The Most Loved Brands in America in 2024

Which companies are winning at the brand reputation game in 2024?

To master brand reputation in 2024 is quite a feat. The climate for most companies today is quite negative. Pew Research Center recently revealed that only 29 percent of adult Americans believe that large corporations have a positive effect “on the way things are going in the country these days,” which was lower than the military, labor unions, tech companies, and banks.

But, obviously, some large corporations have figured this out. While certain institutions inspire vitriol or even conspiracy theories, companies with good reputations often experience greater customer loyalty, generate more word-of-mouth marketing, and attract better talent. Companies with good reputation often have studied every aspect of their customer company and employee experience in order to protect their brands.

So, what are the most loved brands in 2024 and what can we learn from how these companies manage their growth in such a climate? Look no further than this chart from Qualtrics:

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The Methodology

The annual Axios Harris Poll 100 gauges the reputation of the most visible brands in the United States using a survey with a multi-step process:

1. Survey thousands of adult Americans (6,273 in 2024) to find the companies that are the most on their minds. Respondents pick 2 companies that stand out as having the best reputations, and 2 companies that stand out as having the worst reputations. The results are compiled to find the 100 “most visible” brands.
2. A second survey of a different set of thousands of adult Americans (16,500 in 2024) is deployed to determine which of the 100 brands they are familiar with. They are asked to rate 2 of the 100 brands that they are the most familiar with on nine metrics to calculate a Reputational Quotient (RQ®) score.
3. The RQ® score is comprised of a sample size of 325 respondents and is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population based on key demographics. The final score determines each brand’s ranking on The Axios Harris Poll 100.

The Metrics

• Character: This is an amalgamation of culture, ethics, and citizenship.

• Highest rated brand for Character: USAA

• Culture:  Is this a good company to work for?

• Highest rated brand for Culture: Nvidia

• Ethics: Does this company maintain high ethical standards?

• Highest rated brand for Ethics: Trader Joe’s

• Citizenship: Does this company share my values and support good causes?

• Highest rated brand for Citizenship: USAA

• Trust: Do you trust this company?

• Highest rated brand for Trust: UPS

• Trajectory:  This is an amalgamation of vision, growth, and products and services.

• Highest rated brand for Trajectory: Nvidia

• Vision: Does this company have a “clear vision for the future”?

• Highest rated brand for Vision: Nvidia

• Growth: Does this company have strong prospects for growth?

• Highest rated brand for Growth: Nvidia

• Products & Services: Does this company develop innovative products and services? Does it offer high quality products and services?

• Highest rated brand for Products & Services: 3M

What are the top 10 favorite brands in the US?

1. Nvidia
2. 3M
3. Fidelity Investments
4. Sony
5. Adidas
6. USAA
7. Honda Motor Company
8. Patagonia
9. Apple
10. Samsung

Why were these the most loved brands in 2024?

Companies with good reputations don’t develop them overnight. Here’s some insights into why the top five companies for brand reputation scored so highly on the 2024 Axios Harris Poll.

Nvidia

This producer of graphics processing units (GPUs) experienced a skyrocketing of its stock prices in the past year as a result of AI hype. While gamers and digital artists were familiar with their reliable products for a long time, the use of their powerful processors has extended to training AI models like the now-famous ChatGPT. This incredible foresight on behalf of CEO Jensen Huang and his teams has put the company in exactly the right place at the right time, with high scores in trajectory, vision, growth, and products. It also ranks highly for culture, and has been ranked by MIT Sloan Review as the best semiconductor company to work for in a variety of factors such as respect, innovation, execution, and agility. It doesn’t hurt to have a decent code of ethics too.

3M

Besides being named by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the world’s most ethical companies for ten years in a row, 3M also has been recognized by Forbes as one of the most JUST companies. While they manufacture industrial, safety, and consumer products, most average Americans became familiar with the company via their now-iconic N95 mask, which was produced in the billions during the pandemic. This heroic ramping up of production kept millions of health workers safe. They are also famous for having the 3M’s Code of Conduct, which is a gold standard for ethics, covering everything from data privacy to anti-bribery to workplace environment. That doesn’t mean the company is free of stains, however, as the under-reported PFAS chemical crises reveals a decades-long coverup.

Fidelity Investments

With high marks across the board, this company is trusted by most investors. But don’t just take this study’s word for it: Bankrate recently gave Fidelity Investments a stunning five out of five stars for its overall experience for beginner investors, Investopedia gave it a 4.8, and Forbes named it the “best online broker” of 2024. Those hoping to avoid nickel-and-dime fees tend to trust this service. In addition, the company boasts a diverse workforce and positive company culture.

Sony

The only massive media corporation on the list, Sony owns everything from PlayStation products to motion picture studios to music groups to semiconductor manufacturing. Oh, and they’ve also been silently working with AI in the background. Also, they have a car now. With such a fast-moving economy with such intense technological changes, it makes sense that Americans would trust the media company with a large and vocal R&D department that would put Bruce Wayne to shame. Of course, the use of AI to produce films and shows hasn’t made them popular in Hollywood.

Adidas

Imagine being more liked and well-respected for not hanging out with celebrities. That’s basically what happened after the Kanye West fiasco in 2022. While the reaction had been slow internally and externally, the brand experienced a massive brand reputation recovery in the year that followed when they had expected a bumpy ride. It’s been consistent with its values. The sustainability of their products may be another story.

The Data

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