Brandwave

Dove vs Essano:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Essano had more branded searches than Dove among hand soap brands in New Zealand. Essano had about 2,490 branded searches, while Dove had 840. Essano made up 9.1% of all hand soap brand searches we track, and Dove accounted for 3.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about hand soap brands, Essano appeared in three of the five answers and Dove in none.

Among hand soap brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Essano, about 3 searches for every 1 for Dove

Essano 2.5K searchesDove 840 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Essano, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Dove in 0

Essano in 3 of 5Dove in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Essano, the only one of the two named

Essano first in 3Dove never named

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Top hand soap brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

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

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. ecostore1st
  2. Essano2nd
  3. Aesop3rd
  4. Only Good4th
  5. Jo Malone–
  6. Diptyque–
  7. L'Occitane–
  8. Dove–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • ecostore4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Aesop3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Essano3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Only Good2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Jo Malone0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Diptyque0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • L'Occitane0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Dove0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about hand soap brands

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which hand soap brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1ecostore
    2. 2Essano

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best hand soap brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1ecostore
    2. 2Aesop
    3. 3Only Good
    4. 4Essano

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best hand soap brand in New Zealand for everyday washing?”

    1. 1ecostore
    2. 2Essano
    3. 3Aesop

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “hand soap nz”

    1. 1ecostore
    2. 2Only Good

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “luxury hand soap”

    1. 1Aesop

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Dove or Essano more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Dove and Essano by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight hand soap brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Dove and Essano among hand soap brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Essano, Dove. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAesopJo MaloneDiptyqueL'OccitaneEssanoecostoreDoveOnly Good
Oct 202532.1%17%12.7%17.5%8.2%9%2.8%0.66%
Nov 202546.8%13.3%8.6%18.3%4.7%6.4%1.5%0.38%
Dec 202532.2%18.9%10.6%25.3%5.4%5.8%1.5%0.28%
Jan 202629.9%15.5%13.3%18.9%9.2%10.3%2.2%0.59%
Feb 202633.2%16.3%13.5%14.3%8.6%11.3%2.2%0.67%
Mar 202634.4%18.1%12.2%15.5%7.5%9.8%2%0.46%
Apr 202629.8%17.9%15.4%16.1%8.1%10.2%2.2%0.48%
May 202630.9%15.7%12.6%16.4%13.2%8.7%1.9%0.51%
Jun 202633.5%13.2%13.4%17.8%9.2%9.3%2.9%0.55%
Jul 202633.6%16.4%14.5%14.7%9%8.6%2.7%0.55%
Aug 202632.3%16%15.4%13.9%9.4%9.3%3.1%0.52%
Sep 202631.4%19.3%14.8%13.6%9.1%8.2%3.1%0.51%

How has the Dove and Essano comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Essano was ahead of Dove in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dove’s share of searches among hand soap brands in New Zealand moved from 2.8% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 730 to 840.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Essano’s share of searches among hand soap brands in New Zealand moved from 8.2% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.1K to 2.5K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand hand soap brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Essano in New Zealand rose 16.9% over 12 measured months, from 2.1K to 2.5K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Dove in New Zealand rose 15.1% over 12 measured months, from 730 to 840 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

10 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dove’s and Essano’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.

Dove

4 branded search terms

  • dove rollon
  • dove scrub
  • dove tanning lotion
  • dove vanilla

Essano

6 branded search terms

  • essano
  • essano cleanser
  • essano eye cream
  • essano night cream
  • essano rosehip oil
  • essano serum

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among hand soap brands

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