Vicks vs Zicam:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Vicks had more branded searches than Zicam among cold and flu brands in the United States. Vicks had about 135,000 branded searches, while Zicam had 110,000. Vicks made up 8.7% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Zicam accounted for 7.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Vicks appeared in one of the five answers and Zicam in none.
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Vicks was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Zicam did not appear in any of the five answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Mucinex4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Robitussin2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Delsym2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
NyQuil1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- DayQuil1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vicks1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Theraflu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Zicam0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Alka-Seltzer Plus0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cold and flu brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cold medicine?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's good for a stuffy nose?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cough medicine for adults?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cold medicine”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cold medicine”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Vicks or Zicam more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Vicks and Zicam by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine cold and flu brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Vicks, Zicam. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mucinex | NyQuil | Robitussin | Theraflu | DayQuil | Vicks | Zicam | Delsym | Alka-Seltzer Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 5% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.6% | 13.7% | 11.2% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.7% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 19.2% | 8.6% | 7% | 7% | 4.7% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 28% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 18.7% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 28% | 12.5% | 10.3% | 15.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.6% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 30.2% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.9% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.3% | 14% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 1.4% |
How has the Vicks and Zicam comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Vicks was ahead of Zicam in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vicks’ share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 9% to 8.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zicam’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 7.4% to 7.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for United States cold and flu brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Zicam gained share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 6.3% to 7.1%.
In September 2026, Vicks lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 9.4% to 8.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Vicks’ and Zicam’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.
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