Amazon and Nike dominate among Gen Alpha teens

According to preliminary data provided to Marketing Dive by HarrisX and Allison Worldwide, Amazon and Nike rank among the top brands in households with Gen Alpha teens. Teens in this age group have significant influence over household purchasing decisions.

McDonald's ranks first among food brands and third overall among both teens and their parents. However, among teens alone, Chick-fil-A ranks second. Walmart ranks fourth overall but performs best among parents, largely due to its strong performance among mothers.

There are approximately 67 million Gen Alpha children in the U.S., with about 16 million aged 13 to 16. Most of these teens are raised by millennial parents, creating a family environment where both parents and children have grown up or are growing up in the internet age.

Parents have a huge influence on their children's brand preferences, with 80% of teens saying their parents influence their brand likes. Mothers have more influence than fathers, with 73% of teen respondents mentioning their mothers, compared to 58% mentioning their fathers. This influence is bidirectional: 91% of surveyed parents say teens influence their brand preferences, a higher proportion than any other factor measured in the study.

Anne Colaiacovo, CEO of Allison Worldwide North America, said in an email comment: "Mothers are more influential than any social media platform, creator, or celebrity in shaping Gen Alpha teens' brand preferences. Brands that overlook family influence will miss opportunities to build early loyalty and commercial success with Gen Alpha and their 'gatekeeper' mothers."

Teens as Chief Marketing Officers

Certain brands show stronger teen-driven purchasing power. Nearly three-quarters of purchases at Sephora and E.l.f. Cosmetics are initiated by teens. Beauty brands have become cultural mainstays for teen girls, especially E.l.f.

When asked about multiple beauty brands, 60% of girls said they would ask their parents to buy E.l.f. products. Starbucks and Bath & Body Works also rank in the top ten brands for this demographic. Teen girls are more likely to push their parents to buy for them, at 67%, compared to 59% for teen boys.

Data for the 'Gen Alpha Family Influence Study' was collected between May 4 and May 12, 2026. The survey gathered responses from 705 Gen Alpha teens aged 13 to 16 and 750 parents. To ensure sample representativeness, results were weighted by age, region, gender, income, race/ethnicity, and other factors, with a margin of error of ±2.5%.

The study will be conducted quarterly, with data serving as the foundation for the 'Gen Alpha Family Intelligence Platform' operated by Allison Worldwide and HarrisX. The platform measures brand resonance among teens and their parents through the 'Gen Alpha Family Brand Score,' tracking six audience segments as well as factors such as purchase decisions and loyalty.

When it comes to reaching these consumers, no single platform covers the entire family. TikTok (42%) and Pinterest (19%) are the most important platforms for teen girls, while YouTube ranks first among teen boys (35%) and fathers (32%). Facebook is most popular among mothers (24%).

Colaiacovo said in an email: "This fragmentation means marketers need to stop thinking about single-channel strategies and reimagine brand building with the family as the unit. Winning brands will understand where discovery begins, who drives momentum, and who ultimately converts influence into purchases."

The study shows that parents are not monolithic. For example, Walmart ranks first among mothers and third among fathers. Wendy's performs better among mothers than any other group, ranking fifth. Among fathers, Nike ranks first, McDonald's second, Adidas fourth, and Samsung eighth, outperforming other groups. Fathers are more likely than mothers to introduce new brands to teens, at 60% versus 39%.

Dritan Nesho, founder and CEO of HarrisX, said in an email: "Both parents hold the purse strings, but how and where to reach them requires completely different approaches. This is not a footnote but a media strategy."

Note: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the relationship between mothers and Walmart.