Pitchblack Partners vs Special Group:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Special Group had more branded searches than Pitchblack Partners among creative and integrated agencies in New Zealand. Special Group was estimated to have 640 branded searches compared to Pitchblack Partners’ 260, and held a 6.2% Share of Search versus Pitchblack Partners’ 2.5%.
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Which is more popular in search, Pitchblack Partners or Special Group?
Creative advertising, brand and integrated marketing agencies. 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 Special Group, Pitchblack Partners. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Stanley St | Bastion | McCann New Zealand | TBWA\New Zealand | Saatchi & Saatchi | Special Group | Colenso BBDO | VML | Chemistry | Motion Sickness | Ogilvy | Previously Unavailable | Pitchblack Partners | Augusto | Attraction Studio | Werk Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 21.9% | 9.2% | 1.6% | 6.1% | 17.6% | 7% | 4.4% | 10.4% | 3.7% | 3% | 4% | 3.1% | 1.6% | 2.7% | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.8% | 8.8% | 1.9% | 5.4% | 10.9% | 6.2% | 4.8% | 6.3% | 3.7% | 2.7% | 3.5% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.4% | 7.6% | 7.1% | 5.3% | 9.5% | 5.4% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.6% | 6.4% | 3.3% | 4.8% | 8.1% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.3% | 13.8% | 4.3% | 7.7% | 9.1% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.6% | 8.9% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 8.4% | 5.1% | 5.7% | 4% | 7.6% | 6% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.3% | 7.1% | 11.5% | 5.2% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 4.8% | 4% | 4% | 7.4% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 24.7% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 5.7% | 6.3% | 6.6% | 4% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.9% | 9.9% | 11% | 5.6% | 7.3% | 7.6% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.9% | 8.7% | 12.6% | 5.8% | 6.7% | 6% | 6.4% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.9% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 4.6% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Pitchblack Partners and Special Group comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Special Group was ahead of Pitchblack Partners in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Pitchblack Partners’ estimated Share of Search among creative and integrated agencies in New Zealand moved from 1.6% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 170 to 260.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Special Group’s estimated Share of Search among creative and integrated agencies in New Zealand moved from 7% to 6.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 770 to 640.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand creative and integrated agencies in August 2026?
3 changes

In August 2026, TBWA\New Zealand overtook Special Group to rank 4th among creative and integrated agencies in New Zealand, at 7.7%.
In August 2026, Pitchblack Partners rose from 14th to 13th among creative and integrated agencies in New Zealand.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Special Group in New Zealand fell 16.9% over 11 measured months, from 770 to 640 in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pitchblack Partners’ and Special Group’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.
Pitchblack Partners
1 branded search term
- Pitchblack Partners
Special Group
9 branded search terms
- special group
- special group advertising
- special group agency
- special group auckland
- special group design
- special group nz
- special group wellington
- specialgroup
- the special group

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