Brandwave

Market research firms:Which are searched most?

In August 2026, Ipsos was the most searched among market research firms worldwide, with an estimated 246K branded searches and 37.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. Ipsos37.7%
  2. YouGov30.8%
  3. Kantar13.9%
  4. GfK11.4%
  5. Mintel3.4%
  6. Nielsen2.8%

Follow market research firms and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand in this set →

Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the market research firms brands work with. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among market research firms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Ipsos, YouGov, Kantar, GfK, Mintel, Nielsen. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthIpsosYouGovKantarGfKMintelNielsen
Oct 202530.8%30.8%16.9%13.8%6.2%1.5%
Nov 202528.1%34.4%15.4%15.4%4.6%2.1%
Dec 202532.4%32.4%14.6%14.6%4.4%1.6%
Jan 202629.7%36.4%13.4%13.4%4.9%2.2%
Feb 202631.6%31.6%14.2%14.2%6.4%1.9%
Mar 202632.3%32.3%14.4%14.4%5.3%1.3%
Apr 202637.7%30.8%13.8%11.3%5.1%1.2%
May 202634.1%34.1%15.3%10.3%4.6%1.7%
Jun 202643.3%28.9%13%8.7%3.9%2.1%
Jul 202631.7%38.7%14.3%9.5%3.5%2.3%
Aug 202637.7%30.8%13.9%11.4%3.4%2.8%
Sep 2026——————

This month’s ranking, August 2026

  1. 1.Ipsos

    37.7%

    Moved from 2nd to 1st. 246K estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share +6.1 points.

  2. 2.YouGov

    30.8%

    Moved from 1st to 2nd. 201K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -7.9 points.

  3. 3.Kantar

    13.9%

    Held 3rd. 90.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  4. 4.GfK

    11.4%

    Held 4th. 74K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.

  5. 5.Mintel

    3.4%

    Held 5th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  6. 6.Nielsen

    2.8%

    Held 6th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among market research firms worldwide?

In August 2026, Ipsos was the most searched among market research firms worldwide, with an estimated 246K branded searches and 37.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. YouGov is in 2nd place, 6.9 percentage points behind at 30.8% Share of Search.

Global market research firms, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
Ipsos30.8% → 37.7%43.3%Jun 202628.1%Nov 20251st
YouGov30.8%38.7%Jul 202628.9%Jun 20262nd
Kantar16.9% → 13.9%16.9%Oct 202513%Jun 20263rd
GfK13.8% → 11.4%15.4%Nov 20258.7%Jun 20264th
Mintel6.2% → 3.4%6.4%Feb 20263.4%Aug 20265th
Nielsen1.5% → 2.8%2.8%Aug 20261.2%Apr 20266th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Ipsos’ estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide increased from 30.8% to 37.7%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kantar’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide decreased from 16.9% to 13.9%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, GfK’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide decreased from 13.8% to 11.4%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mintel’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide decreased from 6.2% to 3.4%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Nielsen’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide increased from 1.5% to 2.8%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Ipsos’ estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 43.3% in June 2026 and was lowest at 28.1% in November 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, YouGov’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 38.7% in July 2026 and was lowest at 28.9% in June 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kantar’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 16.9% in October 2025 and was lowest at 13% in June 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, GfK’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 15.4% in November 2025 and was lowest at 8.7% in June 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mintel’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 6.4% in February 2026 and was lowest at 3.4% in August 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Nielsen’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide peaked at 2.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 1.2% in April 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, YouGov held steady: its estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for market research firms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Ipsos overtook YouGov to take the highest estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide, at 37.7%.

  2. In August 2026, GfK gained estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide, from 9.5% to 11.4%.

  3. In August 2026, YouGov lost estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide, from 38.7% to 30.8%.

  4. Nielsen’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.7% to 2.8% in August 2026.

  5. Mintel’s estimated Share of Search among market research firms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 4.6% to 3.4% in August 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Kantar worldwide fell 33% over 11 measured months, from 135K to 90.5K in August 2026.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

See your own brand in this picture

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to your campaigns, spend and outcomes, so you can see what moved your numbers, not just that they moved.

Start free