Dive Brief:

• Netflix ranked No. 1 on YouGov's annual Buzz rankings, with an average score of 33, according to the report, which asks consumers if they've heard anything, whether negative or positive, about a brand over the past two weeks. The rankings are based on a scale from -100 to +100. 
• Amazon came in second with an average Buzz score of 29.3, followed by Amazon Prime with 28. Samsung ranked No. 4 with a score of 22.3, followed by YouTube with 22, Dawn with 21.2, Toyota with 20.4, M&M's with 20.3, The Home Depot with 19.7 and Chik-fil-A with 19.7.
• United Airlines showed the largest improvement in consumer perception from 2017 to 2018, with 9.6-point increase to -3.5. Video doorbell Ring had a 6-point improvement, Samsung saw a 5.2-point gain, Goldman Sachs improved 3.3 points and Hulu saw a 3.4-point gain. 

Dive Insight:

Netflix taking the top spot in the YouGov Buzz rankings is more good news for a brand whose subscriber base continues to grow and now numbers 139 million. The streaming service's original programming is also experiencing widespread popularity and acclaim. In fact, this week, Netflix received its first-ever best picture Academy Award nomination for Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma." 

The strong performance of Netflix and Amazon Prime suggests each has successfully established itself as a go-to streaming services at time when the number of such offerings continues to proliferate. The positive consumer perception of Netflix and Amazon Prime could make it tough for newcomers to break in. Recently, Walmart said it was canceling plans for a video streaming service. Amazon recently doubled down on its streaming strategy with the launch of Freedive from IMDb, which offers ad-supported free movie streaming. 

With the number of cord cutters on the rise, Netflix has been working to attract subscribers. The company announced last year that it would increase its marketing spend by 54% from $1.3 billion to $2 billion. Netflix also said it would spend about $8 billion on original content last year and continue the investment in programming over the next few years. Streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime and others, have seen the investment in original shows and movies as a way to differentiate themselves and attract viewers. 

The high rankings for Amazon and Amazon Prime come as the company had its biggest-ever Prime Day event this year, which ran longer than usual at 36 hours and resulted in more than 100 million products purchased. With about half of all product searches starting out on Amazon, the company has built a loyal following of shoppers and earned a positive perception. 

Like Netflix, Amazon has also been working to grow its Prime subscription base, and original programming as been a draw. The platform's top shows attracted more than 5 million people worldwide to a Prime subscription as of early 2017, according to the company, and Prime Originals accounted for about one-quarter of the estimated total Prime signups from late 2015 to early 2017.