American kids and teens have the most love and trust for brands that deliver happiness, fun and high-quality products. And Amazon and McDonald’s are really doing it for them right now. 

According to a new affinity study conducted by research firm Kids Corp in the US, the top three brands among three- to five-year-olds are McDonald’s, LEGO and Amazon. As kids age up, their interests tend to shift from toys to shoes and tech, with Amazon, YouTube and Nike coming out on top with the six to 12 set (and McDonald’s in fifth), and teens in the 13 to 18 age range preferring Apple, Amazon and Nike. 

Overall, Amazon, Apple and McDonald’s are also currently the top three most-trusted brands with under-18s in the region. Their favorite SVOD platform is Disney+, followed by Netflix and Prime Video. When they play video games, Minecraft, Roblox and the Call of Duty franchise are their go-to titles. And in terms of toys, their favorite brands by category are Crayola (arts & crafts), LEGO (building blocks), Hot Wheels (toy vehicles) and Marvel (action figures). 

Kids Corp’s report is based on data gathered from 21,100 kids ages three to 18 (and their parents) through online surveys conducted between January and December 2023. Factors the respondents say have an impact on their brand choices include peer/parent approval, trust and market ubiquity. 

Picture courtesy of Cheryl Holt via Pixabay.