A survey released by virtual world Habbo has revealed that over half of
teens say that brands do not influence their purchasing decision – but
familiarity with brands is key.

According to a report from Revolution
magazine, The Global Habbo Youth Survey (GHYS) Brand Update 2009 found
teens have complex and often contradictory relationships with
brands.

The survey, which questioned 112,000 teens online from over 30
countries, found 61 percent prefer brands targeted specifically at
them, but half said they do not want to buy the same brands as their
friends.

According to the survey, close to two-thirds of teenagers said
they always buy their favourite brand, but half said brands do not
influence their purchasing decisions. The survey also confirmed
familiarity is important  to teenagers when making purchasing
decisions.

Teens in the US and UK see brands as a way of defining
individuality and standing out from the crowd, whereas teens in other
markets use brands to show membership of a certain group.

The Habbo online survey found that teens favour the following brands:

Website
Girls – Boys
YouTube – YouTube
Facebook – Facebook
MySpace – Google
Google – Runescape
Bebo – Minijuegos

Clothing
Girls – Boys
H&M – Nike
Zara – Adidas
Roxy – Lacoste
D&G – Billabong
Billabong – DC

Shoes
Girls – Boys
Converse – Nike
Nike – Converse
Adidas – Adidas
Puma – Puma
Vans – Vans

Sportswear
Girls – Boys
Nike – Nike
Adidas – Adidas
Puma – Puma
Hummel – Umbro
Converse – Under Armour

Personal hygiene
Girls – Boys
Nivea – Axe
LOreal – Nivea
Avon – Gatsby
Dove – Garnier
Garnier – Lynx