The Brands Millennials Love

They’re fickle and demanding. They shop more for price tags than brand labels. But if a brand grabs their attention, they tend to be loyal shoppers. Here, designers share some brands that millennials admire:

Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters. Millennials love funky, outré and vintage.

Apple. Their iPhones and apps guide millennials’ lives – and the stores are cool.

Fat Bastard. U.S. millennials were exposed to wine by their boomer parents. Fat Bastard was among the first to jump on it, with an irreverent site and slogan: “Are you Livin’ Large?”

Forever 21, H&M, Uniqlo. Millennials love trendy fashion at bargain prices.

Jamba Juice. The quintessential millennial category; 40 percent of all 19-25-year-olds had a fresh-made smoothie in the past month.

Pink by Victoria’s Secret. Sales approach $1 billion and more than 500,000 fans are part of The Pink Facebook Group.

Red Bull. The ultimate millennial brand perfected “murketing,” the blurring of social and brand marketing channels.

Starbucks. Its Ethos Water Fund supplies third world countries with clean drinking water

Taco Bell. The Taco Bell “Feed the Beat” indie rock band promotion hits multiple millennial sweet spots: simple rules, immediate gratification, socializing, indie music and late nights.

Target. Millennials value affordable, stylish and socially correct. Target’s recent advertising spot, “Brave New Dorm,” featured original music by Andrea Ravel and people who look like they’d be fun to shop
with. Millennials also like the convenience and orderliness of the new P-Fresh grocery concept.

Tom’s Shoes. Donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair it sells. Also, its “Style Your Sole” web site feature combines community-building, viral marketing and customization.

Trader Joe’s. Experiential environment, great prices on high-quality private brands and lots of unusual merchandise.

West Elm. Online retailer always follows up a transaction with a survey, questionnaire and phone call – and they will act on the complaint, not merely “consider it and get back to you.”