# YouGov Brand Rankings 2026: The World’s Most Loved Brands, Revealed

> Explore a list of the best brands in the UK and globally, ranked by YouGov's 2026 official survey of over six million consumer surveys.

Source: https://ourownbrand.co/yougov-brand-rankings-2026-the-worlds-most-loved-brands-revealed  
Published: 2026-01-30  
Updated: 2026-05-22  
Author: Sarah Fulford-Williams

## Introduction

What makes a brand truly stand out in 2026? YouGov just published their 2026 rankings to reveal which brands consumers actually feel best about. Based on **over six million consumer surveys across 28 global markets**, the 2026 rankings offer a data-led snapshot of brand health around the world. From global giants shaping culture to household names winning loyalty closer to home.

Below, we break down **how the rankings work**, before diving into the **Top 10 global brands**, the **best-performing brands in the UK**, and the **UK brands that made the biggest gains year-on-year**. Whether you’re a marketer, brand strategist, or just curious about who’s winning consumer trust right now, this is a definitive look at the brands leading the pack in 2026.

## 📋 Methodology: How the YouGov Best Brand Rankings Work

The [YouGov Best Brand Rankings 2026](https://commercial.yougov.com/rs/464-VHH-988/images/WP-2026-01-Global-Best-Brand-Rankings.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=blast&utm_campaign=EM-2026-01-UKI-Best-Brand-Rankings-Report&mkt_tok=NDY0LVZISC05ODgAAAGfqQfACKePEyOAltSDrLEXxnuRORPGtBS3Jd2al8mtS3-YITRk6r8ll2tptkc5416LWp-MzWIDDCxsQa6NTMAtZVPvXS7GJmfVmkGgyi7c5lWy) are powered by **YouGov BrandIndex**, YouGov’s always-on brand tracking tool.

The rankings are based on **over six million consumer surveys** collected across **28 global markets** from **Jan-Dec 2025**.

### How brands are scored

Each brand receives an **Index score**, which combines six key measures of brand health:

- **Impression** – Overall positive or negative perception
- **Quality** – Perceived quality of products or services
- **Value** – Value for money
- **Satisfaction** – Consumer satisfaction with the brand
- **Reputation** – Pride in working for the brand
- **Recommendation** – Likelihood to recommend (or avoid)

Global scores are calculated by averaging a brand’s individual market scores.

### Which brands qualify

To be included in the rankings, brands must:

- Be tracked in **at least 10 of the 28 markets**
- Have a **minimum sample size of 300 respondents**
- Have **at least 6 months of data** to qualify for the Top 10

Scores are rounded to **one decimal place**. Where scores are tied, rankings are decided using more precise underlying data.

### Markets covered

The study spans **28 countries**, including the UK, US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.

### Improvers & year-on-year change

- **Top improvers** are ranked based on **year-on-year Index score growth** from 2024 to 2025
- Brands must have **at least 18 months of tracking data** to qualify
- Brands with negative 2025 scores are excluded from the improvers list

### Sector & brand structure

- Brands tracked across multiple sectors are ranked using their **strongest-performing sector** per market
- Both **parent and child brands** (e.g. Google and YouTube) are included for more detailed analysis

### Qualitative insights

To understand *why* consumers feel the way they do, YouGov used **BrandIndex Voices** – AI-powered interviews with **100+ U.S. adults** who had a positive impression of top-performing brands in early January 2026.

## 🥇 Top 10 Global Brands in 2026

Here are the brands that came out on top globally:

![Top 10 brands globally](https://jhcajza95gocyyrb.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/Top-10-brands-globally.png)

## 🥇 Top 10 Brands in the UK in 2026

The top 10 brands in the UK based on average Impression, Quality, Value, Reputation, Satisfaction and Recommend scores for the last 12 months.

![Top 10 brands in the UK](https://jhcajza95gocyyrb.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/Top-10-brands-in-the-UK.png)

## 🥇 Top 10 Most Improved Brands in the UK

Here are the most improved brands in the UK based on year-on-year increase to index scores:

![Top 10 most-improved brands](https://jhcajza95gocyyrb.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/Top-10-most-improved-brands.png)

## Looking for an agency to supercharge your brand?

We’re [OOB](https://ourownbrand.co/../index.html), a London-based, globally fluent social media agency turning brands into cultural icons.

From social media management and bespoke content creation to influencer campaigns and paid strategy, we deliver content people talk about, share, remix and remember.

Trusted by the world’s boldest brands, from [TikTok](https://ourownbrand.co/../project/tiktok-summer-sale-creator-campaign-2025/index.html) to [Ann Summers](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/ann-summers-appoints-own-brand-social-agency/1932802). **Built for now. Obsessed with what’s next.**

**Ready to make noise?** 👉 hello@ourownbrand.co

---

Our Own Brand (OOB) is a social-first creative agency in London, founded in 2018: social, creative, influencer, brand and paid social for 200+ brands. Two UK Social Media Awards 2026 wins. Brief us: https://ourownbrand.co/contact · hello@ourownbrand.co · More for agents: https://ourownbrand.co/agents.md