The Five Pillars

Every action in the Action Plan belongs to one of five strategic pillars. Each pillar represents a different area of your business that can influence how AI platforms perceive and recommend your brand.

1. Digital Media

Content marketing, SEO, social media, influencer partnerships, PR, and thought leadership.

This pillar focuses on creating and distributing content that shapes how AI platforms learn about your brand. Since AI models are trained on web content, the more high-quality, authoritative content exists about your brand, the better AI will represent you.

Example Actions

• "Publish comparison article: Sensodyne vs Colgate on sensitivity relief speed — Sensodyne loses 60% of comparison queries to Colgate on this specific topic."
• "Pitch guest article to Healthline about fluoride sensitivity research — Healthline is cited in 18% of dental care AI responses."
• "Create YouTube video series on sensitive teeth care — video content is increasingly referenced by AI platforms."
• "Launch LinkedIn thought leadership campaign with your head of R&D — professional content builds institutional credibility."

What It Targets

• Source citations (getting featured on sites AI trusts)
• Content gaps (creating content for topics you're missing)
• Brand authority (establishing expertise in your category)
• Visibility (increasing the volume of brand-relevant content online)

2. E-commerce

Product listing optimization, marketplace presence, review management, and pricing strategy.

This pillar focuses on your presence in e-commerce and product discovery channels. AI platforms increasingly reference product listings, reviews, and marketplace data when making recommendations.

Example Actions

• "Optimize Amazon listing title to include 'dentist recommended' — AI platforms cite Amazon listings 3x more than brand.com for transactional queries."
• "Implement review response strategy on Amazon — 34% of negative sentiment comes from unaddressed customer complaints."
• "Add structured product data (schema markup) to your website — helps AI platforms extract accurate product information."
• "Create comparison landing pages for top competitor matchups — AI frequently references brand comparison pages."

What It Targets

• Transactional query performance
• Product-level visibility
• Review sentiment
• Price positioning accuracy

3. Communication

Brand messaging, narrative control, customer education, and community building.

This pillar focuses on controlling the narrative around your brand. When AI platforms encounter conflicting information, the most consistent and authoritative narrative wins.

Example Actions

• "Create FAQ page addressing 'fluoride safety concerns' — 23% of negative sentiment stems from unanswered fluoride questions that competitors address directly."
• "Launch Reddit AMA with your dental advisory board — Reddit is cited in 12% of oral care AI responses."
• "Update Wikipedia page with recent clinical trial results — Wikipedia is the #1 reference source for AI platforms in your category."
• "Develop brand messaging guide ensuring consistent positioning language across all channels."

What It Targets

• Sentiment improvement
• Narrative control
• Community presence
• Brand accuracy in AI responses

4. Business Strategy

Partnerships, market positioning, competitive differentiation, and distribution expansion.

This pillar focuses on strategic business moves that influence AI perception at a fundamental level — not just content, but actual business positioning.

Example Actions

• "Secure endorsement from European Dental Association — Oral-B's institutional citations are 4x higher, driving their dominance in 'dentist recommended' queries."
• "Partner with dental influencer network for clinical validation content — professional endorsements carry significant weight in AI responses."
• "Expand distribution to Whole Foods / natural retailers — AI platforms increasingly reference natural/organic retail channels."
• "Commission independent clinical study comparing sensitivity relief speed — AI platforms heavily cite clinical evidence."

What It Targets

• Institutional credibility
• Professional endorsements
• Competitive differentiation
• Market positioning

5. Retail Media

Paid retail advertising, marketplace sponsored products, and retail DSP campaigns.

This pillar focuses on paid retail media — advertising on e-commerce platforms and marketplaces. While this doesn't directly change what AI says about you, it increases your visibility in the retail channels that AI platforms reference.

Example Actions

• "Launch Amazon Ads Sponsored Products campaign targeting 'sensitive toothpaste' — Expected ROAS 4.0x, recommended budget €3,000-5,000/month."
• "Set up Instacart Sponsored Search for grocery-related queries — Instacart data increasingly appears in AI shopping recommendations."
• "Implement Amazon DSP retargeting for users who viewed competitor products — conquest campaigns can shift market share."

What It Targets

• Transactional visibility
• Marketplace presence
• Competitor conquesting
• Purchase-intent query performance

Pillar Distribution

A well-balanced Action Plan typically includes actions across all five pillars. If the AI generates too many actions in one pillar, it usually means that area has the most opportunity for improvement.