How we think
3 voices now shape every buying decision.
Customers hear from the brand, from other customers and the public, and increasingly from AI assistants. We compare the 3 at each stage of the journey, from first search to purchase and beyond.
- Brand its own claims and channels
- Public evidence customers and other sources
- AI answers descriptions and recommendations
Swipe to see all 6 stages →
Overlapping customer outcomes, not fixed stage boundaries.
Overlapping customer outcomes, not fixed stage boundaries.
- Stage 1
Recognize a need
“What could solve my problem?”
- Stage 2
Search and explore
“What options are available?”
- Stage 3
Compare and shortlist
“Which providers should I consider?”
- Stage 4
Evaluate fit
“Is this right for me?”
- Stage 5
Decide and buy
“Can I buy on these terms?”
- Stage 6
Use and recommend
“Did it deliver; would I recommend it?”
Recommendation loop: customer advocacy can start another buyer’s journey.
The 4 gaps
- Delivery
- The experience doesn't match the promise.
- Representation
- AI describes you inaccurately, or just like your rivals.
- Visibility
- AI leaves you out when customers are choosing.
- Routing
- AI sends customers elsewhere to buy, to brokers, middlemen or the wrong site.
How we hold ourselves to account
For engagements that call for it, we design studies to meet the “decision-grade” criteria described in the IAB’s Measuring Visibility in the AI Era (August 2026). Exploratory scans are labelled as exploratory, and every report states which standard it was designed to meet.
Who
Dr. Robert Mackalski, Associate Professor of Practice, Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; PhD in marketing.
Publications
As published in the Journal du Luxe