OMD vs The Media Lab:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, The Media Lab had more branded searches than OMD among media agencies in New Zealand. The Media Lab had about 150 branded searches, while OMD had 50. The Media Lab made up 5.4% of all media agency searches we track, and OMD accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about media agencies, The Media Lab appeared in two of the four answers and OMD in one. OMD and The Media Lab were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
The Media Lab, about 3 searches for every 1 for OMD
Who does AI mention more?
The Media Lab, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, OMD in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
Follow OMD vs The Media Lab and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top media agencies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, The Media Lab was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. OMD was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. OMD and The Media Lab were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Together1st
PHD2nd- The Media Lab3rd
MBM4th
OMD5th
dentsu–
WPP Media–
Spark Foundry–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- PHD3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Together3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- The Media Lab2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- MBM2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- OMD1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- dentsu0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- WPP Media0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Spark Foundry0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about media agencies
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which media agency should I hire in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best media agencies in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best media agency in New Zealand for advertising campaigns?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“media agencies nz”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“advertising agency nz”
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 OMD or The Media Lab more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for OMD and The Media Lab by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight media agencies we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for The Media Lab, OMD. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | dentsu | PHD | WPP Media | The Media Lab | Together | Spark Foundry | MBM | OMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.9% | 30.6% | 21.1% | 4.9% | 2.6% | 3% | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.5% | 33.5% | 17.6% | 4.3% | 4.7% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 3.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.6% | 26.4% | 19.3% | 5.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 3% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.4% | 26.8% | 18.7% | 5.1% | 3% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.9% | 31.2% | 21% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.4% | 28.4% | 19.8% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.2% | 25.9% | 23.1% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 33.1% | 27.4% | 23.8% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.1% | 28.7% | 20.4% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.9% | 27.9% | 19.3% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.9% | 31.3% | 18.1% | 5.9% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.5% | 28.3% | 20.3% | 5.4% | 4% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
How has the OMD and The Media Lab comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Media Lab was ahead of OMD in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OMD’s share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand moved from 2.3% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 70 to 50.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Media Lab’s share of searches among media agencies in New Zealand moved from 4.9% to 5.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 150.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand media agencies in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, MBM overtook OMD to rank 7th among media agencies in New Zealand, with 2.2% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for OMD in New Zealand fell 28.6% over 12 measured months, from 70 to 50 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OMD’s and The Media Lab’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.
OMD
4 branded search terms
- omd agency
- omd company
- omd group
- omd media
The Media Lab
2 branded search terms
- The Media Lab
- themedialab
Other head-to-heads among media agencies
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.