LeaderBrand vs McCain:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, LeaderBrand had more branded searches than McCain among frozen food brands in New Zealand. LeaderBrand had about 1,200 branded searches, while McCain had 940. LeaderBrand made up 11.5% of all frozen food brand searches we track, and McCain accounted for 9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about frozen food brands, McCain appeared in four of the five answers and LeaderBrand in none.
Who do people search for more?
LeaderBrand, about 28% more searches than McCain
Who does AI mention more?
McCain, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, LeaderBrand in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
McCain, the only one of the two named
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Top frozen food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, McCain was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. LeaderBrand 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.
Wattie's1st- McCain2nd
Birds Eye3rd
Tegel4th
Talley's5th- LeaderBrand–
- Oob Organic–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- McCain4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Wattie's3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Tegel2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Talley's1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Birds Eye1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- LeaderBrand0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Oob Organic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about frozen food brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which frozen food brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best frozen food brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best frozen food brand in New Zealand for easy dinners?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“frozen food nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best frozen meals”
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 LeaderBrand or McCain more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for LeaderBrand and McCain by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven frozen food brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for LeaderBrand, McCain. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Wattie's | Tegel | Talley's | LeaderBrand | McCain | Birds Eye | Oob Organic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.6% | 21.7% | 27.1% | 9% | 7.6% | 4.3% | 1.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.1% | 22.3% | 17.9% | 12.9% | 9% | 5.9% | 2.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 23.4% | 24.8% | 19.9% | 12.4% | 8.7% | 4.8% | 6% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.6% | 22% | 14.8% | 11.6% | 9.1% | 5% | 7.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.7% | 22.8% | 18.3% | 9.9% | 9.2% | 5% | 5% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.2% | 7.4% | 6.3% | 3.2% | 12.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.6% | 20.6% | 16.7% | 8.9% | 10.4% | 4.6% | 3.2% |
| May 2026 | 34.9% | 20.5% | 17.3% | 9% | 11.7% | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.7% | 23.8% | 19.2% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 6.1% | 2.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.9% | 23.6% | 16.1% | 8.9% | 12.8% | 6.5% | 2.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 34.5% | 24.9% | 14% | 10.9% | 9.3% | 5.7% | 0.77% |
| Sep 2026 | 29.6% | 27.7% | 15.6% | 11.5% | 9% | 5.6% | 1.1% |
How has the LeaderBrand and McCain comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: McCain took it in March 2026, LeaderBrand took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LeaderBrand’s share of searches among frozen food brands in New Zealand moved from 9% to 11.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McCain’s share of searches among frozen food brands in New Zealand moved from 7.6% to 9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 940.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand frozen food brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, LeaderBrand gained share of searches among frozen food brands in New Zealand, from 10.9% to 11.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using LeaderBrand’s and McCain’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.
LeaderBrand
3 branded search terms
- leader brand nz
- leaderbrand
- leaderbrand nz
McCain
5 branded search terms
- mccain
- mccain chips
- mccain fries
- mccain frozen
- mccain frozen vegetables
Other head-to-heads among frozen food brands
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