Lemsip vs Sudafed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sudafed had more branded searches than Lemsip among cold and flu brands in New Zealand. Sudafed had about 5,120 branded searches, while Lemsip had 3,840. Sudafed made up 18.9% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Lemsip accounted for 14.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Lemsip and Sudafed each appeared in two of the five answers. Lemsip was mentioned before Sudafed in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Sudafed, about 33% more searches than Lemsip
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Lemsip, named ahead of Sudafed in 2 of 2 answers
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lemsip and Sudafed were each mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lemsip was listed before Sudafed in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Codral3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Sudafed2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Lemsip2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Demazin1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Difflam0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Strepsils0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Vicks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Coldrex0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cold and flu brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cold and flu brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cold and flu brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cold and flu brand in New Zealand for blocked nose?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cold and flu medicine”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sore throat relief”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Lemsip or Sudafed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Lemsip and Sudafed by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight cold and flu brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sudafed, Lemsip. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sudafed | Difflam | Codral | Strepsils | Lemsip | Vicks | Demazin | Coldrex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.6% | 16.7% | 16.4% | 15.7% | 12% | 12.4% | 2.5% | 0.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 21.8% | 19.1% | 15.2% | 14.2% | 12.5% | 13.9% | 2.9% | 0.39% |
| Dec 2025 | 21.7% | 20.3% | 14.7% | 14.8% | 11.2% | 14.3% | 2.5% | 0.57% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.5% | 18.4% | 14% | 16.4% | 12.2% | 14.5% | 2.5% | 0.48% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.7% | 15.7% | 14.9% | 16.2% | 15.1% | 14.6% | 2.3% | 0.54% |
| Mar 2026 | 21% | 15.3% | 16.3% | 17.1% | 15.6% | 11.8% | 2.4% | 0.52% |
| Apr 2026 | 21.4% | 15.8% | 19.7% | 13.7% | 13% | 13.1% | 2.6% | 0.62% |
| May 2026 | 21.2% | 13.4% | 18.8% | 13.8% | 15.4% | 13.9% | 3% | 0.59% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.4% | 14.3% | 19.4% | 13.6% | 15.3% | 13.6% | 2.9% | 0.49% |
| Jul 2026 | 20.3% | 14.6% | 19.2% | 13.5% | 15.6% | 13.5% | 2.8% | 0.55% |
| Aug 2026 | 18.6% | 13.7% | 17.7% | 15.2% | 17.1% | 14.2% | 3% | 0.44% |
| Sep 2026 | 18.9% | 18.6% | 17.1% | 15.7% | 14.2% | 11.7% | 3.3% | 0.52% |
How has the Lemsip and Sudafed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sudafed was ahead of Lemsip in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lemsip’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand moved from 12% to 14.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.1K to 3.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sudafed’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand moved from 23.6% to 18.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4K to 5.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand cold and flu brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Difflam overtook Codral and 3 others to rank 2nd among cold and flu brands in New Zealand, with 18.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, Lemsip lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand, from 17.1% to 14.2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sudafed in New Zealand rose 26.4% over 12 measured months, from 4K to 5.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
21 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lemsip’s and Sudafed’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.
Lemsip
12 branded search terms
- lemsip
- lemsip capsules
- lemsip cough
- lemsip day night
- lemsip decongestant
- lemsip lozenges
- lemsip max
- lemsip max decongestant
- lemsip pregnant
- lemsip sachets
- lemsip sore throat
- lemsip woolies
Sudafed
9 branded search terms
- sudafed
- sudafed cough
- sudafed day night
- sudafed lozenges
- sudafed night
- sudafed pe
- sudafed pseudoephedrine
- sudafed sinus
- sudafed tablets
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