Kids buy with a little help from their friends

Peer influence continues to be the dominant force in brand discovery, becoming a significant driver of brand awareness. Within this landscape, advertising plays a different role. It’s more of a trigger for exploration, validation and conversation. Discovery of new brands and content by kids in the UK is increasingly shaped by a combination of advertising, peer influence and active pathway exploration.

More than a third of kids (37%) say they would research more information after seeing an advert, a figure that remains stable quarter on quarter (respondents can select multiple options to this question, so behaviours can overlap). While 47% of kids in the UK still say they would ask their parents to buy a product after seeing an advert, this sits alongside a growing tendency to research before acting.

Peer influence leads discovery

Peer influence remains the dominant factor in brand discovery. Word-of-mouth is now the primary discovery engine, meaning brands need to make their products easy to communicate between friends and family. Brands should ask: how easy are my products to share? Do I have shareable content or collaborative experiences that encourage peer-to-peer conversations? Successful brands will be those that make sharing feel natural, not forced.

Additionally, 29% of kids say they would talk about an ad with others, a figure that remains stable quarter on quarter, reinforcing the role of advertising as a trigger for peer conversation rather than a standalone driver of action.

Where discovery happens

The discovery landscape in Q1 2026 reveals a market in which peer influence and online environments coexist rather than compete for dominance. TikTok’s role in discovery shows seasonal fluctuations, now at 20%, down 17 percentage points from Q4 2025 and down 16 from Q3 2025, revealing more volatility compared with YouTube. YouTube itself remains a relatively stable discovery platform at 22%, ranking second in Q1 2026, Q3 2025 and Q2 2025. In-game brand discovery amongst 3 to 18-year-olds has risen to 14%, up 9 percentage points versus Q4 2025, signalling growth for gaming-focused strategies.

What this means for brands

Kids are increasingly taking time to explore brands, combining research (37%), peer validation (29%) and conversation (29%) before acting. With parents and kids being part of this mix, brand marketing and communication need to be clear about product benefits and appropriateness. To succeed in this environment, brands must tailor content across social media, peer networks and in-game touchpoints, ensuring they are not only visible, but also easy to explore and share.

This is an excerpt from TrendLens, The Insights Family’s quarterly intelligence report, built on the world’s largest continuous dataset on the kids and family economy. Published across 22 markets, each edition delivers a 90-day read on what’s moving, what it means, and what’s worth paying attention to. To subscribe and get access,contact us hereor emailhello@theinsightsfamily.com.