LLM Product Discovery Benchmarks
Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, a new and powerful force is emerging as a significant channel for customer acquisition: Large Language Models (LLMs). Platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are no longer just tools for information retrieval; they are actively shaping consumer behavior and influencing purchasing decisions. For brands that are paying attention, this represents a pivotal opportunity to connect with customers in a novel and impactful way.
Recent data reveals a dramatic uptick in the number of consumers who cite LLMs as the source of their brand discovery. From Jan to mid-July of this year, there has been a more than tenfold increase in "How Did You Hear About Us" survey responses that mention these AI-powered platforms. This surge is not just a fleeting trend but a fundamental shift in how people find and interact with brands.
Key Findings
Since the beginning of 2025, the number of customers reporting that they discovered a brand through an LLM has increased by more than tenfold.
While ChatGPT is the most frequently mentioned platform, competitors like Claude and Gemini are also seeing substantial growth.
Different LLMs are emerging as leaders in specific product categories, such as ChatGPT in Automotive and Claude in Consumer Electronics.
LLMs are now a notable factor in customer attribution, with roughly 1 in 7 brands reporting LLM mentions from their customers.
The average number of LLM mentions per brand is increasing, suggesting a growing reliance on these platforms for product discovery.
Recent data reveals a dramatic uptick in the number of consumers who cite LLMs as the source of their brand discovery. From early 2025 to mid-July of the same year, there has been a more than tenfold increase in "How Did You Hear About Us" survey responses that mention these AI-powered platforms. This surge is not just a fleeting trend but a fundamental shift in how people find and interact with brands. While the growth is explosive, the impact is still in its early stages for most businesses. The distribution of LLM attribution is currently wide but not deep. As the chart below shows, 35% of brands see less than 0.5% of their total survey responses attributed to an LLM platform. The sharp downward slope of the curve indicates that while many companies are getting some attribution from LLMs, it remains a small fraction of their overall customer acquisition channels. This suggests that the channel is nascent, with significant room for growth.
The growth in LLM-driven customer acquisition is not monopolized by a single platform. While ChatGPT currently leads the pack, competitors like Claude and Gemini are also experiencing rapid growth, each carving out a niche in the expanding market. This diverse ecosystem of LLMs means that brands must be aware of where their target audience is most active.
An analysis of attribution data shows that different LLMs hold sway in various product categories. ChatGPT has shown particularly high attribution in the Automotive, Health & Beauty, and Apparel & Accessories sectors. Meanwhile, Claude has established a strong presence in the Consumer Electronics space, and Grok is gaining traction in the Office, Food & Drug, and Sporting Goods categories. This specialization suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to LLM marketing is unlikely to be effective.
But with this rapid rise comes measurement headaches. A major challenge in this emerging landscape is last-click attribution. When customers are asked "How did you hear about us?" and credit a generic term like "AI Assistant" or "Chatbot," it can be difficult to trace the specific platform that drove the final conversion.
Our survey data shows that for the majority of transactions, there is no specific last-click attribution (69.4%), meaning the customer's final step before purchase couldn't be tied to a single, identifiable source. However, when a platform is identified, Google is the clear leader, accounting for 23.7% of attributed transactions, followed by Click Match at 7.0%. This highlights both the current challenge in tracking this new customer journey within a last-click model and Google's prominent role as a discoverable source.
The impact of LLMs on customer acquisition is not limited to a select few industries. As of July 2025, approximately 15% of brands using Fairing's survey tools have reported at least one customer mentioning an LLM. This is a significant increase from virtually zero in May 2024, demonstrating that roughly one in seven brands are now seeing LLMs appear in their attribution data.
Furthermore, the intensity of these mentions is also on the rise. Not only are more brands seeing LLMs in their data, but the average number of these mentions per brand has also increased, particularly in the second quarter of 2025. This growing frequency underscores the increasing reliance of consumers on LLMs for product recommendations and information.
Conclusion: The Future of Marketing is Conversational
The data presented underscores why conversational marketing via LLMs can no longer be an afterthought. LLMs are rapidly becoming a mainstream channel for customer acquisition. As more consumers turn to these platforms for advice and recommendations, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to engage with potential customers in a direct and conversational manner. The key will be to understand the nuances of this new landscape, from the category-specific strengths of different LLMs to the ever-increasing intensity of their use.
The brands that will succeed in this new era of marketing will be those that embrace this shift and actively work to optimize their presence on these platforms. By doing so, they can tap into a powerful new stream of customer acquisition and build relationships with consumers in a way that was never before possible. The future of marketing is conversational, and it's happening on LLMs right now.
