Your brand through ChatGPT's eyes (and why it matters)

Brand visibility is a really interesting topic in the age of AI.

The truth is, in 2025, product recommendations aren't just coming from review sites or social proof anymore. A whole new frontier is emerging: how ChatGPT compares and recommends brands when potential customers ask, "Should I buy X or Y?"

So when I discovered this new agent (built by the user Paul Friberg on agent.ai) that analyzes how ChatGPT recommends your brand versus competitors, I knew I had to test it.

Here's how it works in a nutshell:

• You input your brand and a competitor

• The agent shows you ChatGPT's direct comparison

• It reveals which buyer personas ChatGPT assumes

• It tells you exactly when ChatGPT recommends you

• It provides actionable ways to improve your recommendations

In today's newsletter, I'm breaking down my findings from testing this with HubSpot and showing you exactly how to use these insights to influence AI recommendations in your favor. Plus, I'll show you how to try it yourself for free.

—Dharmesh

A Real-World Test

Earlier this week, I decided to test this agent with a comparison I know well: HubSpot vs. Salesforce.

The results were interesting…

First, the good news: ChatGPT has a well-nuanced understanding of our core strengths.

It correctly identifies HubSpot as a comprehensive all-in-one platform, emphasizes our user-friendly approach, and recognizes our leadership in inbound marketing. The agent even picked up on the strength of our community and educational resources.

But here's where it gets interesting: The agent also revealed some blind spots in how ChatGPT perceives us.

It thinks we have limited customization options, sees our pricing as complex, and surprisingly, believes we have fewer integrations than we actually do (regardless of what I think, this is how ChatGPT sees us, so it’s important!).

Lastly, what really caught my attention was how specifically ChatGPT has mapped out when to recommend each platform.

For HubSpot, it's created a clear buyer persona: the SMB marketing manager who needs an all-in-one solution, focuses on inbound marketing, and considers budget a key factor.

For Salesforce, it's drawn a completely different picture: the enterprise buyer seeking high customization, advanced sales automation, and extensive third-party integrations.

This matters because these AI-generated recommendations aren't just sitting in a vacuum — they're actively shaping buying decisions for millions of potential customers who are asking ChatGPT which platform they should choose.

And it’s only becoming more important by the day.

What You Can Do About It

After seeing these results, I immediately started thinking about how companies can improve these AI recommendations. Not by gaming the system (that rarely works long-term), but by understanding and addressing gaps in how AI tools perceive your brand.

It’s also worth noting that these AI recommendations aren't random — they're based on publicly available information about your company. That means you can influence them, but only through legitimate, substantive changes in how you present your brand.

Three key areas that shape AI recommendations:

• Your public content (website, docs, blog posts)

• Customer sentiment (reviews, social media, forums)

• Industry perception (news coverage, analyst reports)

For example, when I saw ChatGPT's perception of HubSpot's "limited customization," I realized we needed to do a better job highlighting our platform's flexibility. Not just on our website, but across all our content, customer stories, and community discussions.

How you can improve your AI perception:

Start with your core content. Your website, documentation, and customer success stories need to directly address any misconceptions. If AI tools are missing key features or capabilities, make sure they're prominently featured in your public-facing content.

Focus on specific use cases. Instead of generic marketing claims, share detailed examples of how customers are using your product in ways that counter the AI's current perceptions. Real stories travel far.

Build social proof. AI tools pick up on customer sentiments across review sites, social media, and community forums. Encourage your happy customers to share their experiences, especially around areas where AI tools might misunderstand your offering.

The most effective content types I've found include things like:

• Detailed customer case studies

• Technical documentation that showcases flexibility

• Third-party integration examples

• Community-focused success stories

The most powerful insight I've gained? The way AI tools perceive your brand today is likely how many potential customers perceive it too. These tools are essentially holding up a mirror to your public brand perception.

Try It Yourself

You can try the agent yourself here.

It costs 1 credit per brand comparison (hot tip: you get 100 free credits when you sign up to agent.ai).

Some tips for getting the most value:

• Start with your closest competitor first (you'll learn the most here)

• Save the reports to track changes over time

• Test different competitor combinations to spot patterns

• Use the insights to inform your content strategy

Important note: Remember that ChatGPT isn’t always trained on the latest information across the web. So be patient after making changes.

Hope it’s useful for you.

—Dharmesh (@dharmesh)