SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been ranked the top brand that people in Singapore would recommend to their friends and colleagues, according to a recent study.

The flag carrier came ahead of several other international brands, including Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo, which ranked second, and third-placer Amazon Prime. Streaming service Netflix came in fourth and e-commerce platform Shopee came in fifth.

Meanwhile, taxi companies SMRT Taxi and CityCab were ranked as the top two companies that improved most in terms of being a recommended brand.

The study by British-based independent research firm YouGov measured the percentage of a brand's customers who would recommend it to a friend or colleague, taking into account metrics such as advertising awareness and customer satisfaction. Data from June 1 last year to May 31 was used.

YouGov said factors such as customer experience, brand image, brand values, emotion and consumer personality play a pivotal role in determining whether someone is likely to recommend a brand or not.

SIA's vice-president of public affairs Siva Govindasamy said: "We are very proud of this recognition, which comes as we gradually restore services amid the debilitating impact of the pandemic on our business.

"We wish to thank our customers and the public for their continued support, as well as our staff who go the extra mile every day to deliver the best travel experience in the industry."

He added that SIA has been investing in digital technologies to enhance its health and safety measures. It has also continued to offer products and service that it is known for, he said.

The SIA Group's passenger capacity was at 28 per cent of the levels before Covid-19 as of end-June, and this is expected to rise to 33 per cent by this month.