When you search for a product on, say, ChatGPT and a brand shows up as an organic response, that’s AEO at work.

AEO—or answer engine optimization, sometimes also referred to as agentic engine optimization—is a relatively new acronym that has ended up firmly in retail circles ever since public AI surfaces became a popular way for people to search for and discover products online.

While SEO is traditionally the way to rank high in Google search results so users can find brands organically as they search for items—the SEO industry is worth more than $80 billion and is on track to more than double to more than $170 billion by 2030, according to data from MarkNtel Advisors—AEO is the technical layer that gets a brand mentioned in AI-generated answers. It’s the next iteration of what showing up in a Google search result used to be.

Now, AI-powered search is changing how people shop for and discover brands, alongside AEO and GEO (generative engine optimization), which some experts in the industry refer to interchangeably.

The next level: AI search is going mainstream, and fast. Half of consumers polled by McKinsey actively seek out AI-powered search engines, and most say it’s their top digital source when deciding what to buy. If that’s where shoppers are increasingly starting their search, and your brand isn’t in the answer, that’s…well, not ideal.

Keep reading here.—VC

Shopify shoppers were ready to get outdoors, spend time in nature, and invest in their personal wellness, according to May data shared first with Retail Brew.

Orders for walkie-talkie radio sets popped a whopping 2,012%, as people geared up for off-grid camping trips. Consumers also shelled out money to buy tunnel tents (up 263%), air mattresses (up 53%), and family-sized tents (up 34%).

Besides camping, orders for beachwear and pool accessories soared in May. Orders for pool cleaners jumped 721%, while orders for hammocks and pool loungers grew 237% and 69%, respectively. Swimwear across every style, especially cover ups (up 1,103%), popped. Orders for bikinis (up 420%), swim trunks (up 348%), and rash guards (up 325%) also spiked.

Keep reading here.—VC

Water is a necessity. Can it also be desirable?

That’s the pitch of flavored-water brand Hint’s new campaign, “Mmmmm Water,” which draws inspiration from luxury and fragrance advertising for a surprisingly sexed-up take for the category, Allison Cullman, Hint’s SVP, head of marketing, told us.

“We wanted to make water look like something that you crave, not something that you rationally should drink,” Cullman said. “Think slow-motion water pouring, overflowing from mouths, very exaggerated and hyperbolic, but still elevated.”

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KM

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