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Prompts are grouped into three categories — Unbranded, Branded, and Comparative — each representing a different stage of the customer decision journey. This classification enables systematic tracking of how AI tools present and prioritize your brand in response to natural-language queries. To illustrate these classifications, we’ll use Nike as an example brand throughout. You can substitute Nike with your own brand when creating your own prompt sets.

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1. Unbranded Prompts

Unbranded prompts reflect early-stage customer interest — users are seeking general advice or product recommendations but have not yet formed an opinion about any specific brand. These queries are common at the top of the funnel, where the AI’s response can strongly influence initial brand consideration. In this category, the goal is to determine whether your brand appears organically in AI-generated answers, without being explicitly mentioned in the query. Example: Running Shoes (Nike context)
  • What are the best running shoes for people with flat feet?
  • Which running shoes are best for long-distance road running?
  • What features should I look for in a good beginner running shoe?
Why it matters: Strong unbranded visibility means your brand is seen as a default leader — without needing direct user prompts.

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2. Branded Prompts

Branded prompts indicate the user is already familiar with your brand and is now evaluating its suitability. These mid-funnel questions typically assess trust, quality, performance, or price. The aim here is to understand how AI platforms talk about your brand when it’s named directly — and whether they respond with favorable, neutral, or critical information. Example: Running Shoes (Nike context)
  • Are Nike running shoes good for marathon training?
  • Is the Nike Pegasus a reliable choice for daily running?
  • Do Nike shoes offer enough support for runners with flat feet?
Why it matters: These prompts reveal how AI systems represent your brand identity and value proposition in explicit evaluations.

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3. Comparative Prompts

Comparative prompts are most common at the bottom of the funnel, when users are choosing between your brand and a competitor. These are high-stakes queries where the AI’s recommendation or perceived preference can directly impact purchase decisions. These questions help assess how your brand stacks up in terms of specific criteria like comfort, durability, price, or style — and whether the AI makes a clear recommendation. Example: Nike vs Adidas
  • Which brand makes better running shoes for beginners?
  • Are Nike running shoes more comfortable than Adidas for long-distance runs?
  • Which is more durable for daily training — Nike or Adidas running shoes?
Why it matters: Comparative prompt performance provides insights into relative brand strength and the persuasive power of AI search output.

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Applying This Framework

By consistently categorizing prompts into these three types, teams can measure:
  • AI-driven brand exposure at each decision stage
  • Sentiment analysis across mention types
  • Competitive positioning in critical comparisons
This structure allows for scalable prompt tracking across time, product lines, and AI platforms — enabling more targeted content, PR, and SEO strategies that align with how AI systems influence today’s digital consumer journey.