The Story Wave 41

1: 20 Brands Catching Gen Z’s Attention – AdAge-Harris Poll

A recent AdAge-Harris Poll uses data from QuestBrand to rank the top 20 brands by quarter-over-quarter brand equity growth among Gen Z adults. The top five growth brands from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024 are listed below:

Harris Poll co-CEO Will Johnson on this quarter’s top ranked brand: “Even as the company selling Birkin bags navigates an antitrust lawsuit targeting its sales practices, Hermès is dominant among Gen Z shoppers—some of whom are going to such lengths as to establish dedicated secondhand markets for the luxury status symbols.”

Click here (PDF version) to see the top 20 brands that have been resonating with Gen Z.

2: Home Care & Products: An Industry Snapshot

Our recent report on the state of home care explores Americans’ thoughts about household appliances and home security. A few key takeaways include:

• Smarter isn’t necessarily better: Only 47% of US adults agree that they want to have a “smart house.”
• Keep it simple: More than half (57%) of US adults agree that they would generally rather remove features from appliances than add more.
• Privacy please: Seven-in-10 US adults (72%) agree that adding digital or internet-enabled features that cannot be removed or deactivated to an appliance is an invasion of privacy.
• How safe are you?: Only a fifth (21%) of Americans report currently having a monitored security system installed at their home.
• Sleep peacefully: Eight-in-10 (78%) US adults agree that at-home security measures are better at providing peace of mind than providing protection.

Over-Index Report: In honor of Mother’s Day, our over-index report uses data from QuestBrand to list 20 home product brands that over-index with moms. See below for a sample of the brands that made the list:

3: Sports Leagues And Gambling Scandals – Fortune-Harris Poll OpEd

In an op-ed for Fortune, Harris Poll co-CEO Will Johnson explores the impact that gambling scandals could have had on the reputations of professional sports leagues. According to a recent Harris Poll survey of 1,109 US adults:

• Sports betting is not universally accepted: Only half of US adults hold a positive opinion of sports betting, and even more (63%) believe that sports betting should not be widely promoted.
• Think before you endorse: 65% of US adults believe that sports leagues should not encourage betting on their own sport.
• The dark side of sports betting: Three-quarters (74%) of US adults claim the widespread legalization of sports betting will lead to futher increases in addiction.

Takeaway: “Still, perception is often reality when it comes to controversy. And sports leagues will need to acknowledge the very real perception that sports betting and controversy are inextricably linked–especially when they have so willingly accepted sponsorship from sports betting companies.” – Will Johnson