Is AI recommending your brand? Ben Jeffries on creator-first AEO (YouTube Festival London 2026)

<p>Shoppers are asking AI assistants what to buy, and those answers cite YouTube videos. Ben Jeffries, co-founder of Influencer.com, explains creator-first AEO, the sports-brand test, and why content now has to work for shoppers and for AI. With Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast.</p><p><br></p><p>Your next customer may never type your name into your own search bar.</p><p><br></p><p>Ben Jeffries, co-founder of Influencer.com, told me at YouTube Festival London that shoppers are taking their research to Gemini and ChatGPT. And when those tools answer, they lean on YouTube videos as a source.</p><p><br></p><p>So the creators who review, compare and demo products in your category are now helping decide whether you show up in the answer, and whether you rank above a competitor.</p><p><br></p><p>His team works with Profound to see which creators actually move a brand up those answers, then plans creator content around it. His example: a shopper asking for the best running shoe for a lap of Battersea Park.</p><p><br></p><p>For a retailer, that changes what a creator brief is for. It is no longer only reach. It is evidence that AI will read.</p><p><br></p><p>The test is simple and slightly uncomfortable: ask ChatGPT for the best product in your category this morning. Are you in the answer?</p><p><br></p><p>#RetailMarketing #AISearch #CreatorEconomy</p><p>```</p>