Zara has been named the most recommended brand in the United States for 2026, according to new research from YouGov, with Lush and Savage X Fenty rounding out the top three. The rankings highlight the brands earning strong customer endorsements and reveal how Americans share positive and negative experiences with companies.
Released Sept. 17, the report is powered by YouGov BrandIndex and measures the percentage of current customers who would recommend a brand to a friend or colleague. Zara earned a positive recommendation score of 90.5%, narrowly beating Lush at 90.3% and Savage X Fenty at 90.1%.
Video game franchises and athletic footwear brands also performed strongly. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and HOKA tied for fourth place, each receiving an 89.5% recommendation score. Rolex, Bloomberg, Toyota, Super Mario Bros. and Call of Duty completed the top 10.
The findings suggest that customer advocacy extends across industries, from fashion and beauty to gaming, automotive and financial services.
Vrbo recorded the largest year-over-year improvement among the brands studied. Its recommendation score climbed 9.2 percentage points, rising from 69.2% to 78.4%. WE tv followed with an 8.3-point increase, while Live Nation gained 7.7 points.
YouGov also identified leaders across seven major sectors. Toyota topped automotive with an 89.2% score, while Samuel Adams led alcoholic beverages at 88.7%. Liquid I.V. ranked first among nonalcoholic beverages with 88.1%, and Lush led beauty and personal care.
Kerrygold topped consumer packaged food at 87.9%, Bloomberg led financial services at 89.4%, and In-N-Out Burger ranked first in dining with 87.3%.
Beyond brand rankings, the research examined how consumers communicate their experiences. Nearly two-thirds of Americans, or 63%, said they had shared a brand experience within the previous three months. Almost half, 49%, shared a positive experience, compared with 32% who shared a neutral experience and 21% who shared a negative one.
Consumers often have different motivations for sharing their opinions. Among those discussing positive experiences, 46% said they wanted to help others discover something good. Among people sharing negative experiences, 52% wanted to warn others, while 49% said the experience failed to meet expectations and 44% wanted to hold the brand accountable.
“Recommendation is one of the strongest signals a brand can earn because it reflects a customer’s willingness to put their own experience behind an endorsement,” said Ryan Gross, senior vice president of data products and client services at YouGov.
The rankings are based on customer responses collected from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. YouGov also surveyed 1,507 U.S. adults between June 9 and July 8, 2026, as part of a broader study spanning 18 markets.
The results underscore how positive customer experiences can translate into recommendations, helping brands build trust and strengthen their reputations.