Offering AIO Solutions to Optimize "Purchasing via AI" by Systematic Categories – "AI Assisted Shopping" Deciphers Purchasing Touchpoints in the AI Era –

Daikoh Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasuo Izumi; hereinafter referred to as "Daikoh") and Daikoh WEDO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Nobukazu Daichi; hereinafter referred to as "Daikoh WEDO") conducted a consumer survey targeting 5,025 people nationwide to understand the actual state of AI utilization in the purchasing process.

The survey revealed that consumers utilize AI not merely as a search alternative, but as a tool for comparison, confirmation, and consultation, and that its usage structurally differs depending on the product category. Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO conceptualize this purchasing behavior as "AI Assisted Shopping" and have organized and classified 20 product categories into "5 Types (Purchasing Behavior Patterns)" that consumers use when selecting products with AI assistance before purchasing.

Based on the decision-making structure for each type, we derive information design that is easily understood and referenced by AI. We will systematize AIO (AI Optimization) measures optimized for each category and provide them as marketing support.

* AI Assisted Shopping refers to purchasing behavior in which consumers make decisions while using AI for information gathering, comparison, condition organization, anxiety resolution, and consultation when purchasing products or services.

Background

In recent years, with the spread of generative AI such as ChatGPT and Gemini, and AI search services like Google's AI Overviews, AI has become involved in the information gathering and comparison processes when consumers choose products.

Traditionally, consumers have considered products and services through search engines, comparison sites, advertisements, reviews, and in-store touchpoints. However, as AI summarizes, compares, recommends, and presents points to note, there are increasing instances where pre-purchase information is formed before visiting websites.

This change makes it important for companies not only to implement traditional SEO measures and advertising touchpoints but also to design pre-purchase touchpoints mediated by AI. In an era where AI acts as a comparison, confirmation, and consultation partner for consumers, it is required to design brand and product information not only to "resonate with people" but also to be "correctly understood by AI."

Survey Overview

Key Survey Findings: AI Utilization in the Purchasing Process is "AI Assisted Shopping 5 Types"

The survey results confirmed a structural tendency for AI utilization and its purpose to differ by product category, and the 20 categories were organized into the following 5 types.

Supporting Data: AI is Frequently Used for "Products Requiring Effort in Comparison" and is More Useful for "Comparing and Confirming Existing Candidates" Than for "Searching for New Candidates"

● Products Requiring More Effort in Comparison and Consideration See More AI Usage AI tends to be used more frequently for categories that require more effort in comparison and consideration. Looking at individual categories, AI utilization is higher in categories with many comparison criteria and requiring complex consideration, such as investment/securities services, digital/mobile devices, telecommunications/internet services, and video/music streaming services. In categories with a large amount of information needed for judgment, such as price, features, contract terms, reviews, and selection methods, consumers are increasingly using AI to organize information and make rational decisions through comparison and confirmation.

● AI is Used More for "Comparing and Confirming Existing Candidates" Than for "Searching for New Candidates" This survey also revealed that many AI users utilize AI for the purpose of comparing and confirming products and services they already have in mind, rather than having AI propose new candidates. Currently, AI is not a complete replacement for consumer purchasing decisions but functions as a "purchasing assist" that helps compare candidates, resolve doubts, and provide a sense of satisfaction with the choice. The questions consumers ask AI vary by product category. For example, in categories where specification comparison is emphasized, comparison criteria and specification information are likely to be referenced; in categories where risk confirmation is emphasized, cautionary notes and basis information are likely to be referenced; and in categories where contextual exploration is emphasized, usage scenarios and emotional value are likely to be referenced. Therefore, companies are required to design information according to AI usage patterns for each category, rather than uniform SEO measures.

Information Design Easily Picked Up by AI Differs by Product Category

A significant insight confirmed by this survey is that AI utilization patterns differ by type. Even with the same "AI measures," some categories benefit from structuring specifications and comparison information (Deep Research Purchase Type), while others prioritize the development of expert knowledge and reliability information (Risk Hedging Purchase Type), and still others require the design of emotional and contextual information (Contextual Exploration Purchase Type). In other words, the information that should be easily referenced by AI needs to be designed not uniformly, but according to the purchasing behavior patterns of each category.

