---
title: "Listerine vs Macleans: Which is more popular in New Zealand?"
description: "Is Listerine or Macleans more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Oral care brands set 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."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/listerine-vs-macleans"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Listerine vs Macleans: Which is more popular in New Zealand?

Is Listerine or Macleans more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Oral care brands set 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.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Listerine and Macleans
- **Competitive set**: Oral care brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Month measured**: Oct 2026
- **Listerine Share of Search**: 9.5%
- **Macleans Share of Search**: 1.2%

## Is Listerine or Macleans more popular in search?

- In October 2026, Listerine had more branded searches than Macleans among oral care brands in New Zealand. Listerine had about 2,160 branded searches, while Macleans had 280. Listerine made up 9.5% of all oral care brand searches we track, and Macleans accounted for 1.2%.
- Listerine was ahead of Macleans in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Listerine’s share of searches among oral care brands in New Zealand moved from 10.1% to 9.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.4K to 2.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Macleans’ share of searches among oral care brands in New Zealand moved from 1.8% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 250 to 280.

## Top oral care brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Macleans was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Listerine was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Macleans was listed before Listerine in two out of three answers that named either.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Colgate | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Sensodyne | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Oral-B | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Listerine | 4th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Grin Natural | 5th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Macleans | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Philips Sonicare | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Waterpik | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Corsodyl | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about oral care brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which oral care brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Colgate, 2. Sensodyne, 3. Oral-B, 4. Macleans
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best oral care brands in New Zealand?": 1. Colgate, 2. Sensodyne, 3. Oral-B, 4. Philips Sonicare, 5. Macleans
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best oral care brand in New Zealand for daily oral hygiene?": 1. Colgate, 2. Sensodyne, 3. Oral-B, 4. Grin Natural
- Searched Google, AI Overview "toothpaste nz": 1. Colgate, 2. Oral-B, 3. Sensodyne, 4. Grin Natural
- Searched Google, AI Overview "mouthwash brand": 1. Listerine, 2. Colgate

Not named in any answer: Waterpik and Corsodyl.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand oral care brands in October 2026?

- Estimated monthly branded searches for Listerine in New Zealand rose 51% over 12 measured months, from 1.4K to 2.2K in October 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Macleans in New Zealand rose 12% over 12 measured months, from 250 to 280 in October 2026.

## How has branded search for Listerine and Macleans changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

| Month | Listerine estimated searches | Listerine Share of Search | Listerine rank | Macleans estimated searches | Macleans Share of Search | Macleans rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nov 2025 | 1.4K | 10.1% | 6 | 250 | 1.8% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | 1.5K | 9.5% | 6 | 170 | 1.1% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | 1.7K | 10.8% | 5 | 250 | 1.6% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | 1.4K | 10.4% | 5 | 160 | 1.2% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | 1.7K | 10.4% | 5 | 270 | 1.7% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | 1.7K | 10.1% | 5 | 190 | 1.1% | 8 |
| May 2026 | 1.9K | 10.6% | 5 | 240 | 1.3% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | 1.9K | 10.7% | 5 | 230 | 1.3% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | 1.9K | 9.8% | 5 | 290 | 1.5% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | 2.1K | 10% | 5 | 280 | 1.3% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | 1.8K | 9.3% | 5 | 220 | 1.1% | 8 |
| Oct 2026 | 2.2K | 9.5% | 5 | 280 | 1.2% | 8 |

## How are Listerine’s and Macleans’ branded searches counted?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Listerine’s and Macleans’ 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.

- **Listerine**: Measured on the search terms “antiseptic listerine mouthwash”, “listerine”, “listerine antiseptic mouthwash”, “listerine antiseptic mouthwash original”, “listerine cool mint”, “listerine gold mouthwash”, “listerine mint cool”, “listerine mouthwash”, “listerine mouthwash original”, “listerine mouthwash zero”, “listerine original”, “listerine pocketpaks”, “listerine tabs”, “listerine total care”, “listerine zero” and “listerine zero mouthwash”, summed into one figure.
- **Macleans**: Measured on the search terms “macleans toothbrush” and “macleans toothpaste”, summed into one figure.

- [Listerine profile](/demand/nz/brands/listerine)
- [Macleans profile](/demand/nz/brands/macleans)
- [All oral care brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-oral-care-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 9 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Listerine or Macleans more popular in search?

In October 2026, Listerine had more branded searches than Macleans among oral care brands in New Zealand. Listerine had about 2,160 branded searches, while Macleans had 280. Listerine made up 9.5% of all oral care brand searches we track, and Macleans accounted for 1.2%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Listerine vs Macleans: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/listerine-vs-macleans

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/listerine-vs-macleans. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.