Ten brands are in the running for the title of Overall Coolest Brand at the 17th Sunday Times GenNext Awards. The top five finalists in each of the 61 categories have also been announced, with the winners to be celebrated at the online Sunday Times GenNext Awards event on 9 September 2021.
The survey acts as a barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals. The 2021 survey polled more than 6,000 young people aged 8-30 years.
Refilwe Malukeke, MD of Yellowwood, which surveyed on behalf of the Sunday Times, said, “The youth are dealing with high levels of anxiety due to the challenges we face as a country, which have been exacerbated by the implications of the pandemic and associated lockdowns such as illness, loss of life, loss of livelihoods, increased gender-based violence and uncertainty about the future.”
Maluleke believes that in this context, true relevance comes to those brands looking to serve young people in some way, whether it’s helping them navigate the chaos, find respite from the challenges, or allow them to safely explore their world and themselves with minimal physical, social, professional, reputational, or financial risk.
This year also saw the introduction of some new categories, reflecting rapid innovation and consumer technology adoption: Coolest online store, Coolest technology brand, Coolest digital learning platform, and Coolest fitness device.
“The adoption of technology during the Covid lockdown has been phenomenal, and this clearly drove the need for more market intelligence in the youth sector. We’re excited to extend the survey with these new categories, allowing us to feed valuable insights back to our advertisers and customers,” said Eben Gewers, head of sales and marketing at Arena Holdings - the owner of Sunday Times GenNext.
This year also saw young people over 18 years of age being polled on their preference for alcohol brands for the first time.
Sunday Times GenNext is presented in association with headline partners Yellowwood and Gautrain, and corporate partners Proudly South African and CliffCentral. The Sunday Times GenNext Awards event and webinar series is managed by Arena Events.
To register and watch the Sunday Times GenNext Awards online, go here.
Coolest Cellphones 2021
Coolest Clothing Stores 2021
Coolest Clothing Brands 2021
Coolest Hotels 2021
Coolest Shopping Malls 2021
Coolest Online Store 2021
Coolest Companies to work for 2021
Coolest Telecomms Providers 2021
Coolest Tinned Food 2021
Coolest Motor Vehicles 2021
Coolest Stationery Store 2021
Coolest Petrol Stations 2021
Coolest Local Entertainment Places 2021
Coolest Technology Brand 2021
Coolest Weekly Newspapers 2021
Coolest TV Channels 2021
Coolest Local TV Programmes/series 2021
Coolest Kids TV Channels 2021
Coolest Advertising Medium 2021
Coolest Music Store/website/streaming 2021
Coolest Radio Stations 2021
Coolest Breakfast Cereals 2021
Coolest Grocery Stores 2021
Coolest Fast Food Places 2021
Coolest Restaurants 2021
Coolest Energy Products 2021
Coolest Snacks 2021
Coolest Cold Drinks 2021
Coolest Universities 2021
Coolest Sweets 2021
Coolest Chocolates 2021
Coolest TV/streaming/content channels/platforms 2021
Coolest Online Influencer 2021
Coolest Gaming Console 2021
Coolest Male Deodorants 2021
Coolest Female Deodrants 2021
Coolest Feminine Hygiene Products 2021
Coolest Specialist Health Stores 2021
Coolest Make-Up Brands 2021
Coolest Social Media Platforms 2021
Coolest Soap Bars 2021
Coolest Spreads 2021
Coolest Local Sportsperson 2021
Coolest Local Club DJ's 2021
Coolest Local Celeb 2021
Coolest Shoe/Footwear Brands 2021
Coolest Skincare Products 2021
Coolest Colleges 2021
Coolest Toy Store 2021
Coolest Food Delivery App 2021
Coolest Insurance companies 2021
Coolest Digital Learning Platform 2021
Coolest Loyalty Programme 2021
Coolest Fitness Device 2021
Coolest Sauces 2021
Coolest Hot beverage 2021
Coolest Shower Gel 2021
Coolest Alcohol* 2021 (*Category only voted for by youth 18 years and older)
Coolest Brand Overall 2021
