A study done by the firm Mblm finds that YouTube is now the most trusted brands among millennials for the first time. The popular video sharing website climbed up in the annual study, moving up from third place in 2018 and coming ahead of both Apple and Netflix in final 2019 rankings.
Once rated at 10th place in 2017, the study finds that YouTube’s ability to entertain the needs of millennials as a leading reason for the high ranking. That includes the launch of new services like YouTube Music and new ways for forming connections with consumers.
The Mblm study examined responses from 6,200 consumers and 56,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the U.S., Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. A full report is set for release late this week, and it is the largest study of brands based on emotions.
YouTube is always evolving and has added many features over the past few years which millennials were likely to have considered in their response to the study. A prime example includes YouTube Live, which is a simple way for anyone to livestream and jump online to share gameplay, news, music, and sports. Other new features include YouTube Stories, a feature for popular creators with more than 10,000 subscribers which allows for short-mobile centric videos that expire after seven days. Of course, there is also the like and dislike button, which is a good marker for popularity and always a cause for debate.
“The brand has demonstrated an ability to entertain a diverse millennial audience through its extensive content. It is also continuing its expansion of services, including the launch of YouTube Music in 2018. Millennials in particular bond strongly with the media & entertainment industry and YouTube is doing a good job at building a brand that caters to the wants and needs of this audience,” Mblm managing partner Mario Natarelli said.
While Apple and Netflix come in at second and third in the study, several other popular companies round out the top 10 brands. These include Disney, Nike, Target, Xbox, PlayStation, Google, and Walmart. According to data from the study, millennial men most closely associated with Xbox, PlayStation, and Spotify as their top three trusted brands. Women, meanwhile, selected Target, Amazon, and Disney as their top three brands.
