• Brands with strong media influence are recommended up to 80% of the time by large language models.
• Those with higher positive media sentiment are three times more likely to win head-to-head brand comparisons against key competitors
• Brands in the top 10% for positive media sentiment are nearly 2× more likely to receive low concern scores than those in the bottom 10%.
4th November 205, London: New research from Hard Numbers and Onclusive reveals a direct link between earned media performance brand recommendations in LLM driven platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Brands with a stronger media influence and presence are more likely to be recommended by LLMs when compared against competitors.
Using Onclusive’s Global Media Influence Score (which combines media volume, reach, and sentiment), the research found that brands in the top 10% of media influence are recommended 80% of the time, compared with less than 50% for those in the bottom 10%.
The report, Recommendations in the Age of AI, examines over 100 global brands to understand how earned media influences category recommendations within large language models (LLMs). As we enter the era of agentic commerce, autonomous agents are beginning to evaluate, recommend, and even purchase on behalf of users. With OpenAI and others rapidly advancing these capabilities, LLMs are evolving from passive tools into active decision-makers and earned media has become a key driver of whether a brand is surfaced, recommended or trusted by LLMs.
Media sentiment also plays a critical role. Brands with more positive earned coverage face fewer concerns from LLMs and are significantly more likely to be recommended. Brands in the top 10% for positive media sentiment are nearly twice as likely to receive low concern scores as those in the bottom 10%.
The findings further show that high-sentiment brands dominate “head-to-head” LLM comparisons (e.g. “Which is better: Brand 1 or Brand 2?”). Those in the top 10% for positive media sentiment were three times more likely to win these matchups than those in the lowest 10%.
Darryl Sparey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Hard Numbers, says:
“Our first report, Reputation in the Age of AI, demonstrated the clear impact earned media has on brand reputation within LLMs. This new research delves deeper into that relationship and once again reaffirms the importance of earned media to shape AI-driven reputation.
"As LLMs continue to evolve and embed themselves in consumer behaviour, it’s vital for brands to invest in this area.”
Sinthu Satchi, UK Country Manager at Onclusive, says:
“Driving and demonstrating value has never been more critical for PR and communications professionals. In today’s fragmented media landscape, consumers and stakeholders encounter brand information across an ever-growing number of digital touchpoints, making this challenge increasingly complex.
"Yet this new era of AI also presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate the value of PR. By embracing this new landscape and having the right tools and insight-led strategies, PR teams can navigate this environment and achieve meaningful success.”
