---
title: "Difflam vs Lemsip: Which is searched more in New Zealand?"
description: "Is Difflam or Lemsip more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Cold and flu brands 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/difflam-vs-lemsip"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Difflam vs Lemsip: Which is searched more in New Zealand?

Is Difflam or Lemsip more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Cold and flu brands 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**: Difflam and Lemsip
- **Competitive set**: Cold and flu brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Difflam Share of Search**: 18.6%
- **Lemsip Share of Search**: 14.2%

## Is Difflam or Lemsip more popular in search?

- In September 2026, Difflam had more branded searches than Lemsip among cold and flu brands in New Zealand. Difflam had about 5,050 branded searches, while Lemsip had 3,840. Difflam made up 18.6% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Lemsip accounted for 14.2%.
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Lemsip took it in March 2026, Difflam took it in April 2026, Lemsip took it in May 2026, Difflam took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Difflam’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand moved from 16.7% to 18.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lemsip’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand moved from 12% to 14.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.1K to 3.8K.

## Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lemsip was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Difflam did not appear in any of the five answers.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Codral | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Lemsip | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Demazin | 3rd | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Sudafed | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Difflam | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Strepsils | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Vicks | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Coldrex | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about cold and flu brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which cold and flu brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Lemsip, 2. Codral
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best cold and flu brands in New Zealand?": 1. Codral, 2. Lemsip, 3. Sudafed
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best cold and flu brand in New Zealand for blocked nose?": 1. Sudafed
- Searched Google, AI Overview "cold and flu medicine": 1. Codral, 2. Demazin
- Searched Google, AI Overview "sore throat relief": named none of the brands we track

Not named in any answer: Difflam, Strepsils, Vicks and Coldrex.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand cold and flu brands in September 2026?

- 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, Lemsip lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in New Zealand, from 17.1% to 14.2%.

## Month by month

| Month | Difflam estimated searches | Difflam Share of Search | Difflam rank | Lemsip estimated searches | Lemsip Share of Search | Lemsip rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 2.9K | 16.7% | 2 | 2.1K | 12% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | 2.4K | 19.1% | 2 | 1.6K | 12.5% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | 2.5K | 20.3% | 2 | 1.4K | 11.2% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | 1.9K | 18.4% | 2 | 1.3K | 12.2% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | 2K | 15.7% | 3 | 2K | 15.1% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | 3K | 15.3% | 5 | 3K | 15.6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 2.5K | 15.8% | 3 | 2.1K | 13% | 6 |
| May 2026 | 3.2K | 13.4% | 6 | 3.6K | 15.4% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | 3.5K | 14.3% | 4 | 3.8K | 15.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | 4.5K | 14.6% | 4 | 4.8K | 15.6% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | 5.6K | 13.7% | 6 | 7K | 17.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | 5K | 18.6% | 2 | 3.8K | 14.2% | 5 |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Difflam’s and Lemsip’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.

- **Difflam**: Measured on the search terms “benzydamine difflam”, “difflam”, “difflam gargle”, “difflam mouth gel”, “difflam mouth rinse”, “difflam mouthwash”, “difflam oral rinse”, “difflam plus”, “difflam spray”, “difflam throat lozenges”, “difflam throat spray” and “difflamplus”, summed into one figure.
- **Lemsip**: Measured on the search terms “lemsip”, “lemsip capsules”, “lemsip cough”, “lemsip day night”, “lemsip decongestant”, “lemsip lozenges”, “lemsip max”, “lemsip max decongestant”, “lemsip pregnant”, “lemsip sachets”, “lemsip sore throat” and “lemsip woolies”, summed into one figure.

- [Difflam profile](/demand/nz/brands/difflam)
- [Lemsip profile](/demand/nz/brands/lemsip)
- [All cold and flu brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-cold-and-flu-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands.

## 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

### Is Difflam or Lemsip more popular in search?

In September 2026, Difflam had more branded searches than Lemsip among cold and flu brands in New Zealand. Difflam had about 5,050 branded searches, while Lemsip had 3,840. Difflam made up 18.6% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Lemsip accounted for 14.2%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Difflam vs Lemsip: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/difflam-vs-lemsip

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/difflam-vs-lemsip. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.
