--- title: "Starburst: search popularity in the United States" description: "Starburst is a fruit chew candy made by Mars. 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/us/brands/starburst-candy" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Starburst: search popularity in the United States Starburst is a fruit chew candy made by Mars. 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 - **Brand**: Starburst - **Owned by**: Mars - **Market**: United States - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among candy brands**: 2.3% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Candy brands | 8 | 2.3% | 12.1K | - [Candy brands](/demand/us/categories/us-candy-brands) ## Top candy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Starburst did not appear in any of the four answers. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Haribo | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Sour Patch Kids | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Trolli | 3rd | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Nerds | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Skittles | 5th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Swedish Fish | 6th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Twizzlers | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Starburst | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about candy brands - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best candy to buy?": 1. Sour Patch Kids, 2. Haribo, 3. Nerds - Asked ChatGPT "Which gummy candy brand is the best?": 1. Haribo, 2. Trolli, 3. Nerds - Asked ChatGPT "What's the most popular sour candy?": 1. Skittles, 2. Sour Patch Kids - Searched Google, AI Overview "candy brands": 1. Haribo, 2. Sour Patch Kids, 3. Skittles, 4. Swedish Fish, 5. Trolli Not named in any answer: Twizzlers and Starburst. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 27, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for Starburst changed in the United States over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Starburst in the United States fell from 22.2K to 12.1K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starburst’s share of searches among candy brands in the United States decreased from 3.3% to 2.3%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starburst’s share of searches among candy brands in the United States peaked at 3.7% in January 2026 and was lowest at 2.3% in July 2026. ## How did search popularity change for United States candy brands in September 2026? - In September 2026, Swedish Fish overtook Haribo to rank 4th among candy brands in the United States, with 9.6% of the searches. - In September 2026, Skittles gained share of searches among candy brands in the United States, from 30.1% to 31.9%. - In September 2026, Sour Patch Kids gained share of searches among candy brands in the United States, from 24.6% to 26.1%. - In September 2026, Twizzlers lost share of searches among candy brands in the United States, from 13.5% to 11.7%. - In September 2026, Haribo lost share of searches among candy brands in the United States, from 9% to 7.8%. - In September 2026, Trolli lost share of searches among candy brands in the United States, from 6.1% to 5.2%. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Candy brands | 22.2K | 3.3% | 8 | | Nov 2025 | Candy brands | 18.1K | 3.1% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | Candy brands | 14.8K | 3% | 8 | | Jan 2026 | Candy brands | 18.1K | 3.7% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | Candy brands | 14.8K | 2.9% | 8 | | Mar 2026 | Candy brands | 14.8K | 2.8% | 8 | | Apr 2026 | Candy brands | 14.8K | 3% | 8 | | May 2026 | Candy brands | 12.1K | 2.4% | 8 | | Jun 2026 | Candy brands | 9.9K | 2.6% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | Candy brands | 8.1K | 2.3% | 8 | | Aug 2026 | Candy brands | 12.1K | 2.7% | 8 | | Sep 2026 | Candy brands | 12.1K | 2.3% | 8 | ## How are Starburst’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Starburst’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading. - “starburst candy” ## Which candy brands compete with Starburst? - [Skittles](/demand/us/brands/skittles) - [Sour Patch Kids](/demand/us/brands/sour-patch-kids) - [Twizzlers](/demand/us/brands/twizzlers): Head-to-head: /demand/us/compare/starburst-candy-vs-twizzlers - [Swedish Fish](/demand/us/brands/swedish-fish): Head-to-head: /demand/us/compare/starburst-candy-vs-swedish-fish - [Haribo](/demand/us/brands/haribo): Head-to-head: /demand/us/compare/haribo-vs-starburst-candy - [Nerds](/demand/us/brands/nerds): Head-to-head: /demand/us/compare/nerds-vs-starburst-candy - [Trolli](/demand/us/brands/trolli): Head-to-head: /demand/us/compare/starburst-candy-vs-trolli ## Who owns Starburst? Starburst is owned by Mars. Brandwave also tracks Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl Pet Hospital, M&M's, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, Snickers, Twix and VCA Animal Hospitals, owned by the same company, in the United States. - [Mars](/demand/us/companies/mars): Owns 21 tracked 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 ### Who owns Starburst? Starburst is owned by Mars. Brandwave also tracks Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl Pet Hospital, M&M's, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, Snickers, Twix and VCA Animal Hospitals, owned by the same company, in the United States. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Starburst: search popularity in the United States". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/brands/starburst-candy This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/brands/starburst-candy. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.