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Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

As of 2026, PR crises move faster—and spread further—than ever before. News breaks across social media, digital media, blogs, news, and increasingly, large language models (LLMs) that shape how information is summarized and discovered.

This acceleration puts increased pressure on PR and communications teams. 

27.9% of PR professionals say reactive work like crisis response is their biggest time sink, while 15.3% identify real-time crisis communication as a top emerging trend. (Meltwater State of PR Report, 2026)

Managing a PR crisis today requires more than a reactive response. It requires a well structured, data-driven approach—supported by real-time monitoring across media, social platforms, and AI-generated narratives.

The Role of AI and Social listening in PR Crisis Management

A PR crisis is any event that threatens brand reputation and requires immediate response.

Tip: don’t jump into crisis management mode unnecessarily. Knee-jerk responses to easily solvable issues or misunderstandings can backfire and then become crises. Make sure you pause to verify all facts and information surrounding a perceived issue before responding. See these common issues that don't need to become crises for an idea of what to look out for.

Crisis management is the process brands use to identify, respond to, and resolve a PR crisis.

It includes the steps a company takes to detect emerging risks, manage communication, and protect its reputation. While managing a PR crisis is rarely straightforward, effective crisis management starts with having a clear, structured plan in place—including a communication strategy that enables timely, transparent responses.

No two crises are identical, so your approach will vary depending on the severity, reach, and channels involved. Having a repeatable framework ensures your team can act quickly and consistently.

Many organizations are still underprepared when a crisis hits. Customers increasingly turn to social media as their first point of engagement during a crisis, making preparation even more critical.

Social media plays a central role in modern crisis management. It is where news spreads first, where conversations evolve fastest, and where brand perception can shift in seconds. Taking a proactive approach—and building strong alignment with your social media team—can significantly improve your response.

Real-time social listening tools like Meltwater's social listening solution

Audience sentiment and behavioral insights

Immediate publishing capabilities across channels

An example of Meltwater's real-time social listening platform

In many cases, they are your first line of defense. Close collaboration ensures you can respond faster, with the context and data needed to make informed decisions.

A crisis management plan is a structured framework that outlines how your business responds to a PR crisis.

It serves as a repeatable, adaptable guide for handling issues across media, social platforms, and other channels as needed. A strong plan is flexible enough to apply to different scenarios, while still providing clear direction for your team.

In a 24/7 digital environment where news spreads instantly across social media, mobile devices, and increasingly AI-generated summaries, not having a crisis management plan in place creates significant risk.

It also defines key roles and responsibilities, so the right people are involved and informed at the right time.

Templatizing your communication process is especially valuable. It allows teams to:

Speed up approval for social posts, press releases, and statements

Maintain consistency in tone and messaging

Reduce delays during high-pressure situations

If your organization does not already have a plan in place, creating one should be a priority. For industries that face frequent public scrutiny, such as government, travel, or airlines, a dedicated crisis communication template is especially important.

A well-built plan can also include pre-approved language, messaging frameworks, and common response scenarios, making it easier to respond quickly without sacrificing accuracy.

Ultimately, a crisis management plan helps your team move from reactive to prepared—ensuring you respond with clarity, speed, and confidence when it matters most.

Meltwater helps organizations spring into action with comprehensive reputation intelligence including risk management dashboards and alerts. Teams can quickly understand where risk is increasing, which narratives are driving it, and how severe the exposure is. 

Once you’ve determined a crisis situation, you need to address it as quickly as possible. Here are 10 important steps to effective crisis management. 

2. Assemble a dedicated crisis response team

Use social listening and media monitoring tools, identify the important spikes in the conversation, key conversation drivers, and sentiment shifts.

Make sure you understand what happened to ignite it as fully as possible, and the extent of the damage, so you can craft a crisis response specific to the situation.

Once you know as much as possible about how a crisis began, it's time to widen the circle with a dedicated crisis response team.

Treat this like an ad-hoc committee all with important roles to play to help you brand get through this moment.

3. Monitor how the crisis is evolving in real-time

Monitor media, social platforms, and AI models continuously.

Early detection of rapid changes is critical, and AI-powered tools offer a lot of help in this arena. In fact, 29.6% of PR professionals say faster identification of emerging issues is the biggest benefit of AI in monitoring.

Tip: AI increasingly shapes how people discover information, so understanding how your brand appears in LLM outputs is now essential.

Platforms like Meltwater help teams track sentiment, surface emerging risks, and monitor brand perception across both traditional and AI-driven channels in real time.

