Brandwave

Strongbow vs Willie Smith's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Strongbow had more branded searches than Willie Smith's among cider brands in Australia. Strongbow had about 1,300 branded searches, while Willie Smith's had 480. Strongbow made up 6.2% of all cider brand searches we track, and Willie Smith's accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cider brands, Strongbow and Willie Smith's each appeared in three of the four answers. Willie Smith's was mentioned before Strongbow in two out of three answers.

Among cider brands in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Strongbow, about 3 searches for every 1 for Willie Smith's

Strongbow 1.3K searchesWillie Smith's 480 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 3 of 4 answers.

Strongbow in 3 of 4Willie Smith's in 3 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Willie Smith's, named ahead of Strongbow in 2 of 3 answers

Willie Smith's first in 2Strongbow first in 1

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Top cider brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Strongbow and Willie Smith's were each mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Willie Smith's was listed before Strongbow in two out of three answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Somersby1st
  2. Strongbow2nd
  3. Willie Smith's3rd
  4. Mercury Cider4th
  5. Rekorderlig5th
  6. Bulmers6th
  7. Kopparberg–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Somersby3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Strongbow3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Willie Smith's3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Rekorderlig2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Mercury Cider2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Bulmers1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Kopparberg0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about cider brands

4 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 23, 2026.

Is Strongbow or Willie Smith's more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Strongbow and Willie Smith's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven cider brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

Strongbow and Willie Smith's among cider brands in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for Strongbow, Willie Smith's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSomersbyRekorderligMercury CiderKopparbergStrongbowBulmersWillie Smith's
Oct 202564.1%8.2%8.2%6.9%5.6%3.8%3.1%
Nov 202560.9%9.6%8.1%8.1%6.5%4.4%2.4%
Dec 202550.2%14.9%10%10%6.6%5.4%3%
Jan 202655.8%10.7%10.7%9%5.6%4.1%4.1%
Feb 202659.4%9.6%9.6%9.6%6%3.5%2.3%
Mar 202658.6%9.5%9.5%9.5%5.9%4.3%2.8%
Apr 202657.6%9.3%11%9.3%5.8%4.2%2.8%
May 202659.6%9.6%9.6%7.8%6%4.3%2.9%
Jun 202660.9%11.7%9.8%6.2%5.4%3.6%2.4%
Jul 202659.4%11.4%9.6%7.8%6%3.5%2.3%
Aug 202654.8%13.3%10.5%8.8%7.2%3.3%2.2%
Sep 202657.6%13.8%9%7.6%6.2%3.4%2.3%

How has the Strongbow and Willie Smith's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Strongbow was ahead of Willie Smith's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Strongbow’s share of searches among cider brands in Australia moved from 5.6% to 6.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Willie Smith's’ share of searches among cider brands in Australia moved from 3.1% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 720 to 480.

How did search popularity change for Australia cider brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Strongbow lost share of searches among cider brands in Australia, from 7.2% to 6.2%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Willie Smith's in Australia fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 720 to 480 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Strongbow’s and Willie Smith'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.

Strongbow

1 branded search term

  • strongbow

Willie Smith's

1 branded search term

  • willie smiths cider

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among cider brands

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