Brandwave

LeaderBrand vs Wattie's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Wattie's had more branded searches than LeaderBrand among frozen food brands in New Zealand. Wattie's had about 3,100 branded searches, while LeaderBrand had 1,200. Wattie's made up 29.6% of all frozen food brand searches we track, and LeaderBrand accounted for 11.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about frozen food brands, Wattie's appeared in three of the five answers and LeaderBrand in none.

Among frozen food brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Wattie's, about 3 searches for every 1 for LeaderBrand

Wattie's 3.1K searchesLeaderBrand 1.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Wattie's, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, LeaderBrand in 0

Wattie's in 3 of 5LeaderBrand in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Wattie's, the only one of the two named

Wattie's first in 3LeaderBrand never named

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Top frozen food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Wattie's was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either 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.

  1. Wattie's1st
  2. McCain2nd
  3. Birds Eye3rd
  4. Tegel4th
  5. Talley's5th
  6. LeaderBrand–
  7. 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?”

    1. 1Wattie's
    2. 2McCain
    3. 3Tegel

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best frozen food brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1McCain
    2. 2Wattie's
    3. 3Birds Eye
    4. 4Talley's
    5. 5Tegel

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best frozen food brand in New Zealand for easy dinners?”

    1. 1Wattie's
    2. 2McCain

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “frozen food nz”

    1. 1McCain

  • 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 Wattie's more popular in search?

    This chart shows how often people search Google for LeaderBrand and Wattie's 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.

    LeaderBrand and Wattie's among frozen food brands in New Zealand, by month

    Share of searches by month for Wattie's, LeaderBrand. The figures are in the table below the chart.

    View monthly share of searches table
    MonthWattie'sTegelTalley'sLeaderBrandMcCainBirds EyeOob Organic
    Oct 202528.6%21.7%27.1%9%7.6%4.3%1.7%
    Nov 202529.1%22.3%17.9%12.9%9%5.9%2.9%
    Dec 202523.4%24.8%19.9%12.4%8.7%4.8%6%
    Jan 202629.6%22%14.8%11.6%9.1%5%7.8%
    Feb 202629.7%22.8%18.3%9.9%9.2%5%5%
    Mar 202667.2%7.4%6.3%3.2%12.6%2%1.3%
    Apr 202635.6%20.6%16.7%8.9%10.4%4.6%3.2%
    May 202634.9%20.5%17.3%9%11.7%4.7%1.8%
    Jun 202628.7%23.8%19.2%9.7%10.3%6.1%2.2%
    Jul 202629.9%23.6%16.1%8.9%12.8%6.5%2.3%
    Aug 202634.5%24.9%14%10.9%9.3%5.7%0.77%
    Sep 202629.6%27.7%15.6%11.5%9%5.6%1.1%

    How has the LeaderBrand and Wattie's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

    3 findings

    How did search popularity change for New Zealand frozen food brands in September 2026?

    2 changes

    1. In September 2026, LeaderBrand gained share of searches among frozen food brands in New Zealand, from 10.9% to 11.5%.

    2. In September 2026, Wattie's lost share of searches among frozen food brands in New Zealand, from 34.5% to 29.6%.

    How are branded searches counted?

    17 search terms

    Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using LeaderBrand’s and Wattie'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

    Wattie's

    14 branded search terms

    • chilli beans watties
    • wattie s
    • wattie's
    • watties
    • watties beans
    • watties beetroot
    • watties big eat
    • watties chilli beans
    • watties ketchup
    • watties mexican beans
    • watties spaghetti
    • watties tomato
    • watties tomato paste
    • watties tomato puree

    How the Brand Demand Index is measured

    Other head-to-heads among frozen food brands

    Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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