Kernel vs Mercer KiwiSaver:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than Mercer KiwiSaver among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. Kernel was estimated to have 30.8K branded searches compared to Mercer KiwiSaver’s 3.7K, and held a 1.5% Share of Search versus Mercer KiwiSaver’s 0.18%.
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Which is more popular in search, Kernel or Mercer KiwiSaver?
Compare KiwiSaver scheme providers and the fund managers behind them, using branded searches made 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.
Share of Search by month for Kernel, Mercer KiwiSaver. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | ANZ | ASB | Westpac | BNZ | Fisher Funds | Milford | Kernel | Simplicity | Generate KiwiSaver | SuperLife | Booster | AMP | Mercer KiwiSaver | Juno KiwiSaver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44.1% | 21.2% | 19.3% | 6.6% | 3% | 1.9% | 0.84% | 1% | 0.84% | 0.59% | 0.25% | 0.19% | 0.15% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 39.8% | 23.1% | 21% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 0.76% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.51% | 0.27% | 0.2% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.5% | 23.5% | 21.4% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 1.3% | 0.74% | 0.87% | 0.76% | 0.43% | 0.22% | 0.17% | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.6% | 23.2% | 21.1% | 7.1% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 0.94% | 1.1% | 0.93% | 0.51% | 0.27% | 0.21% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.9% | 26.1% | 19.6% | 7.9% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 0.85% | 1.2% | 0.86% | 0.47% | 0.31% | 0.2% | 0.19% | 0.03% |
| Mar 2026 | 39% | 23.2% | 20.7% | 8.3% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.85% | 1% | 1.1% | 0.48% | 0.33% | 0.24% | 0.16% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.7% | 23.3% | 21.2% | 7% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 0.98% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.49% | 0.27% | 0.2% | 0.17% | 0.03% |
| May 2026 | 39.4% | 22.9% | 20.9% | 7% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.33% | 0.25% | 0.2% | 0.03% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.6% | 23% | 20.8% | 6.9% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1% | 1.1% | 0.51% | 0.33% | 0.24% | 0.2% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.3% | 26% | 19.5% | 7.8% | 3% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.48% | 0.31% | 0.23% | 0.19% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.6% | 24.9% | 22.7% | 7.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1% | 1% | 0.54% | 0.3% | 0.22% | 0.18% | 0.03% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Kernel and Mercer KiwiSaver comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kernel was ahead of Mercer KiwiSaver in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mercer KiwiSaver’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 0.15% to 0.18%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.7K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand KiwiSaver providers in August 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kernel in New Zealand rose 50% over 11 measured months, from 20.5K to 30.8K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kernel’s and Mercer KiwiSaver’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.
Kernel
18 branded 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
- kiwisaver kernel
Mercer KiwiSaver
4 branded search terms
- kiwisaver mercer
- mercer kiwisaver
- mercer kiwisaver nz
- mercer kiwisaver scheme
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