Assess the situation quickly using verified data.

This evaluation determines the level of response required and helps prioritize next steps.

Make sure you are communicating clearly, consistently, and transparently.

Consistency builds trust and reduces confusion during high-pressure situations.

Use the channels where your audience is most active—and monitor them continuously.

Keep in mind the basic differences and stakeholders involved. Social media is a fantastic choice if you are prepared for a dialogue. Understand that it will be difficult to control your message here, but if the crisis started on social, you should absolutely respond there. 

A press release or a blog post are great options if you want to craft a longer message that helps you more tightly control the conversation. Every situation will be different, and you’ll need to use the info you’ve gathered thus far to decide on the best distribution.

Once you have your messaging and distribution plan, now you need to get your message out there. Timely response in a crisis goes a long way toward repairing brand loyalty and trust.

PR Crisis Management: 10 Steps to Protect Your Brand in 2026

Thanks to decades of clinical research and public education initiatives, people all around the world know just how important sun protection is to skin health. But when it comes to sunscreen, which brands deserve your trust and which ones don’t? For an increasing number of consumers, answering that question begins with an LLM prompt. The resulting shortlist of brands can then become their guide on the buyer journey to a more confident purchase. 

According to our GenAI Lens analysis of LLM recommendations for the best facial SPF:

Dermatologist-backed brands dominate the category.

Beauty editors, review platforms, and medical sources dominate the leading sources.

Brand-owned content didn’t move the needle.

Here’s what brands in sun protection and beyond need to know about where and how they appear in LLM recommendations.

Methodology: This analysis is based on GenAI Lens data on LLM responses to the prompt Best SPF for your face generated from March 14 to April 14, 2026, across seven LLM modes: Claude, Deepseek, ChatGPT, Llama, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Request a demo to see how an AI visibility analysis can surface actionable insights tailored to your industry and brand.

Download a one-page summary of key findings and takeaways from this GenAI Lens analysis.

AI Visibility Tiers: Which Sunscreen Brands Did LLMs Surface Most?

Which AI Models Surface Which Sunscreen Brands?

Key Takeaways: What Our Sunscreen Analysis Means for All Brands

FAQ: LLM Recommendations and Sunscreen Brand Visibility

<div style="max-width:1000px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);border:1px solid #eaeaea;overflow:hidden;">

  
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  <div style="padding:16px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000;">Facial Sunscreen Performance Overview</div>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:0 16px 16px 16px;">
    <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;table-layout:fixed;font-size:14px;color:#4c4d4f;text-align:center;">

      
      <tr>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Visibility Ranking</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Brand</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Visibility Score</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;background:#eef3f7;">Total Mentions</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Mention Rate</th>
      </tr>

      

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>1</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">EltaMD</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="60 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">60%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">198 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="51 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">51%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>2</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">La Roche-Posay</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="60 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">60%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">195 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="55 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">55%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>3</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Supergoop</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="48 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">48%</text>
          </svg>

        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">144 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="46 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">46%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>4</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">CeraVe</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="33 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">33%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">88 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="33 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">33%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>5</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Neutrogena</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="30 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">30%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">87 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="26 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">26%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>6</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">COOLA</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="23 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">23%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">50 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="15 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">15%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>7</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Colorescience</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="25 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="16" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">36 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="14 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">14%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>8</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Black Girl Sunscreen</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="9 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">9%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">15 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="7 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">7%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>9</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Shiseido</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="10 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">10%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">11 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="5 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">5%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>10</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Sephora</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="11 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">11%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">8 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="4 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">4%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

    </table>
  </div>
</div>

Evaluating across all metrics — including visibility, total mentions, and mention rate — the facial sunscreen category separates into three distinct tiers of visibility, led by names whose clinically proven effectiveness factor heavily in their branding.

Tier 1: The default answers (60% visibility)

EltaMD (60% visibility, 198 mentions) and La Roche-Posay (60%, 195 mentions) are effectively the default sunscreen answer in AI, appearing in six out of ten responses. Their lead is thanks to their strong presence in high-authority editorial and clinical sources (more on that below), which are heavily represented in AI citations.

Tier 2: High-potential challengers (33–48% visibility)

Supergoop (48%, 144 mentions), CeraVe (33%, 88 mentions), and Neutrogena (30%, 87 mentions) form a second tier of AI visibility that highlights a fundamental challenge: Widespread name recognition and availability don’t necessarily translate into frequent, prominent LLM recommendations. For this tier, mentions in third-party content tend to skew toward general skincare rather than best-in-class sunscreen recommendations.

