Inside the research
A category question changes the shortlist
Canadian indie brands appeared in the Canadian-brand prompt, but not in the sampled skin-need prompts. Being associated with a country is a different visibility opportunity from being associated with a specific customer need.
The evidence around the answer matters
CeraVe appeared in six of twelve unbranded answers and The Ordinary in five. Ingredients appeared in thirteen of eighteen answers. The study records these patterns without treating them as proof of what caused selection.
Citation behaviour differed
ChatGPT showed sources in two of nine answers; Google AI Mode showed sources in all nine. That difference is a reason to track mentions and citations separately.