As the year has continued to be a guessing game of who will reign supreme amid an uncertain market, Generation Z research and strategy firm DCDX’s latest report looks at the top 50 “magnetic brands” of 2025. The company defines such brands as those that have the “power to attract conversation, measured through organic user-generated content (UGC).” It looks at “brand magnetism” measurements by how much the brand is talked about and how often it is talked about online.
The top 50 brands have been given a “magnetic” score, out of 100, by examining their organic popularity (average weekly engagement of UGC over time) and consistency (variation in average weekly engagement of UGC over time) on three social media platforms: TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
DCDX said that UGC has become an important metric for brands that are shaping consumer spending decisions — 70 percent of Gen Z said it’s a helpful part of their buying journey and six in 10 consumers said that UGC “feels like the most genuine form of advertising.”
Most notably, the firm said that short-term video is the top media format with the highest ROI, outperforming all other formats on every channel — DCDX said that they have become an integral part of how consumers are connecting with brands. And through TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, the social platforms are creating new ways for brand discovery, creating social trends and dictating what resonates for brands.
For DCDX’s top 50 most magnetic brands of 2025, the top nine brands generated more than 50 percent of all user-generated content engagement — and represent more than 113 billion engagements over the past year. The top 25 brands on the list drove 75 percent of overall engagement for the list. The “Magnetic 50” ranking report is also broken down separately by the three social media platforms.
The notable brands on the list include Disney, Roblox, Apple, Twitch, NBA, Netflix, Amazon, NFL, Formula 1, Target, Pinterest, Google, Samsung, Ferrari, OpenAI, Lamborghini, Red Bull, Sephora, Nike, Audi, Zara, Snapchat, HBO, Walmart, Shein, WNBA, Tumblr, Adidas, Dior, Rhode and Huda Beauty.
Among the brands (some of which didn’t make the company’s top 50 list) that saw the biggest momentum with the rate of change in weekly engagements are Huda Beauty, WNBA, Rhode, Netflix, Ulta, Maybelline, Twitch, Shein, Formula 1 and the NBA.
Meanwhile, the brands that saw the biggest fall in momentum with the rate of change in weekly engagements include Tesla, NFL, Lamborghini, Nike, Audi, Apple, Ferrari, Amazon, Target, Temu, Walmart, Adidas, Sephora, Google, Coca Cola, Spotify, DoorDash, Disney and Red Bull.
“The most ‘Magnetic Brands’ are the ones that provide the groundwork for fandom to form. Entertainment, media and sports brands continue to dominate our rankings because their consumers are fundamentally different. Fans are natural brand advocates — they are more than just customers. These consumers are invested in ongoing outcomes and narratives. Fashion and beauty brands are not exempt from this equation, but emotional loyalty is more challenging when your relationship with consumers centers on discrete purchases rather than sustained engagement with narratives. Brands in fashion or beauty can break through — like Rhode — by creating ongoing storylines through founder personalities, community building or product launches that become cultural moments people want to participate in,” said Mara Stolzenbach, director of strategy at DCDX.
Here are DCDX’s top 50 brands by engagement and consistency of organic UGC on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and their “Magnetic” score, out of 100.
- Disney — 99.48
- Roblox — 99.35
- Apple — 98.77
- Twitch — 98.75
- NBA — 98.29
- Netflix — 98.12
- Amazon — 97.14
- NFL — 96.32
- Formula 1 — 95.77
- Spotify — 95.66
- PlayStation — 93.96
- Target — 93.52
- Pinterest — 93.27
- Google — 93.15
- MLB — 93.03
- Discord — 92.90
- Reddit — 92.67
- Samsung — 92.60
- Ferrari — 92.45
- Toyota — 92.03
- Xbox — 91.95
- OpenAI — 91.85
- Lamborghini — 91.70
- Red Bull — 91.44
- Nintendo — 91.27
- McDonalds — 91.04
- Sephora — 90.91
- Nike — 90.19
- Audi — 90.13
- Zara — 89.80
- Starbucks — 89.49
- Snapchat — 89.47
- Tesla — 89.26
- Uber — 88.89
- HBO Max — 88.66
- Oreo — 88.64
- Walmart — 88.58
- Shein — 88.46
- Chipotle — 87.75
- WNBA — 87.61
- Temu — 87.49
- KFC — 87.45
- Hulu — 87.38
- Tumblr — 87.31
- Adidas — 87.07
- Dior — 86.93
- Rhode — 86.87
- Huda Beauty — 86.82
- Taco Bell — 86.59
- Airbnb — 86.57
