Francesca Brookes

I’ve spent more than a decade working in search, helping brands understand how people find information online. But over the last few years, everything changed: AI, LLMs and social platforms started rewriting the rules. Traditional SEO didn’t cover half of what now influences discovery. So I built Discovrd, a new kind of search consultancy designed for this reality. It’s grounded in real-world testing, agile thinking and a belief that brands deserve to be found wherever people look today, and wherever they’ll look next.

Presentation Title:
“Why AI Trusts Strangers More Than Your Brand”

How LLMs Really Decide Which Products Are ‘Good’

We assume AI recommendations are shaped by expert reviews, glossy brand content, and influencer opinion. They’re not.

This talk reveals the uncomfortable truth: when AI decides whether a product is “good,” it trusts quiet post-purchase consensus over polished authority. Retailer reviews (not marketing) are doing the heavy lifting.

We’ll unpack how large language models reduce uncertainty, why brand messaging barely moves the needle, and what this means for anyone trying to win visibility in AI-led product discovery.