---
title: "Pen brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the pen brands people buy. Share of Search among Faber-Castell, BIC, uni-ball, Pilot, Pentel and Zebra, the pen brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-pen-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Pen brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare the pen brands people buy. Share of Search among Faber-Castell, BIC, uni-ball, Pilot, Pentel and Zebra, the pen brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Pen brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Faber-Castell, 31.5%

## Which brand is most popular in search among pen brands in New Zealand?

- Faber-Castell and BIC share the highest share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand, at 31.5% and 31% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand increased from 29.3% to 31.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BIC’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand decreased from 34.6% to 31%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand increased from 14.6% to 19.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pilot’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand decreased from 14.9% to 14.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pentel’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand decreased from 3.9% to 2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zebra’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand decreased from 2.5% to 2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 44.6% in December 2025 and was lowest at 26.1% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BIC’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 36.8% in April 2026 and was lowest at 26.5% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 25.6% in February 2026 and was lowest at 11.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pilot’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 17.7% in May 2026 and was lowest at 10.8% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pentel’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 3.9% in October 2025 and was lowest at 1.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zebra’s share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand peaked at 3.3% in March 2026 and was lowest at 1.3% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell rose from 2nd to 1st among pen brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BIC fell from 1st to 2nd among pen brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball rose from 4th to 3rd among pen brands in New Zealand.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pilot fell from 3rd to 4th among pen brands in New Zealand.

## Top pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, uni-ball, Pilot and Pentel were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. uni-ball was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. Pilot was second, and BIC was third. Faber-Castell, which ranked first in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| uni-ball | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Pilot | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| BIC | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Pentel | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Zebra | 5th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Faber-Castell | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about pen brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which pen brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. uni-ball, 2. Zebra, 3. Pilot
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best pen brands in New Zealand?": 1. Pilot, 2. uni-ball, 3. Pentel, 4. Zebra, 5. BIC
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best pen brand in New Zealand for everyday writing?": 1. Pilot, 2. uni-ball, 3. BIC, 4. Zebra, 5. Pentel
- Searched Google, AI Overview "pen brands": 1. uni-ball, 2. Pilot, 3. Pentel
- Searched Google, AI Overview "ballpoint pens nz": 1. BIC, 2. Pentel

