IRO vs Sharpie:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sharpie had more branded searches than IRO among pen and stationery brands in New Zealand. Sharpie had about 1,930 branded searches, while IRO had 390. Sharpie made up 21.8% of all pen and stationery brand searches we track, and IRO accounted for 4.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pen and stationery brands, IRO appeared in three of the five answers and Sharpie in none.
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Top pen and stationery brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, IRO was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Sharpie 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
uni-ball5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Pilot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Lamy4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- IRO3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Parker2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Zebra2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sharpie0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
BIC0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Staedtler0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Moleskine0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about pen and stationery brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pen or stationery brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best pen and stationery brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pen or stationery brand in New Zealand for everyday writing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pen brand”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“stationery brands nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is IRO or Sharpie more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for IRO and Sharpie by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten pen and stationery brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sharpie, IRO. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sharpie | BIC | Staedtler | Parker | uni-ball | Pilot | Moleskine | IRO | Lamy | Zebra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.6% | 18.8% | 11.8% | 11.2% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 10% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 2.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 20.9% | 17.2% | 11.7% | 11.9% | 7.2% | 6.6% | 12.1% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.9% | 15.8% | 11.7% | 13.7% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 16.1% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.3% | 17.1% | 19.2% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 6.5% | 11.2% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.5% | 16% | 13.4% | 9.8% | 13.2% | 7.7% | 6.9% | 5.3% | 2.8% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 23.9% | 18.9% | 10.7% | 10% | 10.4% | 9% | 7% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 3.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 21.5% | 24.5% | 10.7% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 7.4% | 7.3% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| May 2026 | 21.1% | 20.5% | 12.6% | 10.6% | 9.8% | 10.4% | 6% | 4.7% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.2% | 18.8% | 13.9% | 11% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 20.3% | 19.5% | 12.3% | 10.7% | 11.1% | 7.8% | 8.5% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 19.5% | 19.2% | 12.6% | 10.7% | 13.3% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 4.2% | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 21.8% | 18.9% | 12.8% | 11.3% | 11% | 8% | 7.5% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 2% |
How has the IRO and Sharpie comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sharpie was ahead of IRO in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IRO’s share of searches among pen and stationery brands in New Zealand moved from 4.9% to 4.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 390.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sharpie’s share of searches among pen and stationery brands in New Zealand moved from 23.6% to 21.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand pen and stationery brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Sharpie gained share of searches among pen and stationery brands in New Zealand, from 19.5% to 21.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
10 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using IRO’s and Sharpie’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.
Other head-to-heads among pen and stationery brands
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