As traditional search models give way to advanced AI and agentic commerce, measuring the strength of a brand is being re-engineered. In a report by 5W AI Communications in partnership with Haute Living, researchers introduce a new way to measure brand power.
In looking at how 25 top luxury brands show up in AI search results, the research found that more than a third of luxury consumers now use AI engines instead of regular Google searches to start their shopping. The report tracks five major AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The “visibility scores” are based on how clearly and consistently these AI platforms talk about the brands.
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In the rankings, Hermès topped the list and was followed closely by Rolex in second place. Patek Philippe took the third spot, while Cartier and Chanel tied for fourth. The rest of the top ten included Louis Vuitton and Vacheron Constantin tied for sixth; Ferrari in eighth; Van Cleef and Arpels in ninth; and Tiffany & Co. in tenth place.
The brands were measured by five metrics: archived depth, citation density, entity clarity, editorial consistency and retrieval stability, which refers to how steady the description holds across platforms and repeat search queries.
The report stated that Hermès at number one reflects “scarcity, craft, [and] one unbroken narrative. No sub-brand noise, no licensing sprawl—nothing for the engines to disambiguate. Surfaces first on nearly every luxury prompt.”
“In the AI era, the answer is the first impression,” said Ronn Torossian, founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications. “The houses at the top of this index earned it the only way it can be earned—a century of saying the same thing, consistently, until the machine learned it cold. That consistency is the modern form of brand equity. Everyone else now has to build it on purpose.”
With Rolex, the brand was described as possessing a “closed catalog and a half-century of identical framing. Ask any engine about watches and trust, and Rolex is the reflex answer.”
The authors of the report said consistency over many years is the main reason brands score well in this new index. AI engines reward companies that have a clear history and do not constantly change their messaging. For example, some brands get high scores because they avoid confusing sub-brands or frequent creative director changes. The report’s authors said the index proves that luxury is no longer just about fashion or high-end boutiques. It is now about owning the answer that a machine gives to a buyer.