NEW YORK — When it comes to family brands, Mondelez International’s Oreo brand is king of the mountain among 6- to 12-year olds. Oreo beat out last year’s No. 1 brand, iPad, as well as iconic powerhouses such as Disney, McDonald’s and Netflix, according to the 2015 Young Love study conducted by market research firm Smarty Pants, L.L.C.
The survey cited several reasons for Oreo’s popularity among children, including its heritage/nostalgia, taste, innovation and fresh marketing campaign. The study also found the brand creates memorable moments within families at a time when contemporary children and parents are eager to reconnect.
“Oreo owns ‘the dunk,’” said Wynne Tyree, president of Smarty Pants. “Countless kids and parents reference their love of dunking Oreos in milk. It’s a reminder that Oreo has done a great job of not only creating a cookie, but owning an experience.”
Rounding out the top five brands were M&M’s, Netflix, iPad and Hershey. Several other food brands featured prominently in the survey, including Doritos (No. 6), Lay’s (No. 9), Cheetos (No. 10), McDonald’s (No. 15), Chips Ahoy! (No. 17), Goldfish (No. 19) and Pringles (No. 20).
Young Love is a brand equity tracking study conducted on-line among a representative sample of U.S. households with children ages 6-12. In 2015, 7,054 children and their parents evaluated 283 consumer brands across more than 20 categories as part of the three-month study.
