Brandwave

How popular isPHD?

In September 2026, people searched for PHD by name about 780 times in New Zealand, a 16.1% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 28.3% of all New Zealand media agency searches, placing PHD second out of eight agencies. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about media agencies, PHD appeared in three of the four answers and was the second most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

PHD is the second most searched of 8 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. dentsuShare of searches 35.5%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. PHDShare of searches 28.3%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. WPP MediaShare of searches 20.3%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. The Media LabShare of searches 5.4%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. TogetherShare of searches 4%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st

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Top media agencies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, PHD was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. PHD is the second most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Together1st
  2. PHD2nd
  3. The Media Lab3rd
  4. MBM4th
  5. OMD5th
  6. dentsu–
  7. WPP Media–
  8. Spark Foundry–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • PHD3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Together3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • The Media Lab2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • MBM2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • OMD1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • dentsu0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • WPP Media0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Spark Foundry0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about media agencies

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which media agency should I hire in New Zealand?”

    1. 1The Media Lab
    2. 2Together
    3. 3PHD

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best media agencies in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Together
    2. 2PHD
    3. 3OMD
    4. 4MBM

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best media agency in New Zealand for advertising campaigns?”

    1. 1Together
    2. 2MBM
    3. 3PHD

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “media agencies nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “advertising agency nz”

    1. 1The Media Lab

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Which media agencies compete with PHD?

PHD against media agencies in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for dentsu, PHD, WPP Media, The Media Lab, Together, Spark Foundry, MBM. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthdentsuPHDWPP MediaThe Media LabTogetherSpark FoundryMBMOMD
Oct 202533.9%30.6%21.1%4.9%2.6%3%1.6%2.3%
Nov 202533.5%33.5%17.6%4.3%4.7%1.8%1.4%3.2%
Dec 202538.6%26.4%19.3%5.1%3%2.5%3%2%
Jan 202637.4%26.8%18.7%5.1%3%3.8%2.1%3%
Feb 202634.9%31.2%21%3.1%4.4%2.4%1.4%1.7%
Mar 202636.4%28.4%19.8%4.6%3.7%3.4%2.2%1.5%
Apr 202637.2%25.9%23.1%4.1%3.4%3.1%1.4%1.7%
May 202633.1%27.4%23.8%4.3%3.9%3.9%2.1%1.4%
Jun 202632.1%28.7%20.4%6.8%4.5%3.4%1.5%2.6%
Jul 202638.9%27.9%19.3%5.4%3.2%1.8%1.8%1.8%
Aug 202635.9%31.3%18.1%5.9%3.6%2.3%1.3%1.6%
Sep 202635.5%28.3%20.3%5.4%4%2.5%2.2%1.8%

  1. 1.dentsu

    35.5%

    Held 1st. 980 estimated branded searches, -10.1% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  2. 2.PHD

    28.3%

    Held 2nd. 780 estimated branded searches, -17.9% vs prior month. Share -3 points.

  3. 3.WPP Media

    20.3%

    Held 3rd. 560 estimated branded searches, +1.8% vs prior month. Share +2.2 points.

  4. 4.The Media Lab

    5.4%

    Held 4th. 150 estimated branded searches, -16.7% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  5. 5.Together

    4%

    Held 5th. 110 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  6. 6.Spark Foundry

    2.5%

    Held 6th. 70 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  7. 7.MBM

    2.2%

    Moved from 8th to 7th. 60 estimated branded searches, +50% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.

  8. 8.OMD

    1.8%

    Moved from 7th to 8th. 50 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Compare popularity between PHD and its closest rivals

Every comparison with PHD

7 comparisons

How has branded search demand for PHD changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for PHD in New Zealand fell from 930 to 780.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PHD’s share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand decreased from 30.6% to 28.3%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PHD’s share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand peaked at 33.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 25.9% in April 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand media agencies in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, MBM overtook OMD to rank 7th among media agencies in New Zealand, with 2.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, WPP Media gained share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand, from 18.1% to 20.3%.

  3. In September 2026, PHD lost share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand, from 31.3% to 28.3%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Together in New Zealand rose 37.5% over 12 measured months, from 80 to 110 in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for OMD in New Zealand fell 28.6% over 12 measured months, from 70 to 50 in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Spark Foundry in New Zealand fell 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 90 to 70 in September 2026.

How are PHD’s branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PHD’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • phd agency
  • phd aotearoa
  • phd media

Do you work for PHD? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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