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Subway, Chipotle generate most buzz in Q2

Buzz Score asks respondents, "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"

July 20, 2015

The overall perception of QSR has trended downward as a category, with Subway still managing to maintain its brand as the top achiever for the period, according to YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score. Buzz Score asks respondents, "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"

Subway decided to forgo the use of artificial ingredients in its menu and made guacamole a permanent addition to its list of add-ons. Wendy's came in second, followed by Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut and Sonic for generating the most positive buzz in Q2.

Chipotle is the top improver this year. The chain announced it would be cooking only with non-GMO ingredients. The brand is followed by In-N-Out Burger and Qdoba for the most improved positive buzz.

Buzz scores can range from 100 to -100 and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.​

The Buzz Rankings chart shows the brands with the highest average Buzz scores between January and June 2015. The Buzz Improvers chart ranks the brands with the highest increase in Buzz comparing years 2014 and 2015. Both scores are representative of the general population.