The digital landscape for cycling and outdoor brands is undergoing a massive transformation. In our recent webinar, Consumer Adoption and Brand Visibility for Cycling Brands in the AI Age, SHIFT Active Media’s Chief Strategy Officer Doug Baker and Head of Media Tom King took a deep dive into exactly how artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of marketing.

Here's what we covered:

The Shift in Rider Research: Traditional search is no longer the only starting point. Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly playing a vital role in the buyer's journey, with cyclists using them to compare products, find specific information, and seek recommendations.

The 'Winner-Takes-All' Visibility Battle: AI overviews are pushing traditional organic search results further down the page. Instead of 10 links, AI synthesises data down to the top two or three recommendations, turning LLMs into the ultimate ‘gatekeepers’. Context is King (and Varies by Category): How AI models validate a brand's credibility depends heavily on the cycling discipline. For example, in Road/TT cycling, AI prioritises technical specifications and lab data, while for Mountain Biking, it leans on user sentiment and forum consensus.

The Danger of ‘Brand Sameness’: With 93% of respondents already using AI in their workflows, brands are increasingly falling into the trap of using shared, cliché category language. We look at how a heavy reliance on AI for copywriting is causing a severe drop in distinctiveness.

The Future of Paid Visibility: As Big Tech ramps up AI investments, advertising on platforms like Meta and Google has shifted away from manual targeting toward AI automation. We explore how brands can test emerging AI campaign types, like AI Max and OpenAI Ads, to reach riders more effectively.

Are you ready to see what AI thinks of your brand? Visibility in the AI age is earned across paid, earned, and owned media. To help you understand exactly where you stand, SHIFT is now offering an AI Brand Visibility Audit.

This comprehensive audit diagnoses your brand's visibility for key category terms, benchmarks your performance against competitors, identifies leading citation sources, and provides actionable recommendations to grow your visibility moving forward.

Visibility audits are available from £2,500 (covering one language and one category).

To request a full recap of the webinar, chat about an audit or simply find out more, get in touch hello@shiftactivemedia.com