Tier 3: Low visibility with niche ownership (9–23%)

COOLA (23%, 50 mentions), Colorescience (16%, 36 mentions), Black Girl Sunscreen (9%, 15 mentions), Shiseido (10%, 11 mentions), and Sephora (11%, 8 mentions) achieved limited visibility in response to our prompt. However, AI did recognize specific differentiators, such as COOLA’s and Colorescience’s mineral/reef-safe positioning. 

Implications for brands: Across visibility tiers, brands benefit from third-party validation and differentiation through specific sub-categories and use cases. However, as we’ll expand on next, which brands break through ultimately depends on the LLM generating the response. 

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  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>

  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px 8px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000;">Brands performance by model</div>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:8px 16px 8px 16px;">
    <table style="width:100%;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:6px;font-size:10px;color:#4c4d4f;text-align:center;">

      
      <tr>
        <th style="text-align:left;"> </th>
        <th>Claude</th>
        <th>DeepSeek</th>
        <th>ChatGPT</th>
        <th>Llama</th>
        <th>Google AI Mode</th>
        <th>Google AI Overview</th>
        <th>Perplexity</th>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">La Roche-Posay</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">67</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">97</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">35</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">41</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">68</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;border-radius:6px;color:#4c4d4f;">13</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">80</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">EltaMD</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">73</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">97</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">39</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">42</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">71</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">17</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">41</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Supergoop</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">45</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">95</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">25</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">71</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">17</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">56</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">CeraVe</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">45</td>
        <td style="background:#3f78c2;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">82</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">28</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">42</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">13</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">17</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Neutrogena</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">19</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">93</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">13</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">37</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">28</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">COOLA</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">80</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">25</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">22</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Colorescience</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">23</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">23</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">37</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">8</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Black Girl Sunscreen</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">30</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">11</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">5</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Shiseido</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">6</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">23</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">11</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">8</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Sephora</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">18</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">18</td>
      </tr>

    </table>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:12px 20px 16px 20px;">
    <div style="height:10px;border-radius:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#eaeaea,#9fb4cc,#5f8fc9,#2f6fbf,#1e4fa0);margin-bottom:6px;"></div>
    <div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:11px;color:#4c4d4f;">
      <span>0–11</span>
      <span>11–19</span>
      <span>19–33</span>
      <span>33–51</span>
      <span>51–81</span>
      <span>81–99</span>
    </div>
  </div>

</div>

Consumers see dramatically different recommendations depending on which LLM platform they search on. As the heatmap above shows, sunscreen brands can have high visibility on one model and be invisible on others. 

DeepSeek was the most brand-inclusive model.

DeepSeek consistently surfaces the broadest set of brands, with La Roche-Posay (97%), EltaMD (97%), Supergoop (95%), and Neutrogena (93%) all registering near-maximum scores. This suggests that DeepSeek drew on the widest range of sources of all the models.

The only LLM platform that COOLA scored high visibility on was Claude, which also scored it higher than any other brand at 80%. This may point to Claude’s reliance on expert-led, third-party content like this “Best Face Sunscreens of 2026” blog (more on that below), which declared COOLA’s Classic Face Sunscreen SPF 50 its top pick overall.

Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews recommendations were not the same. 

La Roche-Posay (68%), EltaMD (71%), and Supergoop (71%) achieved high visibility scores in Google AI Mode, an opt-in LLM experience. However, on Google AI Overviews, which reaches a larger audience by virtue of being opt-out, no brand scored higher than 17%. This gap shows how the tighter, summary-style format of AI Overviews leaves room for fewer brands compared to more expansive, chat-based experiences like AI Mode.

Meta Llama and ChatGPT: Inconsistent mid-tier

ChatGPT and Meta Llama surfaced first-tier brands reliably but show significant dropoff for everyone else. And even so, no brand achieved higher than 42% visibility, suggesting that these models prioritize widely validated brands over exploration for more niche or specialized products. 

Takeaway: With LLM models varying so drastically, brands should focus on building consistent authority across high-quality third-party sources rather than optimizing for any single platform.

