How can brands appeal to Gen Alpha?

REPORT: The generation has full control over family spending habits. And a new study reveals how to get their attention.

September 19, 2025

A new study shows that Gen Alpha kids are the new chief marketing officers of the family, expert at using their influence and know-how of modern trends to control where mom and dad spend their hard-earned dollars.

These findings from the USC Annenberg x ACC Think Tank, a research partnership between the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the Acceleration Community of Companies, are included in the report Alpha Rising: The World’s Gateway Generation Is Already in Charge, which draws from a survey of more than 2,000 US Gen Alpha kids and parents about how this generation is driving a massive shift in spending, culture and control—before they even hit puberty.

Here are the key insights from that report:

Number of Gen Alpha kids in the US: more than 38.5 million, born between 2010 and 2024

Economic impact: averaging US$67 in weekly spend, and driving more than US$100 billion in annual sales

Finger on the pulse: 76% of Gen Alpha kids surveyed say their families value their opinions or ideas about new trends and products they’ve learned about online, including what shows to watch (62%), meal ideas (59%), where to go for fun (54%) and tech purchases (36%).

Sampling the world: TikTok has become a gateway for Gen Alpha to see new trends and products from around the world without leaving their rooms. And 51% say they would go to the mall more if stores stocked brands or items they’ve seen online from other countries.

Top five reasons Gen Alphas go to the mall:

to browse in stores (64%)
to get food/snacks (55%)
to leave the house (51%)
to hang out with friends (46%)
to hunt down something they saw online (45%)

Ditch the “kid” label: 39% of kids surveyed believe that most brands and products made for their age group feel too childish, causing them to age out early. Instead, 34% say they would love it if tween- and kid-skewing brands teamed up with ones meant for older people to be more relevant to them, such as LEGO’s Formula sets and OPI’s Barbie-branded nail polish.

Gamify your brand: Three-quarters of US tweens agree that points, badges and early-access perks make an app or game more engaging and worth opening. More than 80% have kept interacting with these programs to save a daily streak or avoid losing a specific perk or reward.

Top five rewards to lock in repeated engagement:

discounts and prizes (64%)
unlocking special items (49%)
earning badges or levels (43%)
early access programs (41%)
want to be on the leaderboard (31%)

AI has become a third parent: At age 11, 51% of Gen Alpha kids surveyed say they go to their parents first to learn new things. But this declines to just 31% by the time they reach age 14, with 43% saying they’ve shifted to social media, AI chatbots and online sources as their primary source for new information.

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