BrandRank.AI

Our "Answer Economy" thesis is gaining momentum, and this outstanding piece by my former Harvard Business School professor, John Sviokla (now GAI Insights co-founder), highlights its significance. Drawing on BrandRank.AI research, he notes: "We are moving from the question economy to the answer economy—where businesses must understand not only what their products offer but also how #AI models perceive, rank, and recommend them." After staffing our booth at the National Retail Federation the last few days, there's no question brands are now waking up to this reality. (Some are in a panic!) For brands mapping out 2025 AI strategy, I'll repeat my advice: EMBRACE THE BORING BASICS -- site search (that actually works), FAQ, easy product instructions. Do this and LLM "Answer Engines" will generously reward you. Read the John's full article below. You can also learn more on our BrandRank.AI site or by subscribing to my Substack newsletter at TheAnswerEconomy.Com

EXCITING NEWS: We’re thrilled to welcome four industry leaders to our Advisory Team. Read the full release here. https://lnkd.in/gHSkVw6M * Jeffrey Cail, former President of Ipsos North America, brings decades of expertise in market research and analytics. * Brian Krausz, former Member of Technical Staff at Anthropic, adds cutting-edge generative AI and technical innovation experience. * John Costello, former President of Global Marketing & Innovation at Dunkin'' Brands, is a globally recognized marketing and innovation leader. * Tia Rochelle, CEO of JahniSpot Concierge, strengthens our client engagement and business development capabilities. The timing couldn’t be better. In less than 10 months, we’re working with a dozen major brands and, here at the National Retail Federation Show, have introduced our solution to over 100 prospects with highly encouraging leads. BrandRank.AI helps brands excel in the Answer Economy by optimizing content visibility and readiness in AI Answer Engines like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. With a growing percentage of consumers relying on AI recommendations to guide purchases, our SaaS platform blends human intelligence with advanced tools to enhance trust, boost sales, mitigate crises, and uncover growth opportunities. Welcome to our brand revolution! Bill Hildebolt Lee Beech Christy Page Tracey Cooke Sherrie Kinderdine Jacqueline Ardrey Nate Sowder Melissa Stevens Kimberly Winburn Chetan Parekh Dave Balter Doug Pepper Gus Coldebella Paul Baier John Sviokla JP Nauseef Andrew Deye James Knott John Carmichael Mohamed Abo El Fotouh Richard Greenberg Shiv Singh Jeremiah Owyang Michael Donnelly Liz Engel Jack Wyant

The daily BrandRank.AI report at the National Retail Federation conference in NY by John Stieger

AGENTIC: THE NEW TERM TO KNOW: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? If there’s one word making waves at National Retail Federation (NRF) and (earlier), CES, it’s “AGENTIC.” It’s popping up in keynotes, conversations, most booth signage, and tech demos alike. Naturally, I ran it through BrandRank.AI to see how the major "Answer Engines" define the term —and their takes are just as fascinating as they are varied. Here's the scoop, with a little fun along the way: * OpenAI's #CHATGPT (The Motivational Coach): Agentic” is being a go-getter with purpose and self-confidence. Think goal-getting vibes, not just goal-setting. * Amazon RUFUS (The Bold Navigator): Take charge, stay assertive, and steer your own ship. No coasting allowed. * Google GEMINI (The Pragmatic Guide): Be the boss of your own choices—no sheep here. * Anthropic CLAUDE (The AI Trailblazer): Agentic AIs don’t need micromanagers. They’ve got it handled. * Meta #Llama AI (The Philosopher): Control your destiny, grasshopper. It’s about intentional action.  * Perplexity (The Action Hero): Picture an AI superhero solving problems without asking, “Can I?” * Microsoft CO-PILOT (The Determined Driver): Pedal to the metal. Get it done, and own it. * X's GROK (The Life Designer): Shape your own life, one bold decision at a time. WHY IT MATTERS: Whether it’s humans or AI, “agentic” is the 2025 ethos: take charge, be intentional, and make an impact. For brands, it’s a call to empower consumers and AI systems alike to act with purpose and autonomy. Oh, and if we're going to adopt new buzzwords, let's know them inside and out! Greg Kahn Jon Salisbury Filippo Catalano Bastian Pätzold Ana Jauregui Alfredo Colas Michael Beck, MBA Jeremiah Owyang Shiv Singh Matthew Basler Kimberly Winburn Jonathan Liebert Christopher Brock John Sviokla Paul Baier Drew Ianni Rishad Tobaccowala Blake Cahill Jenny Rooney Lee Beech Nate Sowder Hank Hudepohl Sherrie Kinderdine Blair Garrou Bill Hildebolt Dave Balter Milen Mahadevan

