Acumen vs The Media Lab:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, The Media Lab had more branded searches than Acumen among media and strategic communications agencies in New Zealand. The Media Lab was estimated to have 170 branded searches compared to Acumen’s 30, and held an 8.6% Share of Search versus Acumen’s 1.5%.
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Which is more popular in search, Acumen or The Media Lab?
Media strategy, public relations and influence agencies. 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 by month for The Media Lab, Acumen. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | FleishmanHillard Aotearoa | Sherson Willis | Topham Guerin | The Media Lab | One Plus One Communications | Pead | Special PR | Lassoo Media & PR | Sling & Stone | Wright Communications | Anthem | Work Communications | Acumen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18.2% | 10.7% | 6.9% | 8.8% | 7.5% | 6.3% | 9.4% | 6.9% | 8.2% | 6.3% | 5% | 4.4% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 18% | 11.3% | 4.7% | 7.3% | 8% | 7.3% | 8% | 7.3% | 8% | 6.7% | 8% | 3.3% | 2% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.4% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 4.8% | 6.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 4% | 1.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 19.7% | 10.6% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 7.6% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.8% | 9.8% | 6.1% | 5.3% | 3.8% | 1.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 12.3% | 8.7% | 10.8% | 4.6% | 11.3% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 5.6% | 18.5% | 4.6% | 6.2% | 2.6% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.4% | 9.5% | 17.6% | 5.1% | 8.1% | 7% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 8.8% | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 19.2% | 7.7% | 14.3% | 6% | 8.2% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 7.7% | 9.3% | 4.4% | 5.5% | 2.7% | 1.6% |
| May 2026 | 20.9% | 7.7% | 14.3% | 6% | 6.6% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 7.7% | 7.1% | 3.3% | 5.5% | 2.7% | 1.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 16.4% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 10% | 8.2% | 15% | 5% | 7.7% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 5% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 16.7% | 18.7% | 12.4% | 6.7% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 7.7% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 2.4% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 20.2% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 8.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 4% | 2.5% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Acumen and The Media Lab comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Media Lab was ahead of Acumen in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Acumen’s estimated Share of Search among media and strategic communications agencies in New Zealand moved from 1.3% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 20 to 30.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The Media Lab’s estimated Share of Search among media and strategic communications agencies in New Zealand moved from 8.8% to 8.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 140 to 170.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand media and strategic communications agencies in August 2026?
2 changes

In August 2026, The Media Lab overtook Sling & Stone to rank 4th among media and strategic communications agencies in New Zealand, at 8.6%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Acumen in New Zealand rose 50% over 11 measured months, from 20 to 30 in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Acumen’s and The Media Lab’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.
Acumen
2 branded search terms
- acumen pr
- acumen republic
The Media Lab
1 branded search term
- The Media Lab

Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.