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  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>

  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000;">Top Keywords</div>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:0 16px 16px 16px;">
    <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;table-layout:fixed;font-size:14px;color:#4c4d4f;text-align:center;">

      
      <tr>
        <th style="padding:12px;"</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Keyword</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Visibility Score</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;background:#eef3f7;">Total Mentions</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Mention Rate</th>
      </tr>

      

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>1</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">face</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="82 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">82%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">410 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="61 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">61%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>2</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">sunscreen</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="63 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">63%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">298 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="21 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">21%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>3</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">skin</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="56 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">56%</text>
          </svg>

        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">264 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="16 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>4</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">makeup</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="47 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">47%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">184 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="27 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">27%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>5</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">protection</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="42 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">42%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">168 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="16 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>6</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">skin type</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="48 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">48%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">155 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="38 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">38%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>7</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">mineral</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="40 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="16" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">40%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">148 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="22 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">22%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>8</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">sensitive skin</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="41 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">41%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">135 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="7 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">29%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>9</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">acne</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="39 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">39%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">115 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="31 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">31%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>10</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">best SPF</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="37 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">37%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">95 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="27 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">27%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

    </table>
  </div>
</div>

The keywords most frequently mentioned in AI-generated facial sunscreen recommendations reveal how LLMs frame what “best” means in this category. Terms related to sun protection are a given, but others like “makeup”, “skin type”, “sensitive skin”, and “acne” show how AI-generated answers frame “best” through potential, personalized use cases. 

Tip: For LLM analyses tailored to your brand, GenAI Lens’ keyword widget shows you where to dig deeper. For this sunscreen example, next steps include analyzing prompts related to specific consumer use cases, such as layering with makeup or preventing breakouts. See how it works in real time — request a demo to explore the prompts, keywords, and sources shaping AI recommendations in your category.

Expert-led publications and blogs, as well as beauty retail websites, comprised the top 10 sources cited in LLM answers to our sunscreen prompt. Brand-owned websites were completely absent. As we’ve seen in previous analyses, these results highlight just how much LLMs pull from niche subject matter experts to shape their recommendations to users.

Elements like thorough methodologies, clear structuring, and a comparison table helped this Treeline Review blog stand out to LLM models on the hunt for unbiased, reliable information.

For example, the American Academy of Dermatology website was the third-most influential source with 37 citations of practical resources like this “Sunscreen FAQ” that don’t explicitly mention brands. Fashion website Who What Wear came in second place with 38 citations, thanks to content, like this rigorously researched and tested list of the best facial SPFs. This publication is also home to two of the most cited journalists for this prompt, Eleanor Vousden of Who What Wear UK (28 citations) and Claire Sullivan of Footwear News/WWD (23 citations). However, it was Treeline Review, an outdoor gear review website that generated the most AI citations, with all 45 coming from a single blog called “Best Face Sunscreens of 2026”. 

Niche editorial and industry expert sources influence AI more than messaging on brand websites when it comes to evaluating the “best” options. No matter the sector, brand AI visibility strategies should begin with asking, 'Which of the top 100 sources citing in our category are we absent from?' and working backward from there.

For brands operating in sunscreen and beyond, winning in AI search means probing how models interpret prompts and building authority where they look for information. Keep in mind:

LLM recommendations are shaped by a mixture of sources. In the case of sunscreen,  earned media and expert content drove visibility more than paid and owned channels.

As LLMs seek to meet users’ unique needs, its framing of what is “best” trends toward personalization and specific use cases.

AI models’ tailoring responses to more personalized queries gives lower-visibility brands the opportunity to still break through by owning distinct sub-categories.

In today’s AI landscape, brands that will win the race for visibility will need a bird’s eye-view. Use tools like GenAI Lens to understand where your brand is underrepresented and why, and use those insights to shape your strategy accordingly.

Which sunscreen brands do LLMs recommend most?

According to Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands, EltaMD and La Roche-Posay are the most frequently recommended, appearing in roughly 60% of LLM responses and acting as default answers across multiple AI platforms.

Why do LLMs favor certain sunscreen brands over others?

Based on Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands, LLMs prioritize brands that are consistently featured in high-authority third-party sources such as dermatology organizations, expert reviews, and editorial beauty publications.

Do brand websites influence LLM sunscreen recommendations?

No. Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands found that brand-owned websites had little to no impact on LLM recommendations, with AI models relying instead on independent, expert-led content.

How do different LLMs vary in sunscreen brand recommendations?

Different LLM platforms produce significantly different brand recommendations, with some models surfacing a wider range of brands and others focusing on a smaller, more consistent set, according to Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands.

What factors do LLMs consider when recommending facial sunscreen?

Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands shows that LLMs evaluate sunscreen based on use-case factors such as skin type as well as reliable information from independent, expert-led content.

Why do some sunscreen brands have low visibility in LLM results?

Based on Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands, brands with lower visibility tend to lack strong representation in high-authority third-party content or are only associated with niche use cases rather than broad “best” recommendations.

