Why Philippine companies are winning AI mentions but losing control of context

A recent study conducted by Manila-based digital marketing agency Spiralytics highlights a growing concern among Philippine companies - their ability to control their online presence in AI-generated recommendations. While these companies have traditionally focused on optimizing their search engine rankings, the results of the study suggest that AI systems are increasingly becoming another crucial factor in online visibility.

According to the study, Philippine brands appeared in 83.2% of AI answers that were deemed relevant, compared to just 40% for a group of US brands. However, the more significant finding is that these AI systems are primarily citing third-party sources, such as news articles and industry roundups, rather than the companies' own websites when discussing Philippine products and services.

This shift in how online trust is being assembled could pose a significant challenge for brands looking to maintain control over their brand identity.

The study generated 1,146 real buyer questions for 26 brands and evaluated responses across ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. In total, the agency reviewed and stored 1,911 AI answers, revealing that AI visibility is a separate scoreboard from traditional search engine optimization (SEO). While AI visibility focuses on whether a brand is named, recommended, or correctly understood by AI assistants, SEO aims to improve a website's ranking on search engines like Google.

Interestingly, the study found that factors such as backlink authority did not predict AI visibility. Instead, the credibility of external sources and the ability of AI engines to accurately identify and describe a brand became more influential. This finding is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia, where many companies operate through complex structures and regional identities, making it difficult for AI models to accurately represent them.

The research also uncovered a local naming problem, where AI engines sometimes confused Philippine entities with overseas namesakes or failed to identify companies clearly. This can lead to brands being omitted from AI-generated recommendations, even when they have a legitimate claim in a particular category.

As a result, marketing and communications teams must now monitor both search rankings and AI visibility to ensure their brands are accurately represented. This dual approach is becoming increasingly important in the highly fragmented internet economy of Southeast Asia, where consumers often move between various platforms before making a purchase.