Survey finds 86% of US consumers failed to recommend a brand they could not name
in plain words
A survey asked people in the United States whether they had ever wanted to suggest a company but forgot its name. Most said yes, and many said it happens often. The company that ran the survey says memorable names and web addresses help people pass on recommendations.
Full summary
AtomRadar, a research firm that runs consumer surveys for brands, published the results of its 2026 Consumer Referral Survey. The panel covered 600 American consumers aged 18 to 65 and was conducted online in September 2026. Participants were asked whether there had been a time when they wanted to recommend a brand, business or product to a friend or family member but could not remember its name.
Of the respondents, 86% said they had experienced this. Just over three in ten, or 31%, said it happens often, while 55% said it happens occasionally. Only 9% said they had never struggled to recall a brand name when making a recommendation. The firm reports that men and women answered in equal numbers, with 86% of each group having struggled to refer a business. Younger respondents were slightly more likely to say it happens often, at 35% of those aged 18 to 34 compared with 27% of those over 55.
AtomRadar argues that word-of-mouth is a key channel for businesses, especially in their early stages, because recommendations from friends and family carry a high degree of trust. For a referral to work, the firm says, consumers need top-of-mind awareness of the brand and must be able to recall its name on demand. Based on the findings, the firm concludes that weak names and domains significantly harm organic referrals, and that brands are losing business because of names that are hard to remember.
The firm’s lead researcher, Thom Davies, wrote the report. The company offers to run further brand surveys for clients and invites readers to contact it with questions about domain choice and branding.