sporting Goods ranked #69 “coolest brand” among Gen Alpha’s surveyed in the U.S. Among other retailers, Amazon was 3, Target #4, Walmart #32, Toys ‘R’ Us #56, Old Navy #59, Claire’s #73, Costco #80, Macy’s #83, IKEA #84, Hot Topic #87, H&M #89, eBay #91, Gap #94, Shein #96, and American Girl #98.

Nike, Adidas, Jordan Lead Gen-Alpha Favs In The U.K.
In the U.K., the list of the Top 10 “coolest brands” in the active lifestyle space according to Gen Alpha respondents included Nike at #4, Adidas # 16, Jordan #22, Puma #59, The North Face #76, Fitbit #78, Crocs #84, Converse #89, and Under Armour #97.

Two athletic-lifestyle chains landed on the surveyed respondent’s Top 100 List—Sports Direct at #40 and JD Sports #44—in the U.K. Other retailers that made the list, included Amazon at #12, Tesco #45, Primark # 46, Asda #62, H&M #63, IKEA #64, Sainsbury’s #67, Next #69, WH Smith #75, eBay #81, Lidl #85, Aldi #90, Claire’s #91, Zara #93, Home Bargains # 96, and Shein #99.

Nike’s Connection to Gen Alpha
Beano Brain’s report noted that Nike moved up in U.K. rankings from #8 to #4 due to the brand’s ability to “effortlessly combine desirability with ubiquity.” 

“A successful brand captures hearts and minds, which means kids instinctively LOVE brands with salience and a clear proposition, said Beano Brain. “In the uber-crowded world of Gen A, this is ever more important, and few brands speak as clearly to this audience as Nike. It’s why Nike (Just Do It!) is cooler than Adidas and why Nike is providing kids with an accessible, cool way to ‘fit in with the crowd.'”

Beano Brain added that Nike has also been “at the forefront of Metaverse activity, allowing kids to engage with the brand in the real and virtual worlds, and, for Gen A, that seamless integration is just—well, cool!”

Helenor Gilmour, director of Insight & Strategy, Beano Studio, noted that beyond tapping cross-platform activity and meeting child safety measures, the popular brands with Gen-Alpha can connect in various ways.

“A successful brand captures hearts and minds, which means kids instinctively LOVE brands with salience and a clear proposition. In the uber-crowded world of Gen A, this is increasingly important. Brands that achieve salience and subsequent coolness with kids become part of the fabric of their lives and an integral part of their cultural shorthand,” said Gilmour.

“Post-COVID, as the world continues to relive the joy of coming together, brands that represent or create a sense of occasion uniquely linked to them can own the mantle of coolness. Brands that create and then own those moments allowing kids and families to create their own sense of occasion, captured kids’ hearts this year. Finally, brands that are there at key life moments, whether every day or extraordinary, rate high on the coolness scale for kids this year,” concluded Gilmour.

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Razorfish Survey: Gen Z versus Gen Alpha Differences
Expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2024, the Gen Alpha generation has gained more attention from marketers as the oldest age group in the demographic moves into their teens, expressing their personalities on social media and elsewhere. 

Razorfish’s research explored the differences between the often-compared Gen-Z and Gen Alpha age groups.

In a recent study, the marketing agency conducted interviews with 500 Gen Alpha’s ages 8 to 10 and about 450 GenZ’s ages 16 to 23, it found the following:

  • 31 percent of Gen Z value having the latest tech devices and capabilities, compared to 63 percent of Gen Alphas;
  • Gen Alphas are twice as likely to see gaming as a form of self-expression than Gen Zs, who cited relaxation as their top reason for gaming.
  • Over 51 percent first learned about brands through YouTube videos.
  • Like Gen Z, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, nearly one-third of Gen Alphas said they want to make a difference, help others or help the planet.
  • To a greater extent than Gen Z predecessors, Gen Alphas prioritize values, including learning, standing up for people, understanding people who are different, and sharing their opinions with others.

“Gen Z have a profound impact on how brands approach their consumer experiences, but companies need to brace themselves even more for the changes Gen Alpha will infuse,” said Dani Mariano, president at Razorfish. “The pandemic accelerated their adoption of technology, embedding it in nearly every part of their lives, including remote learning. They aren’t just digital natives; these are digital ninjas, and whether brands are ready or not, they’re coming.”

Razorfish’s survey also found that, similar to Gen Z, Alphas prioritize disconnecting for mental health. Razorfish’s advice to businesses included, “Don’t think of Alphas as younger Gen Zs. They’re already more Gen Z than Gen Z, at a younger age.”

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Harvard Business Review Study: Gen Alpha Most Technologically Advanced Generation To Date
A study from Harvard Business Review, in partnership with design and innovation consultancy Journey, explored how being the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence and augmented reality will shape how Gen Alpha learns, works, socializes and shops.

The study states, “Gen Alpha’s digital literacy skills will be more advanced than those of previous generations as its members grow up during what Apple has dubbed the ‘Era of Spatial Computing.’ This generation is being raised by Millennial parents who are ‘internet informed’ and heavy social media users and who are teaching their children to embrace technology, use it safely and make it an effective use of their time. Gen Alpha is also a part of Gen C, the COVID-19 kids who stayed home a lot during the pandemic and used screens to learn after their schools closed, and whose only option to communicate and play with their friends, family and teachers was virtual.”

The Harvard Business Review report said Gen Alpha’s comfort with using conversational AI through virtual assistants and using voice chat in video games will shape their comfort with technology, with content, experiences, socializing, and commerce being increasingly more blended.

The study highlighted Walmart’s “The Hidden World of Waffles + Mochi,” a gaming experience teaching kids about healthy eating, and “Walmart Land,” the retailer’s Roblox destination, as paths to reaching Gen Alpha.

“Brands and retailers [that] fail to embrace new technology and platforms today risk being left behind in what will likely be a new era of commerce and engagement, where virtual experiences and digital identities are just as important as physical ones,” Justin Breton, Walmart’s director of brand experiences and partnerships, told HBR. “Brands are going to have to adapt quickly— the same way that this generation has adapted quickly in the ways that they learn and socialize—because there is going to be a growing demand for online commerce to be accessible to them.”

Breton noted that content, experiences, socializing, and commerce will increasingly be more blended. “Brands are going to have to adapt quickly—the same way that this generation has adapted quickly in the ways that they learn and socialize—because there is going to be a growing demand for online commerce to be accessible to them.”