Report from the #Startup Expo floor at the National Retail Federation show in #NYC. Great traction so far. If you are not here, here’s the quick pitch. More information at BrandRank.AI or www.BrandRank.ai. Thx John Stieger for the great partnership (and heavy lifting). Jacqueline Ardrey Judy Zitnik Hank Hudepohl

IS TRADER JOE'S THE CHATGPT OF RETAIL? I know that sounds a bit absurd, as shoppers primarily interact with Trader Joe's in an offline context. Yet as retailers rush to implement AI chatbots and virtual assistants, they might find their best model for success in studying how Trader Joe's has mastered the art of the helpful, always-ready-to-assist experience in their stores.  Such is my reflection on my latest “Answer Economy” substack post https://lnkd.in/gk2yCrZQ ahead of the big National Retail Federation (NRF) show that kicks off tonight (and where we'll exhibit…Booth 2008).  To drive my point home, take a look at one of the many "teaser" reports we generated for NRF attendees using BrandRank’s proprietary BRAVE framework (Brand Readiness, Alignment, and Visibility Evaluation), which rolls up into an overall brand PowerScore for Trader Joe's. * BRAND ALIGNMENT measures how a brand's stated promise aligns with playback from AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Perplexity etc) drawing from media, consumer reviews, and other third-party content, and here you'll note an extremely strong consistency between its promises and AI-driven insights. * BRAND VISIBILITY is the level of a brand's presence in #AnswerEngine results where AI-driven responses provide concise, direct answers to user queries. Strong "visibility" acts as de facto free advertising as it keeps your brand front and center of general (yet voluminous) queries like "what's the best shopping experience" or "who has the best quality." * CONTENT READINESS reflects well-structured, engaging content that resonates with AI-driven answer engines. Strengths include clear language, regular updates, and strong branding. Trader Joe's scores lowest here but surprisingly high for a player that isn't really an "online player" per se. Employee training and in-store experience remain crucial differentiators. Looking ahead, retailers must be prepared to serve the “broadest funnel of curiosity”—whether through human interactions or technology or a combination. Pay close attention to Amazon Rufus on this front. Again, be sure to check out my full Substack post. More detail. More data: https://lnkd.in/gk2yCrZQ And don't forget, if you are attending NRF, swing by Booth 2008. Bill Hildebolt John Sviokla Paul Baier Jacqueline Ardrey Rebecca Rudisch Ann Mooney Rishad Tobaccowala Drew Ianni Blake Cahill Marisa Thalberg Lauren Evans Shiv Singh Matthew Basler Charles Fowler Lee Beech Tracey Cooke John Costello Laurent Burman Elisha Herrmann Helen Todd (Human) Jon Salisbury Emily Cloud Michael Donnelly Mohamed Abo El Fotouh Christian Saclier Carter Jensen Michael Stich Amy Hatton Jeffrey Cail Christopher Brock Brad Berens, Ph.D. Mac Karlekar Filippo Catalano Bastien Parizot Christopher Morse

As we gear up for the big National Retail Federation (NRF) show next week, where BrandRank.AI will showcase at the Startup Expo (Booth 2008), I couldn't resist exploring how #GenerativeAI "Answer Engines" rank top retailers across critical dimensions like value, experience, support, sustainability, innovation, and employee training. Using our proprietary agents, we ran hundreds of unaided queries across OpenAI's #ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Perplexity, Meta Llama, and X Grok, blending the scores for a comprehensive view. We analyzed every major retail category — from overall and grocery to online, fashion, beauty, high-end, electronics, and sports. Importantly, no retailers were named upfront in any query to ensure unbiased results. Here’s a sneak peek at the findings from the “overall” category. * Amazon leads as the best overall retailer, online retailer, and for fastest delivery times, showcasing its e-commerce dominance. * Trader Joe's Joe’s excels in in-store experience, product quality, and sustainability, reinforcing its cult-like customer loyalty. * Patagonia sets the benchmark for sustainability, zero-waste commitment, and sourcing transparency, leading the eco-conscious category. * Apple Store ranks highest for best-trained employees and customer support, reflecting its premium customer experience. * Costco Wholesale , IKEA, and Whole Foods Market emerge as strong performers across value, innovation, and sustainability. Worth adding that our neighbor down the road in Cincinnati, Kroger, scored extremely well in "Loyalty Programs." Surveys still matter, but this exercise demonstrates the power of AI to surface real-time insights into consumer sentiment, operational strengths, and brand positioning. As AI reshapes retail, these findings spotlight key opportunities for brands to build trust, transparency, and innovation. What do you think of these results? Any surprises? Let’s discuss! And again, if you happen to be walking the floor of NRF, visit booth 2008. We can go much deeper on all of this.  I'll also post a deeper dive on a single retailer tomorrow. #AIinRetail #GenerativeAI #BrandRankAI #NRF2025 #RetailTrends #Sustainability Jeffrey Cail Matthew Basler Shiv Singh Laurent Burman Marina Cortazzo Keith Dailey Lauren Morgenstein Schiavone Jeremiah Owyang Guy B. Persaud Rebecca Rudisch Bill Hildebolt Rishad Tobaccowala Dawn Williams Thompson, MBA (She/Her/Hers) Sumit Chandra Paul Baier John Sviokla Jeffrey F Rayport Mandy Rassi Jacqueline Ardrey Aaron Fetters Alison Hiatt Michael Stich Alex Tosolini Jon Salisbury