Furthermore, a difference of 17.7 percentage points was observed in the AI utilization rate among the 5 types. The highest, Long-Term Use Companion Purchase Type, was 52.5%, and the lowest, Light Check Purchase Type, was 34.8%, confirming that the degree to which AI intervenes in the purchasing process varies by product category. This difference is reflected not only in "how much AI is used" but also in the structural differences of "how it is used."

Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO's AIO Measure Solutions

Based on this survey, Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO offer "AIO (AI Optimization) measures" to support brand communication in response to AI's involvement in the purchasing process. In traditional SEO measures, the primary goal was for search engines to find information. In the AI era, however, it is crucial to create a state where AI correctly understands the meaning of brands and products and can appropriately reference, summarize, and answer consumer queries.

Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO's AIO measures organize information such as brand names, product attributes, value propositions, usage scenarios, purposes, emotional value, FAQs, reviews, and cautionary notes at a conceptual level, and structure their relationships using ontology*1. By developing this semantic structure as a knowledge graph*2, we build a knowledge base that can be utilized for GEO*3 and LLMO*4 measures, as well as for implementation in AI agents/conversational AI.

● Three Steps of This Solution

◆ Step 1 | Surface Analysis (AI Recognition Diagnosis) Analyze the mention and citation status of brands in AI search, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., and visualize "how the brand is currently recognized by AI."

◆ Step 2 | Deep Analysis (AI Comprehension Diagnosis & Ontology Analysis) Diagnose whether the brand is "correctly understood by AI." Analyze the ontology (semantic structure) of the brand site and product information to identify unrecognized information elements and weakly connected concepts.

◆ Step 3 | Knowledge Graph Construction & Measure Implementation Based on the diagnostic results, enhance website text, organize structured data, design internal links, and conduct information dissemination and PR to external media. Furthermore, develop the semantic structure as a knowledge graph to link to GEO/LLMO measures and implementation in AI agents/conversational AI.

Correspondence between "AI Assisted Shopping 5 Types" and AIO (AI Optimization) Measures

*1 Ontology: A "map of information" that organizes and structures the meaning and relationships of information. By organizing information about brands and products in terms of concepts, attributes, and relationships, it creates a data foundation that is easily understood by both humans and AI. *2 Knowledge Graph: A knowledge base that represents information as points (nodes) and relationships (edges), organizing the connections between concepts in a machine-understandable format. *3 GEO: Abbreviation for Generative Engine Optimization, referring to efforts aimed at ensuring that company information is appropriately referenced, summarized, and presented in generative AI and AI search. *4 LLMO: Abbreviation for Large Language Model Optimization, referring to efforts to optimize information structure and content so that large language models can correctly understand and respond to brand and product information.

Future Outlook

Starting with this survey, Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO will systematize AIO strategy design by product category and support the creation of new touchpoints between consumers and brands in the AI era. As AI's involvement in the purchasing process accelerates, we believe that creating "brands that are correctly understood, compared, and mentioned by AI" will become the next competitive axis.

Companies interested in implementing or consulting on AIO measures are encouraged to contact Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO.

Daikoh and Daikoh WEDO's Initiatives in AI Technology Utilization

The Daikoh Group is developing unique solutions for the practical application of AI x Marketing, such as "Brand Dialogue AI" and "DDDAI." Daikoh WEDO, as a specialized team for AIO measures combining website design, UX, and AI technology, promotes solution provision as an integrated group.

【Company Overview】

● Daikoh Co., Ltd.

Location: 2-14-5 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Representative: Yasuo Izumi, President and CEO Established: May 1, 1945 Business Description: A comprehensive advertising agency that provides one-stop services from strategic planning to execution in the communication domain. URL: https://www.daiko.co.jp/

● Daikoh WEDO Co., Ltd.

Location: 2-14-5 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Representative: Nobukazu Daichi, President and CEO Established: October 1, 2019 Business Description: A production company that plans, proposes, and implements communication measures in the advertising and promotion fields. URL: https://www.daiko-wedo.co.jp/