YouTube Now The #1 Brand Among U.S. Kids 6-12

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over, Oreo, Disney, McDonald's and other iconic kid and family brands, YouTube tops this year's list of Kids' Most Loved Brands. According to the 2016 Brand Love^® study, released by youth research firm Smarty Pants, YouTube is up from #7 in 2015, a rise heavily driven by tweens ages 9-12, and tween boys, in particular.   

While streaming video services like Netflix remain popular with kids, YouTube has become the go-to portal for 6-12's seeking an endless supply of short-form videos. The brand fits perfectly into today's mobile- and tablet-savvy children's lives, giving them the content they want when they want it. No viable competitor is delivering the clips, cheats, trailers, tutorials, shows, music videos and more that YouTube is—and at no charge.

Parents are increasingly allowing children to "roam free" on YouTube, because they also feel positively about the brand. More than 94% of parents say they love or like YouTube.  It ranks #13 among parents this year, outperforming Nike, Samsung and Target. 

According to Dr. Michelle Poris of Smarty Pants^®, "YouTube is no longer competing for kids' attention, TV is. We've moved from a time where TV was always on to a time when YouTube is always a tap away. Children feast on the snack-sized content perfectly portioned for their attention spans. And the user-generated content is relatable and aspirational. There's no denying YouTube is revolutionizing how entertainment is being developed and distributed."

Methodology
Brand Love is an annual brand equity study conducted online among 8,125 households with children ages 6-12. Kidfinity™ is a proprietary measure of brand awareness, love and popularity ranging from 0-1000.

SOURCE Smarty Pants, LLC