CES 2025 is in full swing, and the lastest version of OpenAI's #ChatGPT is helping uncover insights at lightning speed. The engine relies on a variety of trusted publications to deliver timely and accurate responses about the latest in gadgets, AI, robotics, and tech innovation. At the same time, some are conspicuously missing for both expected (e.g. NY Times) and unexpected reasons. Attribution (or not) is something we obsess with at BrandRank.AI . Here’s a snapshot of the most frequently cited publications ChatGPT is pulling from in real-time (so far): 1️⃣ The Verge: Tech news and reviews highlighting gadgets, AI, consumer electronics, and automotive advancements. 2️⃣ WIRED: Covering cool gadgets, innovation, and live updates, blending tech and culture. 3️⃣ TechCrunch: Insights into AI, startups, robotics, and groundbreaking automotive tech trends. 4️⃣ Tom's Guide: Consumer-focused takes on CES gadgets, trends, and exciting rumors. 5️⃣ New York Post: General and tech news spotlighting AI products, robotics, and smart home innovations. Interestingly, some prominent tech voices are notably absent from real-time sourcing (at least so far) including: CNET, Engadget, Gizmodo.com, Fast Company, and PCMag This trend highlights the immediacy of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—how content is structured for AI engines to surface effectively. Publications insisting on not being part of training models may inadvertently exclude themselves from these dynamic ecosystems. It’s a Catch-22: maintaining exclusivity but missing out on visibility in AI-powered answers. Paul Baier Hank Hudepohl Kelly Cohen Jon Salisbury Shiv Singh Rishad Tobaccowala Elisha Herrmann Kendra Ramirez Jeremiah Owyang Christopher Brock Matt Cox Lee Beech Filippo Catalano Mark Brodeur Debra Aho Williamson Asa Hiken Adam Rappaport Dave Balter John Costello

Here's my favorite slide from our just released "AI Trust Monitor"—as you chart out your 2025 marketing, AI, and even customer service plans, you can take this data straight to the bank. - 66% of respondents have used an answer engine, with ChatGPT leading at 39%, followed by Google Gemini (30%). - 59% of GenAI users are now relying less on traditional search engines. - Researching products and services is the top usage of GenAI tools You can download the full report on the BrandRank.AI website. If you want to subscribe to my longer commentary (even beyond LinkedIn), go to www.theanswereconomy.com. Thanks for all the previous comments! Paul Baier Judy Zitnik Kendra Ramirez Jon Salisbury Christopher Brock

We just launched the 2025 edition of our BrandRank.AI Trust Monitor and for those of you heading to International CES - Consumer Electronics Show next week the findings are timely and crazy insightful. This video hits five big ahas, and you can download the full report off our website. A few takeaways: 🔍 50% of GenAI users search electronics (more than ANY other category) 🤖 The "Answer Economy" is real: 59% of #GenerativeAI users are shifting away from traditional search engines to AI platforms 🎯 2 out of 3 users trust AI shopping recommendations, yet similar numbers worry about data privacy ⚡ Surprise stat: 65+ age group showing 62% engagement in AI product research 💫 Perplexity leading the pack: 67% of users have made purchases based on its recommendations Again, the full report "Hooked on Answers: How GenAI is Disrupting Search, Winning Trust, and Redefining Shopping" available at BrandRank.AI" can be downloaded on www.brandrank.ai. We'll also be on the National Retail Federation startup floor in NYC starting 1/12 if you want to catch up live. Thanks Judy Zitnik and John Stieger!!! #CES2025 #AI #AnswerEconomy #ConsumerTech #Innovation" #electronics OpenAI Rishad Tobaccowala Tracey Cooke Filippo Catalano Bastien Parizot Christian Saclier Barbara Vita Mark Avnet Michael Donnelly Drew Ianni Ximena O. David Rennie Paul Baier Michael Stich Jeffrey Cail Norm Johnston Gerardo Mateo Jon Salisbury Chetan Parekh Kimberly Winburn Lee Beech James Knott Jeff Minsky Helen Todd (Human) Kendra Ramirez Christopher Brock Christy Page Jocile Ehrlich Max Kalehoff Debra Aho Williamson Matthew Basler Charles Fowler JP Nauseef