Survey unveils favorite brands among youth

NEW YORK — In an annual study that tracks the brand preferences of Americans ages 8 to 24 years, it looks like Apple takes the cake.

Among 5,077 U.S. consumers ages 8 to 24 years — which presented 121 brands to 8- to 12-year-olds and 167 brands among 13- to 24-year-olds — Harris Interactive found that Apple brands ranked highest among the categories of computers, tablets, and mobile phones.

The survey also revealed that for food and beverages, certain brands stand the test of time. Oreo cookies, Hershey's milk chocolate candy bars, Sprite, Cheerios, Minute Maid and Capri Sun were each ranked highest in their respective categories.

With young Americans expected to spend $211 billion in 2012, knowing which brands they favor will help corporate America prepare for the upcoming holiday season, according to the survey.

"Youth of today have spending power and they also have loyalty to brands," said Regina Corso, SVP for youth and education research at Harris Interactive. “Brands who tap into this loyalty when a consumer is a tween, and nurture it through the teen years, will have an extremely loyal customer by the time the customer is a young adult. Companies need to remember that consumers do not magically appear at age 18."