Nerds vs Starburst:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Starburst had more branded searches than Nerds among lolly brands in Australia. Starburst had about 6,600 branded searches, while Nerds had 1,300. Starburst made up 9.9% of all lolly brand searches we track, and Nerds accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about lolly brands, neither Nerds nor Starburst appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Starburst, about 5 searches for every 1 for Nerds
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top lolly brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Nerds nor Starburst showed up in any of the five answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Darrell Lea2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sour Patch Kids2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
The Natural Confectionery Co.2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Skittles0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Allens0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Haribo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Starburst0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Nerds0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about lolly brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which lollies should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best lolly brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sour lollies?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“lollies”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sour lollies”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Nerds or Starburst more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nerds and Starburst by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight lolly brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Starburst, Nerds. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Skittles | Darrell Lea | Allens | Sour Patch Kids | Haribo | Starburst | The Natural Confectionery Co. | Nerds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25% | 16.7% | 11.1% | 13.7% | 11.1% | 13.7% | 6.6% | 2.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 23% | 23% | 10.3% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 5.3% | 2.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 18.5% | 27.7% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 6.1% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 18.5% | 18.5% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 6% | 2.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.2% | 18.2% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 12.1% | 5.9% | 2% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.9% | 25.6% | 11.4% | 14% | 9.3% | 11.4% | 5.7% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.4% | 22.4% | 12.2% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 6.1% | 1.9% |
| May 2026 | 23.4% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 6.6% | 2.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.7% | 13.9% | 17% | 17% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 6.7% | 2.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 20.9% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 14% | 9.3% | 11.4% | 6.7% | 3.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 21% | 14% | 21% | 14% | 9.3% | 11.5% | 7.4% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 22.3% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 7.8% | 2% |
How has the Nerds and Starburst comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Starburst was ahead of Nerds in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nerds’ share of searches among lolly brands in Australia moved from 2.2% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starburst’s share of searches among lolly brands in Australia moved from 13.7% to 9.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 6.6K.
How did search popularity change for Australia lolly brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Haribo overtook Starburst to rank 5th among lolly brands in Australia, with 9.9% of the searches.
In September 2026, Starburst lost share of searches among lolly brands in Australia, from 11.5% to 9.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nerds’ and Starburst’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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