Pete Blackshaw launches book on how brands win in the AI answer economy

Pete Blackshaw has launched a new Wiley book in Paris that argues brands must now compete for AI visibility, accuracy and trust as consumers increasingly rely on AI to decide what to buy. The book frames a shift from search rankings to AI recommendations and introduces a metric BrandRank.AI calls Recommendation Share.

Why it matters: - Consumers are increasingly using AI to discover products, compare brands and make purchase decisions. - Adobe’s 2026 holiday shopping forecast expects traffic from AI-powered services to U.S. retail sites, measured by shoppers clicking links, to rise 130% year over year this holiday season. - Blackshaw’s book argues that brands now need AI systems to name, describe, trust and recommend them, not just rank them in search. - BrandRank.AI says Recommendation Share measures the percentage of relevant AI recommendations a brand earns versus competitors.

What happened: - Pete Blackshaw launched The Answer Economy: How AI Agents Will Decide Your Brand’s Future on Sept. 30, 2026, before a global business audience at HUBFORUM 2026 in Paris. - Wiley published the book, which is now available for purchase. - Blackshaw introduced the book’s main ideas on the HUB Institute’s HUBFORUM stage and followed with a book signing for attendees. - HUBFORUM is expected to draw nearly 1,000 senior decision-makers across marketing, customer experience, commerce, growth, technology and digital transformation.

The details: - The book says brands are no longer competing only for search rankings, shelf space or share of voice. - Blackshaw says brands must understand how AI platforms interpret them when consumers ask for guidance. - The book offers a framework for leaders to understand how AI agents discover, evaluate and recommend brands. - The framework also covers how to strengthen the signals that shape visibility and credibility. - It calls for aligning marketing, communications, customer experience and data strategies. - It also focuses on building trust as AI plays a larger role in consumer decision-making. - Blackshaw said, "Visibility can be engineered. Trust still has to be earned." - Blackshaw said the shift from search to answers is changing the relationship between brands and consumers. - Blackshaw said every company claim, every customer experience and every credible third party can influence the answer. - The Answer Economy is available in hardcover and e-book formats through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major booksellers. - More information is available on The Answer Economy book page. - Blackshaw is founder and CEO of BrandRank.AI and a longtime consumer advocate. - BrandRank.AI describes itself as a brand intelligence and verification platform for AI-generated answers with human-in-the-loop analysis. - BrandRank.AI says its software and strategists verify what AI answer engines say about a brand, score Visibility, Vulnerability and Content Readiness, measure Recommendation Share and predict whether trust will hold, grow or erode.

Between the lines: - The book reflects a broader shift in how brands are found and evaluated as generative AI becomes a gatekeeper between companies and consumers. - The core risk is that brands may be judged by systems they do not control. - The core opportunity is that companies can shape the signals AI models use if they manage content, reputation and customer experience consistently. - Blackshaw is positioning trust management as a leadership issue, not just a marketing function. - The Paris launch helps move the conversation beyond U.S. marketing circles to a wider global business audience. - Blackshaw’s scheduled appearance at the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference in October suggests the topic will keep gaining visibility.

What’s next: - Blackshaw will speak at the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference in October. - The book’s main ideas are likely to keep circulating among marketers, brand leaders and executives focused on AI-driven discovery. - Brands will keep facing pressure to show up accurately and favorably inside AI answers as consumer behavior shifts.

The bottom line: - In Blackshaw’s view, the next brand battle is not just for search results. It is for the AI-generated answer that consumers trust enough to act on.