27 February, 2026

New research from YouGov reveals the UK’s most improved brands for 2026.  

Beleaguered brands The Post Office and Fujitsu, captured a few headlines for having had a bit of a rebound from the precipitous decline triggered by the broadcast of Mr Bates vs the Post Office in 2024. But their scores remain very low, reflecting the fact that while they have made some reputational amends, there is a long way to go. 

Perhaps more interestingly, we see both Nationwide and Octopus Energy among the best improvers – and the highest overall scorers too. This makes sense. Both brands clearly position themselves as good businesses (and at Good Business, we should know) and have made efforts to communicate on their values and business models in recent months. These are companies which consistently demonstrate that fairness, transparency, putting customers first and public accountability aren’t just buzzwords for them, they’re central to how they operate and communicate.  

YouGov’s survey tracks public perception across a range of indicators, including impression, value for money, quality, satisfaction, recommendation and reputation. The position of these brands in the top ten suggests that being a good business – and shouting about it – genuinely resonates with consumers. 

This feels especially relevant as we head into B Corp month this March. The B Corp movement is all about raising the bar for being a good business, embedding responsibility, accountability and impact into how companies are run. Seeing companies that are taking this ethos seriously, like fellow B Corp Octopus, reaping the rewards is heartening. 

By Lucy Bell