Not named in any answer: Faber-Castell.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Faber-Castell vs BIC: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bic-vs-faber-castell): 31.5% against 31% Share of Search.
- [Faber-Castell vs uni-ball: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/faber-castell-vs-uni-ball): 31.5% against 19.3% Share of Search.
- [Faber-Castell vs Pilot: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/faber-castell-vs-pilot): 31.5% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [BIC vs uni-ball: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bic-vs-uni-ball): 31% against 19.3% Share of Search.
- [BIC vs Pilot: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bic-vs-pilot): 31% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [uni-ball vs Pilot: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/pilot-vs-uni-ball): 19.3% against 14.2% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand pen brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Faber-Castell overtook BIC to become the leader among pen brands in New Zealand, with 31.5% of the searches.
- In September 2026, BIC gained share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand, from 29.3% to 31%.
- In September 2026, uni-ball lost share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand, from 24.3% to 19.3%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Pilot in New Zealand rose 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 530 to 640 in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Pentel in New Zealand fell 35.7% over 12 measured months, from 140 to 90 in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Faber-Castell | 31.5% | 1.4K | +6.0% | Faber-Castell |
| 2 | BIC | 31% | 1.4K | 0.0% | BIC |
| 3 | uni-ball | 19.3% | 870 | -25.0% | uni-ball |
| 4 | Pilot | 14.2% | 640 | -5.9% | Pilot |
| 5 | Pentel | 2% | 90 | -18.2% | Pentel |
| 6 | Zebra | 2% | 90 | 0.0% | Zebra Pen |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | BIC | 1.2K | 34.6% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Faber-Castell | 1K | 29.3% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Pilot | 530 | 14.9% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | uni-ball | 520 | 14.6% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Pentel | 140 | 3.9% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Zebra | 90 | 2.5% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Faber-Castell | 1.3K | 36.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | BIC | 1.1K | 31.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | uni-ball | 480 | 14% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Pilot | 440 | 12.8% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Pentel | 90 | 2.6% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Zebra | 90 | 2.6% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Faber-Castell | 1.5K | 44.6% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | BIC | 1K | 29.9% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | uni-ball | 370 | 11.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Pilot | 360 | 10.8% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Pentel | 70 | 2.1% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Zebra | 50 | 1.5% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.4K | 33.8% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | BIC | 1.3K | 32.3% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | uni-ball | 680 | 17% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Pilot | 540 | 13.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2.3% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Zebra | 50 | 1.3% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.1K | 29.8% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | BIC | 950 | 26.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | uni-ball | 920 | 25.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Pilot | 510 | 14.2% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2.5% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Zebra | 50 | 1.4% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | BIC | 1.4K | 32.9% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.1K | 26.1% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | uni-ball | 850 | 20% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Pilot | 670 | 15.7% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Zebra | 140 | 3.3% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2.1% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | BIC | 1.5K | 36.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.3K | 31.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | uni-ball | 640 | 15.7% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Pilot | 480 | 11.8% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2.2% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Zebra | 70 | 1.7% | 6 |
| May 2026 | BIC | 1.4K | 31.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.3K | 30.2% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Pilot | 780 | 17.7% | 3 |
| May 2026 | uni-ball | 730 | 16.6% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Zebra | 70 | 1.6% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | BIC | 1.2K | 32.2% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.1K | 29.8% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | uni-ball | 670 | 17.5% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Pilot | 580 | 15.2% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Pentel | 110 | 2.9% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Zebra | 90 | 2.4% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | BIC | 1.3K | 33.5% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.1K | 27.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | uni-ball | 830 | 21.2% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Pilot | 540 | 13.8% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Pentel | 70 | 1.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Zebra | 70 | 1.8% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | BIC | 1.4K | 29.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.3K | 28% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | uni-ball | 1.2K | 24.3% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Pilot | 680 | 14.2% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Pentel | 110 | 2.3% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Zebra | 90 | 1.9% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Faber-Castell | 1.4K | 31.5% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | BIC | 1.4K | 31% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | uni-ball | 870 | 19.3% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Pilot | 640 | 14.2% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Pentel | 90 | 2% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Zebra | 90 | 2% | 6 |

## What is being compared

- **BIC**: Measured on the search terms “bic lighter”, “bic pen” and “bic pen clic”, summed into one figure.
- **Faber-Castell**: Measured on the search terms “faber castell”, “faber castell erasers”, “faber castell pen”, “faber castell polychromos” and “fabercastell”, summed into one figure.
- **Pentel**: Measured on the search term “pentel”.
- **Pilot**: Measured on the search terms “gel pilot pen”, “pilot frixion”, “pilot frixion pen” and “pilot pen”, summed into one figure.
- **uni-ball**: Measured on the search terms “uni ball”, “uni ball jetstream”, “uni ball signo”, “uniball”, “uniball 207”, “uniball ball pen” and “uniball jetstream”, summed into one figure.
- **Zebra**: Measured on the search term “zebra pen”.

- [BIC](/demand/nz/brands/bic)
- [Faber-Castell](/demand/nz/brands/faber-castell)
- [Pentel](/demand/nz/brands/pentel)
- [Pilot](/demand/nz/brands/pilot)
- [uni-ball](/demand/nz/brands/uni-ball)
- [Zebra](/demand/nz/brands/zebra-pen)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among pen brands in New Zealand?

Faber-Castell and BIC share the highest share of searches among pen brands in New Zealand, at 31.5% and 31% in September 2026.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Pen brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-pen-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-pen-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.