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Influencer marketing is now an integral part of most marketing strategies. Large legacy brands are putting creators front and center, from Dunkin’s multi-year partnership with Charli D’Amelio to Unilever’s recent shift toward an “influencer-first” model – with executives stating that up to half of its media spend will go to social and creator-led channels.
But is influencer marketing an effective strategy for product discovery in 2026?
.YouGov Profiles data shows that social media influencers or bloggers are the ninth most common route for Americans to discover new products overall, selected by 27% of consumers. But among Gen Z, the figure rises to 41%.
Influencer marketing is gaining ground among Americans, with Gen Z leading the charge
Across all U.S. adults, recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues remain the leading source of product discovery, at 51%. Retail browsing follows at 44%, while search engines stand at 42%. By comparison, influencers and bloggers sit lower in the ranking, at 27%.
But the generational split is striking. Among Gen Z, 41% discover new products through social media influencers or bloggers – roughly level with search engines (42%) and ahead of product reviews on websites, blogs, or social media (37%).
The contrast with traditional broadcast media is particularly sharp. Just 19% of Gen Z discover new products through TV or radio commercials, compared with 41% who do so through influencers or bloggers. Among Baby Boomers+, the pattern is almost reversed: 41% cite TV or radio commercials, while only 13% cite influencers or bloggers.
For brands targeting younger consumers, the data indicates that influencer marketing is key discovery channel.
Which influencers have the highest positive rating in the U.S.?
Among Americans who say they discover new products through social media influencers or bloggers, MrBeast has the highest positive rating among the influencers measured, at 34%. Marie Kondo follows at 32%, with Markiplier, Zach King, and Kylie Kelce each at 27%.
The wider top 20 includes names across entertainment, gaming, lifestyle, health, comedy, education, and internet culture, from Dr. Mike Varshavski and Brittany Broski to Mark Rober, Emma Chamberlain, Khaby Lame, and The Try Guys.
Brand analysis: Does influencer marketing align with increased consideration among Gen Z who discover new products through influencers?
CeraVe, which has leaned heavily into dermatologist creators and “skinfluencer” content, has a Consideration score of 43% among Gen Z who say they discover new products through influencers and bloggers – compared with 37% among Gen Z overall. e.l.f. Cosmetics shows a similar gap, with Consideration at 28% among Gen Z who discover products via influencers, compared to 21% among all Gen Z.
The pattern is not limited to beauty and skincare brands. Prime Hydration, a brand with prominent creator-led marketing, sees Consideration at 8% among Gen Z who discover new products via influencers and bloggers, compared with 5% among Gen Z overall. Dunkin’, which has had partnerships with high-profile creators, records Consideration of 44% among Gen Z who discover products via influencers versus 38% among Gen Z overall.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between June 2025 and June 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.