How can sunscreen brands improve their visibility in LLM recommendations?

Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of sunscreen brands suggests that improving visibility requires increasing presence in expert-led publications, securing high-quality third-party reviews, and owning specific product niches or use cases.

How LLMs Recommend Sunscreen Brands: An Analysis of AI Search Visibility in SPF

The approximate 402 million terabytes of data we create each day can be very telling about your target audience’s preferences and buying habits. This same data can also be inaccurate and low quality, depending on the source. That’s why the market research tools you choose matter — you need to be able to get the most up-to-date insights and trust what the data is telling you.

While traditional manual methods of market research and secondary research (aka desk research or complementary research) still have a time and place in the digital world, marketers are supplementing them with market research platforms and software that do most of the heavy lifting.

Astronomical amounts of market-related data are created at lightning speed, far outpacing our ability to consume it all. To help find, filter, sort, and make sense of all this information, we’ve chosen 13 of the best market research tools to streamline and improve the process.

Why Do You Need a Market Research Platform or Software?

What to Look For in a Market Research Tool

Enhancing Your Market Research with Meltwater

Market research platforms are software solutions that help businesses collect, analyze, and interpret data about their customers, competitors, and market trends. These platforms bring together data from multiple sources—such as surveys, social media, online conversations, and third-party datasets—and transform it into actionable insights.

Unlike traditional research methods, modern market research platforms use AI, automation, and advanced analytics to process large volumes of structured and unstructured data in real time. This allows teams to uncover patterns in consumer behavior, track sentiment, and identify emerging trends faster and more accurately.

Tip: learn about complementary market research, how to do market research, and how to gather customer intelligence

A market research platform is essential because it helps you replace guesswork with data-driven decision-making. Instead of relying on assumptions, businesses can use real-time insights to understand what customers want, how markets are shifting, and where opportunities exist.

These platforms enable teams to analyze large volumes of data from multiple sources in one place, turning fragmented information into a clear, unified view of the market. This makes it easier to identify trends, benchmark competitors, and respond quickly to changes in consumer behavior.

They also play a critical role in helping organizations stay competitive and agile. By continuously monitoring customer sentiment, preferences, and market dynamics, businesses can refine their messaging, improve products, and uncover new growth opportunities faster than competitors.

Ultimately, market research platforms empower teams to make smarter strategic decisions, reduce risk, and drive more effective marketing and innovation at scale.

The Top 13 Marketing Research Tools in 2026

Tip: Also take a look at the top secondary research companies out there.

A leader in AI market research tools, Meltwater’s AI-powered market research platform provides real-time insights into consumer preferences. This always-on consumer intelligence suite uses a combination of data science, AI, and human market research expertise to surface insights about customers based on online conversations and activities.

AI-powered data analysis: Transform massive volumes of unstructured data into actionable insights using AI and data science, helping teams make faster, evidence-based decisions.

Real-time consumer insights: Analyze live global data to uncover shifts in consumer behavior, attitudes, and emerging trends as they happen.

Global data coverage: Aggregate billions of data points from social media, online conversations, and digital content to build a comprehensive view of markets and audiences.

Trend identification & market analysis: Identify patterns and themes in consumer discussions to spot opportunities, track industry trends, and inform strategy.

Audience segmentation & profiling: Identify and segment audiences based on behaviors, interests, and sentiment for more targeted research and campaigns.

Brand and competitive intelligence: Measure brand perception and benchmark against competitors using real-time conversations and market signals.

Most of the world’s data is unstructured (about 90%, by some estimates), making it harder to act on and understand its significance. Radarly brings structure to the unknown by detecting patterns and understanding audience sentiments.

Also, Meltwater for market research continuously sources new information and works in real-time. This gives marketers an advantage by working with the latest data so they can make informed decisions when it matters most.

See Meltwater Radarly live in action by requesting a free tour of our platform. Simply fill out the form at the bottom of this post and we'll be in touch.

Zonka Feedback is a survey and feedback intelligence platform that combines market research collection with built-in AI analysis. Create branded surveys using NPS, CSAT, CES, and custom question types, then distribute them across email, SMS, WhatsApp, web, in-app, and even offline kiosks, reaching respondents wherever they are.

Custom survey creation: Build customized market research surveys with a wide range of question types and branded design options.

Multi-channel survey distribution: Distribute surveys across email, SMS, web, in-app, and other channels to collect feedback wherever your audience is.

Real-time response tracking: Track survey opens, responses, and engagement in real time to monitor research performance as data comes in.

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