Anchor vs Mainland:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Anchor had more branded searches than Mainland among butter brands in New Zealand. Anchor had about 930 branded searches, while Mainland had 410. Anchor made up 10% of all butter brand searches we track, and Mainland accounted for 4.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about butter brands, both Anchor and Mainland appeared in all five answers. Mainland was mentioned before Anchor in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Anchor, about 2 searches for every 1 for Mainland
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Mainland, named ahead of Anchor in every answer
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Top butter brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Anchor and Mainland showed up in all five answers. Mainland was listed before Anchor in every answer.
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.
Westgold5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Anchor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Mainland5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Pams4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Lewis Road Creamery2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tararua1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Olivani0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Lurpak0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about butter brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which butter brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best butter brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best butter brand in New Zealand for everyday baking?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“butter nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“spreadable butter nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Anchor or Mainland more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Anchor and Mainland by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight butter brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Anchor, Mainland. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Lewis Road Creamery | Olivani | Westgold | Pams | Anchor | Mainland | Tararua | Lurpak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.1% | 15.8% | 9.8% | 14.3% | 9.1% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 43.9% | 16.2% | 9.1% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 43.4% | 14.2% | 11.4% | 12.5% | 10.8% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.5% | 15.8% | 10.6% | 13.3% | 10% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.8% | 15% | 9.9% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 42% | 16.8% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 8.7% | 4% | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 40.8% | 19.1% | 10.1% | 12% | 10.2% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 37.8% | 12.7% | 25.9% | 8% | 8.7% | 3.7% | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.8% | 16.6% | 10.3% | 11.1% | 13.7% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.8% | 16% | 15.9% | 9.4% | 12.1% | 5.2% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 41.3% | 14% | 14.4% | 12.6% | 10.5% | 4.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 40.5% | 17% | 12.5% | 11.5% | 10% | 4.4% | 2.2% | 1.9% |
How has the Anchor and Mainland comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Anchor was ahead of Mainland in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Anchor’s share of searches among butter brands in New Zealand moved from 9.1% to 10%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 890 to 930.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mainland’s share of searches among butter brands in New Zealand moved from 3.4% to 4.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 330 to 410.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand butter brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Anchor lost share of searches among butter brands in New Zealand, from 10.5% to 10%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Mainland in New Zealand rose 24.2% over 12 measured months, from 330 to 410 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Anchor’s and Mainland’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.
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