AsiaOne has been named one of Singapore’s 10 most improved brands in YouGov’s Most Recommended Brands 2026 report, marking a notable increase in the number of readers who say they would recommend the digital news platform to others.
The media outlet ranked sixth on the list after its positive recommendation score rose by 7.6 percentage points year on year, reaching 39.6 per cent among its current customers. The previous year’s score stood at 32 per cent.
The findings were based on YouGov BrandIndex data collected between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, offering a snapshot of how consumers viewed brands and whether they were willing to recommend them.
Singtel TV Leads the Most Improved Rankings
Singtel TV topped Singapore’s most improved brands list, recording an 11.9-percentage-point increase. Today and Singtel Broadband followed, while other brands in the top 10 included Oppo, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and StarHub Broadband.
The results highlight how recommendation scores can improve across different industries, including telecommunications, entertainment, technology and digital media.
YouGov’s rankings focus on changes in positive recommendation scores among existing customers rather than simply measuring how widely recognised a brand is.
What the Rankings Say About Customer Trust
For AsiaOne, the improvement comes amid wider changes in how audiences consume news online. Readers have more platforms to choose from, making credibility, relevance and the ability to connect with audiences important factors in retaining their attention.
AsiaOne chief executive Sean Ler said the result reflected audience feedback on the content the publication delivers. He also highlighted the company’s use of audience data to understand reading habits and focus on content that matters to its readers.
The report measures more than recommendations alone. YouGov BrandIndex tracks several aspects of brand health, including impression, perceived quality, value, satisfaction and reputation.
Another Positive Sign for Digital News
AsiaOne’s latest recognition follows an improvement in its performance in the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026.
Its reported brand-trust score rose to 63 per cent, from 58 per cent a year earlier, while its weekly online reach increased to 18 per cent from 10 per cent.
Together, the findings offer a look at how the publication’s audience reach and recommendation measures have changed. However, the two reports use different methodologies, so their figures should be understood as separate indicators rather than direct comparisons.
As competition for online attention continues, the challenge for digital news publishers will be to maintain audience confidence while adapting to changing reading habits and expectations.
