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

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.

Your next customer may never type your name into your own search bar.

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.

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.

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.

For a retailer, that changes what a creator brief is for. It is no longer only reach. It is evidence that AI will read.

The test is simple and slightly uncomfortable: ask ChatGPT for the best product in your category this morning. Are you in the answer?

#RetailMarketing #AISearch #CreatorEconomy