As artificial intelligence-powered search and discovery platforms reshape how consumers find and evaluate products, retailers and brands are being forced to rethink not just their marketing tactics but their entire digital strategy.

At Shoptalk in Las Vegas last month, Lauren Price, senior vice president of marketing at COS, and Kelly Shah-McDonnell, vice president of global digital commerce at e.l.f. Beauty, shared insights into what their brands are doing to win in this emerging AI landscape. The conversation was moderated by Leslie Ann Hall, founder and CEO of Iced Media.

Their message to attendees was clear: visibility on AI platforms is now the first and most critical step in the purchase journey.

From Search to ‘Answer Engines’

Traditional search engine optimization is evolving into something more complex and more consequential. Hall described the shift toward answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO), where platforms like ChatGPT aggregate insights from multiple sources — sometimes as many as 20 or more — to generate a single response. For retailers, that means optimizing not just for search rankings, but for inclusion in AI-generated answers.

“Optimize for both humans and machines,” Hall advised, recommending long-form, answer-driven content alongside highly structured, machine-readable product data.

Retailers must ensure their content is not only discoverable, but also authoritative enough to be cited.

The Value of a ‘Hero Product’ Strategy

With AI platforms prioritizing clarity and relevance, trying to be everything to everyone is no longer a viable strategy for retailers. Instead, retailers must identify and double down on their most differentiated offerings.

“The rule is you can’t be everything to everyone,” said Shah-McDonnell. “Focus on your holy grails.”

For COS, that focus has translated into a category-specific strategy centered on cashmere, the brand’s standout product segment. Price noted that this clarity has helped drive increased site traffic from AI-powered search since late summer.

The takeaway? AI rewards specialization. Brands that clearly own a category or attribute are more likely to be surfaced in recommendations.

Content as a Competitive Advantage

Both COS and e.l.f. Beauty are investing heavily in content ecosystems that go far beyond traditional product pages. This includes blogs, FAQs, customer reviews, influencer content, and third-party editorial placements.

“AI is not a channel strategy — it’s a capability shift,” noted Shah-McDonnell. For e.l.f. Beauty, that shift touches everything from tech stacks to team structures, with a growing emphasis on answering real customer questions at scale.

e.l.f. Beauty has invested in building a “muscle” around content creation and leveraging third-party credibility signals (e.g., ingredient authority such as peptides) to strengthen discoverability and consumer trust.

PR and Influence Take on New Importance

Earned media is no longer just about awareness, it’s about validation. That matters in AEO and GEO.

Price highlighted the importance of COS being present on high-authority, high-citation platforms like Wirecutter, as well as across social and influencer channels. These types of sources are increasingly being ingested by AI systems, meaning that PR, influencer marketing, and digital content are converging into a single visibility engine.

“Recognize the moment for PR and its relevance in the AI era,” Price said, adding that traditional PR and digital strategy must now operate in tandem.

Clarity Wins: Messaging for Machines and Humans

One of the most practical challenges brands face is ensuring their identity is clearly understood not just by consumers, but by AI systems as well.

“AI doesn’t understand nuance,” Price said.

Therefore, messaging consistency and clarity is essential. Brands must define what they stand for and ensure that message is reflected across all content and platforms.

Rethinking Measurement for an AI-Driven Funnel

As brand and product discovery shifts upstream into AI platforms, traditional metrics are no longer sufficient. Retailers are beginning to track new key performance indicators, including share of voice in AI-generated responses, citation frequency, sentiment, and brand mentions.

“Visibility is the first step,” Hall noted, but it must ultimately translate into business impact, including traffic and sales.

For e.l.f. Beauty, brand mentions within AI systems have become a leading indicator, with consumers often using AI for discovery before validating or purchasing in a different channel.

GEO Tips for Increased Discovery, Conversion

Hall, Price, and Shah-McDonnell concluded their discussion by offering tips for the audience to boost discovery and conversion on AI platforms.

  • Own your category. Identify and prioritize hero products where your brand is truly differentiated.
  • Build answer-driven content. Shift from traditional SEO keyword strategies to content that directly answers customer questions.
  • Invest in credibility. Third-party validation, PR, and influencer content are critical inputs for AI visibility.
  • Optimize for machines and humans. Balance structured data with rich, engaging content.
  • Adopt new metrics. Track AI-specific indicators such as citations, sentiment, and share of voice.
  • Stay agile. AI platforms are evolving rapidly; continuous testing and learning are essential to succeed in this new environment.