Introduction
Understanding how AI models perceive your brand is no longer optional : it is a strategic necessity.
In the era of Generative AI, your Share of Model - the presence and perception of your brand within Large Language Models (LLMs) - is a key driver of future growth. Everything in this strategic pursuit begins with the Brand Module.
The Brand module reveals the semantic associations LLMs consistently make with your brand, across various models and over time. It sets the crucial foundation for all tactical optimization that follows in Search, Assets, and Activation.
1. What the Brand Module Measures
The Brand module provides a macro view of how LLMs conceptually understand your brand.
It is designed to look beyond mere appearances in specific user questions. Instead, it systematically maps the recurring concepts, attributes, and category cues that models naturally associate with your brand and its competitors.
This strategic layer is engineered to answer the fundamental question:
What does the model think my brand stands for?
It acts as the north star that marketers use to establish a foundational understanding before diving into more tactical layers.
2. Why We Use Open-Ended Prompts
To effectively map a model’s conceptual landscape, we employ a very specific and deliberate approach using simple, open-ended prompts.
This prompt system is designed for stability, comparability, and depth. These prompts are run every day across all major LLMs to consistently identify:
Concepts common to the category: The universal associations models make.
Associations unique to each brand: What sets your brand apart.
Differences in model interpretation: How different LLMs perceive the category.
Instead of generating thousands of one-off queries, we focus on consistency over time, which is essential as new LLMs are released roughly every six weeks.
Example: Across one month, a Brand analysis uses a set of different core prompts, applied repeatedly across models. An average analysis generates over 700 iterations of core strategic questions every month.
Examples of Prompts Used:
The analysis relies on simple, open-ended patterns that reveal the conceptual understanding of the category and the brand:
“What brands come to mind when you think of non-alcoholic spirits?”
“I’m interested in non-alcoholic spirits, what brands would you recommend?”
“Which is better in the non-alcoholic spirits category , Brand A or Brand B?”
All client inputs (country, brand names, personas, and attributes) act as multiplicators. They automatically generate many structured variations of the same prompt pattern, significantly enriching the semantic landscape without losing consistency.
3. Prompt management Brand vs Search
The methodology of the Brand Module is defined by its strategic purpose, which is fundamentally different from tactical Search Analysis.
Brand vs. Search Analysis: Two Complementary Layers
Brand Analysis and Search Analysis answer different questions and operate at different levels of the marketing journey.
Objective | Brand Analysis | Search Analysis |
Purpose | Understand semantic associations and conceptual brand perception (What the model thinks of your brand) | Measure visibility for user queries (Where your brand appears for specific questions) |
Insight Type | Macro, Strategic | Granular, Tactical |
Questions Used | Simple, open-ended prompts | Real, high-intent search queries |
Prompt Management | Fixed set, for stability and comparability | Editable by clients, focused on real-time user intent |
Role in Journey | First step (Foundation). Get macro insight and context. | Second step (Execution). Tactical optimization and measurement. |
The Core Value | Clarifies what AI models think your brand represents (Meaning) | Shows where you appear when consumers ask specific questions (Presence) |
In essence:
Brand = Meaning (Strategic)
Search = Presence (Tactical)
Brand Analysis and Search Analysis answer different questions and operate at different levels.
Brand is strategic and conceptual. It uncovers the semantic foundations models use when they think about your brand.
Search is tactical and operational. It measures visibility for user queries, identifying where your brand appears (or does not appear) when consumers ask specific questions.
Both layers complement one another, but Brand comes first, providing the essential conceptual context needed to properly understand and optimize tactical Search results.