In the race to capture the elusive younger viewer, up and comer TikTok is coming on strong against early innovator YouTube.  TikTok has emerged as a serious player in the streaming universe, particularly among Insta-Gens (ages 13-22) with double digit growth in just the last year.

The competition between these two brands will certainly gain even more intensity with YouTube releasing a video-sharing feature dubbed “Shorts” targeted directly at rival to TikTok. Using E-Score Brand, we compared the two among Insta-Gens, finding that on many important measures TikTok is already on par or higher than YouTube.

TikTok Trending Up vs. YouTube

• TikTok is showing strong growth potential with a 14-point year-over-year increase in Awareness among Insta-Gens. 
• With 30+ point increases in both platform Appeal and Usage, TikTok’s popularity has surged among Insta-Gens. Over the same period, YouTube is showing signs of decline in Appeal despite a slight uptick in platform usage.
• The largest increase in TikTok Brand Loyalty is among Insta-Gen users of the platform with a 40+ point increase year-over-year.  YouTube may not be new to the game, but the platform still maintains Loyalty with a 5+ point increase year-over-year.

YouTube Maintains Strong Overall Brand Connections

• While TikTok is still growing as a brand, YouTube’s 15 years as a brand leader shows with strong Brand Connection across the board.

TikTok is Funny and Trend-Setting

Insta-Gens give strong ratings to both brands for a selection of attributes addressing entertainment value, but more of this age group consider TikTok Funny (57 vs 42) and a Trend-Setter (33 to 28).

What Do Consumers Say About These Brands?

Takeaway

While YouTube is still the 800-pound gorilla in this space, and continues to deliver very strong scores with Millennials, TikTok has shown serious appeal and potential and should be on the radar of any brand targeting Insta-Gen consumers.

Whether you’re looking to compare your brand to the competition or checking out potential partners in another industry, E-Score Brand gives you the down-low on brands including consumer perspectives, trends and points of differentiation.