By Kenneth Hein and Eric Newman

April 7, BrandWeek


Old school brands still rule among teens, according to a new survey from virtual online community Habbo.

From Coca-Cola to CoverGirl, many of the favorite brands of today are the same as yesterday.

More than 7,700 U.S. teenagers (ages 11-18) were asked to reveal their favorite brands in an online poll conducted last October and November. The study was organized among teens participating in Habbo.

Other veteran brands, like McDonald's, Nike, MTV and Seventeen, also were tops. "These preferences definitely show that investing in brands still matters," said Anastasia Goodstein, founder of Ypulse.com, San Francisco. "Does this mean teens aren't spending lots of time with other lesser-known brands, especially when it comes to media and technology? No. It just means that these brands have succeeded in branding by being the ones teens think of first and foremost when asked."

The pervasiveness of these brands helps place them top of mind, according to experts. "When you consider Nike's market share, at 40%, versus a player like Converse at 3% to 4%, it stands to reason why their presence among teens would be so high," said John Shanley, a senior analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group, New York.

Still, the fact that Nike has taken a page out of Vans' book, "with substantial quantities of lifestyle footwear in their product lineups," has helped Nike stay on top, Shanley said. Vans placed second in the poll.

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