Kit Kat. Samsung. Lay’s. What do they all have in common? They’re all incredible brands adored by millions of people around the world. They’re staples of national and international markets and an integral part of today’s economy. But what we’re all here to find out is which brands are the most popular in the United States and what makes them so wanted.
Thanks to extensive research by global public opinion and data company YouGov, we now finally know what Americans think of certain brands and what the majority of consumers are after when they go to the store.
Here are the top ten most popular brands of the first quarter of 2024. According to YouGov, these brands come with the highest percentage of people who have a positive opinion of them. While some answers may surprise you, others might convince you to give an all-time favorite brand another try. Let’s dig deeper into the mysteries of consumerism and see which brands currently sit at the very top.
Dawn
No one likes doing the dishes. But with Dawn, people are clearly less likely to lose their minds when doing the chore. 98% of respondents have heard of Dawn before, with 83% having a positive opinion of the American dishwashing liquid brand. Just 2% of respondents wouldn’t recommend the brand while another 13% decided to remain neutral on the topic. Dawn was the number one brand according to Baby Boomers and Generation X.
Dawn was established in 1973 and it didn’t take Procter & Gamble long to bring the brand to new heights and make it a best-seller nationwide. From delicate glassware to grease-stained baking trays, Dawn promises to eliminate grease and cut down on the time it takes to wash dishes.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
What could possibly taste better than peanut butter? Peanut butter cups by Reese’s. Created by H.B. Reese in the basement of his Hershey home in 1928, the peanut butter candy by the Hershey Company became a must-have treat in most households. Nowadays, the majority of people are aware of the product and 83% of respondents can’t say no to it.
9% of people resisted chocolatey temptation by staying neutral while just 5% complained about the taste. Helping the product rise to the top of this list were respondents from all generations though it is worth mentioning that as many as 86% of Baby Boomers are loyal to the product.
M&M’s
Here comes another treat that makes people give up on dieting and break their New Year’s resolutions. M&M’s are iconic chocolate dragées that come in small sizes and various colors. Owned by Mars, these candies have been around since 1941, keeping both children and adults alike occupied.
The brand is recognized by 98% of respondents and has a popularity rating of 83% like the first two names on this list. While 11% of people had neither positive nor negative opinions on the topic, just 4% said they disliked M&M’s. The treat is most adored by Baby Boomers and Generation X though Millennials weren’t far behind.
Ziploc
Coming in fourth on the popularity list was Ziploc, an American brand featuring resealable and reusable storage bags and containers. Founded by Dow Chemical Company in 1968, the brand is now managed by S. C. Johnson & Son with bags and containers of various sizes becoming a staple household item.
Ziploc was recognized by 98% of respondents of whom 81% feel positive about the brand and its products. An additional 13% remained neutral while just 4% expressed their dissatisfaction. Though most Millennials and Baby Boomers agreed life would be harder without Ziploc, the brand would be ranked no better than 41st if it was up to Generation X.
Samsung
Founded as a grocery trading store that transitioned into textile waters, Samsung didn’t begin dealing with electronics until 1969 when the South Korean giant opened new divisions and began producing black-and-white televisions. Nowadays, Samsung is best known for making some of the most competitive phones, TVs, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, microwaves, and other appliances on the market.
Samsung is not only one of the most famous brands out there along with the likes of Facebook, Tide, and Burger King but is also adored by 81% of consumers. The brand is disliked by just 4% of respondents while another 13% have a neutral opinion on the topic. Though Samsung didn’t make the top 30 list among Baby Boomers, it was named among the top 3 brands both by Millennials and Generation X.
Band-Aid
Adhesive bandages under the name of Band-Aid have been sealing up open wounds for more than a century. Due to its widespread popularity, the name of the Kenvue-owned brand became a generic term that replaced the word bandages in many countries including the U.S.
Some 3% of Americans may have never heard of Band-Aid before, but as many as 80% would recommend the brand to others. Further 15% have a neutral opinion while just 2% dislike their products. Speaking of popularity, Band-Aid ranked first in the Millennials age group and fourth among Baby Boomers.
Hershey’s Kisses
We’re not done with sweet treats just yet. Hershey’s Kisses are the best kisses there are, 79% of Americans would agree. The brand is disliked by just 4% of the respondents while some 14% had no positive or negative opinion about it. Hershey’s Kisses are most popular among female respondents from the Baby Boomers age group.
The iconic cone-shaped chocolates that come in bite-size were first introduced by the Hershey Company back in 1907. Decades later, chocolatey kisses are still being sold in some 85 countries around the world, and over 70 million pieces are made daily.
Kit Kat
If you’re still reading, you might want to grab a Kit Kat and get ready for an epic finish. These chocolate glazed wafer bars were created by Rowntree’s in the United Kingdom in 1935 and were originally known as Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisps. Nowadays, they’re being produced globally under the brand name Kit Kat by Nestlé except in the U.S. where the manufacturing is done by Hershey’s H. B. Reese Candy Company.
Kit Kat is recognized by 98% of respondents and liked by 79%. Some 14% of Americans have a neutral opinion about it while 5% opt for other sweet snacks instead.
Reese’s
They may be the undisputable champions of peanut butter cup production, but they’re so much more at the same time. Since the company’s rise as a global treats superpower, Reese’s has been producing an array of over 100 different products including spreads, cookies, candy bars, cereals, and more. Nothing they dish out, however, can compete with their iconic peanut butter cups.
Reese’s treats are approved by 79% of Americans and disliked by just 5%. Another 13% of respondents refused to take sides in the matter. It is also worth mentioning that the brand ranked very high among Millennials and Generation X.
Lay’s
If you like your treats savory rather than sweet, you’ll definitely appreciate the fact that Lay’s was named the tenth most popular brand in the first quarter of 2024 in the U.S. Lay’s is the go-to salty snack for 79% of respondents while just 5% have a negative experience with it. Another 14% of people remained neutral, meaning that the name Lay’s is known by 98% of Americans involved in the survey.
The potato chips brand has been around for nearly a century since it was founded by Frito-Lay in 1932. From 1965 onward, the Frito-Lay company has been wholly owned by PepsiCo and given the opportunity to continue challenging the market and the competition with new flavors and inventions in the potato chips industry.