Hermès tops first-ever luxury brand popularity ranking in AI search engines

Hermès tops the first-ever luxury brand popularity ranking in AI search engines, underscoring how “agentic commerce” and AI answers are reshaping brand visibility. A joint study by 5W AI Communications and Haute Living, reported by WWD, analyzed how 25 leading luxury brands are represented in AI-generated responses. More than a third of luxury consumers now use AI platforms instead of traditional Google searches before buying. The study scored brand performance across five platforms—ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews—using a “visibility index” based on clarity, concision, and consistency. Hermès ranked first, followed closely by Rolex in second, with Patek Philippe third. Cartier and Chanel shared fourth. The report attributes Hermès’ lead to scarcity, craftsmanship, and an unbroken historical narrative with minimal brand noise. It also emphasizes that AI favors companies with stable positioning and fewer confusing sub-brands.