Fashion brands are increasingly considering how generative engine optimisation (GEO) could be incorporated into their PR strategies, as AI search changes how consumers discover brands. 

Working with data analytics provider Launchmaterics, KCD, a global public relations and brand experience agency, has been working on meeting these demands. Together, they are providing Media Impact Value (MIV) rankings to its clients, helping brands monitor metrics such as search visibility, thus estimating the value of a brand’s media exposure. According to Rachna Shah, CEO of KCD, brands that prioritise such rankings typically seek AI visibility metrics.

AI helping brands track LLM representation 

Alongside New York Fashion Week, Launchmetrics has rolled out its new metric “AI Visibility (AIV),” in a bid to measure a brand’s impact across traditional media and social platforms through MIV. Brands will be able to track how they are featured within LLM responses on platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

Launchmetrics’ fashion brand rankings will now reveal two separate scores for each brand – MIV and AIV. The rankings will also highlight how much of a brand’s overall value comes from traditional and AI sources. 

The platform’s dashboard will display a callout section for brands that perform well in AI searches and inform brands which editorial sources are being referenced by AI when the brand is mentioned. This is designed to help brands measure their AI discoverability, how it compares to traditional MIV, and the information LLMs are giving consumers. 

Many brands are noticing how the PR and media coverage they receive can influence how AI systems present them to consumers. Not only that, but an increasing number of consumers are turning to AI to start their fashion research. 

Launchemtrics CMO Alison Bringé noted, “PR is definitely the new SEO.” This is supported by  Muck Rack research, which found 82% of links cited by AI came from earned media (the way independent voices, like press and influencers, describe and discuss a brand, rather than what brands pay to promote). Meanwhile, 94% of links cited by AI come from non-paid media

Over the last decade, the metric has evolved from measuring media impact value to also capturing how earned media influences visibility in LLM search results.. In turn, brands can now gain a clearer understanding of how their media coverage affects their visibility in the AI-powered search environment. 

AI systems often require up-to-date information and data from the web to answer current questions. Therefore, recent news and editorial coverage can influence what people hear and read about brands. 

Currently, LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini cannot reliably rely on information learned during training when answering queries about recent events. Instead, they may draw on newer online content, including news articles. Coverage from trusted publications is likely to carry significant influence on how AI systems describe a brand, meaning PR and earned media may become increasingly important for AI visibility, rather than just traditional brand awareness. 

According to Launchmetrics, PR budgets could double as brands try to influence how they appear in AI-generated answers. This budget reallocation may draw primarily from SEO and search engine marketing, but splitting media budgets across more diverse surfaces could become the key to successful brand awareness. 

GEO strategy

Going forward, marketers need to look beyond simply generating coverage. They need to understand which sources influence how their brands appear in AI search. Brands that monitor the sources that appear in AI-generated answers can better identify the journalists and publications that have the greatest influence over their visibility. This can help them focus their PR and earned media efforts with greater effectiveness. Earned and owned media should be used in tandem with earned media driving discovery and credibility and owned content helping clarify details and facts. 

Brands should also consider how their content is structured for AI. For instance, press releases and other owned content should be clear and factual, so AI systems can identify and reference key information more easily. At the same time, marketers should aim to regularly test key prompts to track what sources appear in AI-generated answers. These insights can then be used to improve overall PR, outreach, and content strategies. 

These topics can be explored at upcoming DMWF events through discussions around AI marketing, search, and the changing role of marketers as AI becomes embedded in discovery and decision-making.

See also: AI image models reshaping marketing campaigns – Marketing Tech News 

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