--- title: "BNZ vs Kernel: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?" description: "Which is more popular in search, BNZ or Kernel? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the KiwiSaver providers set in New Zealand. 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/compare/bnz-vs-kernel" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # BNZ vs Kernel: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand? Which is more popular in search, BNZ or Kernel? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the KiwiSaver providers set in New Zealand. 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 - **Compared**: BNZ and Kernel - **Competitive set**: KiwiSaver providers - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Aug 2026 - **BNZ Share of Search**: 7.4% - **Kernel Share of Search**: 1.5% ## Which is more popular in search, BNZ or Kernel? - In August 2026, BNZ had more branded searches than Kernel among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. BNZ was estimated to have 153K branded searches compared to Kernel’s 30.8K, and held a 7.4% Share of Search versus Kernel’s 1.5%. - BNZ was ahead of Kernel in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, BNZ’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 6.6% to 7.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 159K to 153K. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kernel’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 0.84% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 20.5K to 30.8K. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand KiwiSaver providers in August 2026? - Estimated monthly branded searches for Kernel in New Zealand rose 50% over 11 measured months, from 20.5K to 30.8K in August 2026. ## Month by month | Month | BNZ estimated searches | BNZ Share of Search | BNZ rank | Kernel estimated searches | Kernel Share of Search | Kernel rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 159K | 6.6% | 4 | 20.5K | 0.84% | 8 | | Nov 2025 | 159K | 7.2% | 4 | 16.8K | 0.76% | 9 | | Dec 2025 | 155K | 7.1% | 4 | 16K | 0.74% | 9 | | Jan 2026 | 157K | 7.1% | 4 | 20.8K | 0.94% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | 156K | 7.9% | 4 | 16.6K | 0.85% | 9 | | Mar 2026 | 187K | 8.3% | 4 | 19.3K | 0.85% | 9 | | Apr 2026 | 154K | 7% | 4 | 21.6K | 0.98% | 8 | | May 2026 | 156K | 7% | 4 | 30.5K | 1.4% | 7 | | Jun 2026 | 153K | 6.9% | 4 | 30.7K | 1.4% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | 153K | 7.8% | 4 | 29.8K | 1.5% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | 153K | 7.4% | 4 | 30.8K | 1.5% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BNZ’s and Kernel’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. - **BNZ**: Measured on the search terms “Bank of New Zealand”, “bnz”, “bnz banking”, “bnz credit card”, “bnz home loan”, “bnz home loans”, “bnz kiwisaver”, “bnz kiwisaver scheme”, “bnz mortgage”, “bnz mortgages”, “bnz personal loan”, “bnz savings”, “bnz savings account”, “bnz term deposit” and “kiwisaver bnz”, summed into one figure. - **Kernel**: Measured on the search terms “kernel cash fund”, “kernel cash plus fund”, “kernel fund”, “kernel funds”, “kernel global 100”, “kernel high growth fund”, “kernel invest”, “kernel investment funds”, “kernel kiwisaver”, “kernel kiwisaver funds”, “kernel nz”, “kernel savings account”, “kernel total world fund”, “kernel wealth”, “kernel wealth funds”, “kernel wealth kiwisaver”, “kernel wealth nz” and “kiwisaver kernel”, summed into one figure. - [BNZ profile](/demand/nz/brands/bnz) - [Kernel profile](/demand/nz/brands/kernel) - [All KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-kiwisaver-providers): The set both shares are measured inside, 14 brands. ## Methodology - [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which is more popular in search, BNZ or Kernel? In August 2026, BNZ had more branded searches than Kernel among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. BNZ was estimated to have 153K branded searches compared to Kernel’s 30.8K, and held a 7.4% Share of Search versus Kernel’s 1.5%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "BNZ vs Kernel: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/bnz-vs-kernel This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/bnz-vs-kernel. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.