Our connection to Michael Rueckert started with this LinkedIn post. Lately, we’ve been focused on helping our clients succeed in the new era of consumer product discovery enabled by Generative AI. It’s become increasingly apparent that we need a way to measure AI visibility over time. And then, BAM, we read Michael’s post, and it spoke to us. We reached out, and a partnership took shape.
Centium AI is an AI visibility optimization platform that analyzes brand perception across AI models. So, as the Founder and CEO of Centium AI, Michael knows a thing or two about how brands should optimize their digital footprints to increase their visibility across LLMs.
He’s been generous with his time, walking us through his findings from over 125,000 AI citations, helping us wade through client questions and our own understanding of AI visibility, and generally being eager to talk shop.
For the first Ask the Expert installment of 2026, we decided to go straight to the expert on AI visibility and get his perspective on what brands in the outdoor industry should be thinking about this year as it relates to AI visibility.
Tell us about your professional journey. How did you end up starting Centium AI?
I started in college athletics, leading marketing for 12 sports at the University of Utah, where I remain connected as an Adjunct Professor in the business school’s sports marketing program. I moved into the ski industry seeking a new challenge, leading marketing at Snowbasin Resort for the last six years. We’ve seen tremendous growth, reaching a national audience and climbing to the No. 1-ranked ski resort in America by industry-leading outlets.
Centium came from curiosity. I was watching AI adoption explode and had a thesis that AI discoverability would be a core part of marketing. It’s been the perfect intersection of several things I love: AI innovation, technology, and helping outdoor brands I personally use convince AI models to become their advocates.
How would you describe AI visibility auditing and tracking? Why is it important for a brand to measure?
AI visibility measures how often Large Language Models mention brands when consumers ask category-relevant questions like: I’m getting into trail running, which shoes are best for me?
Since AI models vary in how they respond, brands need scale to understand how these models perceive them. This matters because AI is the fastest-adopted technology in history, and brands viewed favorably by AI will likely win over the next generation of decision-makers.
From your perspective, how is “authority” being defined by AI now?
AI models draw from a much broader dataset than traditional search. In the data Centium has collected, we find media outlets drive outsized impact in the consumer space, but it isn’t always the legacy outlets you’d expect. We see niche publications like OutdoorGearLab almost consistently outperform larger outlets like Outside. AI prioritizes specific content types: “best of” lists, authentic reviews, spec-driven comparisons. The signal that matters most for AI citations is exposure across multiple credible sources/media outlets.
We see AI really favor subject-matter depth and see it coming from a number of channels. Whether it’s a niche review platform for a specific activity like cycling or running, a Reddit thread, or YouTube videos, these niche platforms often deliver the exact type of content that AI prefers. For outdoor brands, the traditional PR playbook of chasing the biggest possible outlets may need reconsideration. A feature in GQ is excellent for general awareness, but a review in Backpacker, GearJunkie, or a respected blog in your specific category is what’s consistently being cited most in our data.
“The outdoor industry thrives on credibility, testing, storytelling, and authenticity.
AI models can’t touch products or experience what it feels like to stand on a summit, so they rely entirely on documented validation.“
How are AI models recognizing or rewarding those qualities in brand coverage and media mentions?
The outdoor industry has built a significant pipeline of content that AI thrives on, and we see models pushing this type of content far more than in other sectors, due to the sheer volume available. The foundation and fundamentals are already there; brands just need to ensure they’re included in the right content.
AI models can’t touch products or experience what it feels like to stand on a summit, so they rely entirely on documented validation. Rigorous, detailed gear reviews carry enormous weight. AI is logical, not emotional. It’s seeking evidence to reason its way to an answer: Rankings, “best of” lists, expert endorsements, spec-driven comparisons. An industry expert saying “we tested 25 jackets and this one kept me the warmest” is precisely the credible signal AI rewards.
What’s the single most significant shift you’re seeing in how AI platforms are shaping brand discovery compared to traditional search?
Optimizing for AI is more like the cousin of SEO. It’s more brand-presence-driven than keyword-focused, drawing on far more data sources. A superintelligence trained on billions of webpages is harder to manipulate with a catchy title and strategically placed keywords. It goes much deeper than that.
We see single webpages cited across dozens of very different prompts, which informs us AI is identifying authoritative sources and returning to them repeatedly. A well-positioned “best of” list can influence hundreds of measured prompts and magnitudes greater customer searches. That concentration effect is why being included in the right content matters more than ever.
Many outdoor brands invest heavily in ambassador programs and UGC. Do you see AI models pulling from that type of content yet, or is visibility still primarily being driven by established media outlets?
We see mixed results. Plenty of UGC lives on platforms AI models don’t access well. TikTok and Instagram are each cited in less than 0.5% of prompts we’ve tracked in the outdoor industry.
However, specific channels perform exceptionally well. YouTube has been cited in over 20% of all prompts we’ve measured across 50+ outdoor brands. Gemini and Perplexity in particular latch onto video content and index transcripts. Reddit appears in 10% of prompts, and anyone offering a blog or website with indexable content is valuable.
We’re almost back to 2010, when you should emphasize bloggers and writers on your roster. Not just any content, but those producing reviews, listicles, “best of” comparisons. That’s what AI cites, even from relatively unknown sources. Affiliate programs are smart to lean into right now to incentivize these writers and outlets to include your products.
If you were advising an outdoor-industry PR director right now, what three actions would you prioritize to improve a brand’s AI visibility within the next six months?
First, measure where you stand. Centium can establish that baseline, or there are other tools emerging. We see major industry-specific fluctuations in where AI models look, so insight into your specific landscape is essential. Measurement clarifies what to do next.
Second, increase PR investment. You can’t advertise on AI models yet, so PR is the primary entry point for earning high-value mentions. Think of it as a performance marketing channel with measurable ROI. As more brands recognize that media outlets are driving AI visibility, competition for coverage will intensify. Partner with great agencies like Darby Communications, get creative, and treat earned media as a VIP customer acquisition channel. Gain coverage and amplify it on your owned channels.
Third, prioritize reputation management and reviews. Audit your current position, build a plan to amplify positive reviews in public channels, and encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences where AI can find them. Since models can’t use your product, they rely entirely on what others document about it.
Looking ahead, what do you predict will define AI Visibility for brands by this time next year, and what risks or opportunities should outdoor marketers be preparing for now?
By this time next year, AI models will be a revenue-critical channel of marketing. In 2025, it [was] an emerging trend generating buzz, but in 2026, I think AI visibility becomes a marketing staple integrated into everyday strategy.
First, we’re already starting to see customers transacting directly through AI models with integrated shopping. Not far behind, AI agents will make autonomous purchasing decisions. Things like handling your holiday shopping or ordering groceries on your behalf. The decision-maker shifts from the human using AI to the AI acting on the human’s behalf.
The risk for outdoor marketers who wait is that AI learning compounds over time. Brands building authority now are training models to favor them. By the time the picture is clear, the opportunity to get ahead will be far more difficult. AI will undoubtedly impact your business. The question is whether you’ll shape that impact or react to it.