Strepsils vs Sudafed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sudafed had more branded searches than Strepsils among cold and flu brands in New Zealand. Sudafed had about 5,120 branded searches, while Strepsils had 4,270. Sudafed made up 18.9% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Strepsils accounted for 15.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Sudafed appeared in two of the five answers and Strepsils in none.
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sudafed was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Strepsils did not appear in any of the five answers.
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 Strepsils or Sudafed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Strepsils 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, Strepsils. 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 Strepsils and Sudafed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sudafed was ahead of Strepsils in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Strepsils’ share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand held steady at 15.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7K to 4.3K.
- 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, Strepsils gained share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand, from 15.2% to 15.7%.
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?
19 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Strepsils’ 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.
Strepsils
10 branded search terms
- anaesthetic strepsils
- blocked nose strepsils
- strepsils
- strepsils cough
- strepsils honey lemon
- strepsils lemon
- strepsils plus
- strepsils sugarfree
- strepsils throat lozenges
- strepsils 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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