WATCH | And SA’s coolest brands are ... watch the Sunday Times Gen Next digital awards

Since 2004, the Sunday Times Gen Next survey has provided the most comprehensive insight into which brands are a hit with SA’s youth. In a country where nearly a third of the population is under 18, understanding the consumer aspirations of this demographic is important for anyone looking to position a brand or service to this group, who will soon become income earners and spenders.

On August 21, the results of the 2020 Sunday Times Gen Next survey will be announced online. They will be the most up-to-date measure of youth sentiment towards brands, pre-Covid-19

Seventy category winners will be announced across various consumer, celebrity and product sectors.

Here are some of the top brands from previous years ...

Nike has remained a perennial favourite. Since 2015, Nike has been the most successful brand in the Sunday Times Gen Next survey, being awarded as the Overall Coolest Brand five times in a row. The brand has regularly succeeded across numerous categories as the Coolest Clothing brand and the Coolest Footwear brand. It also has the most recognised brand slogan.

One of Nike’s closest competitors, adidas, also ranks highly and has consistently found itself in the list of top 10 Overall Coolest brands. In 2019, adidas was the third-most popular brand with the youth. Are changes afoot in 2020?

Tech products remain a firm favourite with SA’s youth. The battle continues raging between Samsung and Apple, with the more affordable Samsung brand pipping Apple at the post in the past few years. Last year, Samsung placed second overall, with Apple claiming fourth spot in the top 10 brand rankings. Other brands are making a play, and it will be exciting to see how brands such as Huawei and Hisense measure up.

It’s also positive that the country’s youth consider services such as banking. FNB has won the Coolest Bank award three times in a row since 2017, and this will undoubtedly provide some comfort to parents to know that their children are paying attention to financial services.

For the past three years, FNB, Capitec and Standard Bank have held the top three positions in the banking sector, and the competition remains stiff. Will there be a new winner crowned in 2020?

To stay in-the-know about which brands are considered the coolest in SA across 70 brand categories, be sure to watch the 16th annual Sunday Times Gen Next awards:

Date: Friday, August 21 2020
Time: 10.30am

The Sunday Times Gen Next survey is considered the leading barometer of what SA’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising and marketing professionals. Sunday Times Gen Next is presented in association with Yellowwood and Shell.