Creators train to pitch AEO as brands prep for Sept. 24 marketing briefing
Creators are being trained to pitch answer engine optimization (AEO) alongside audience reach ahead of a Sept. 24 marketing briefing in New York City. Briefs now often open with creators citing how their videos appear in LLM-driven searches rather than just view counts.
Deloitte Digital’s Jenny Kelly says her team coaches creator representatives to explain how their content influences AI‑generated answers. Tinuiti’s Crystal Duncan notes creators now mention specific search appearances, such as a PFAS‑focused video showing up when users search that term. Launchpoint’s Tristan Rhee encourages creators to share LLM‑related metrics on portfolio pages they build for brand outreach. Most major language models rely on YouTube for training data, so a creator’s video appearing in search results is a strong signal of LLM visibility. Turning a one‑off ‘I got cited’ comment into a repeatable metric gives marketers the proof they want about a creator’s influence on AI answers. Industry observers say the shift is still emerging in pockets but will accelerate as more brands request LLM‑based creator metrics. Launchpoint builds AI‑powered tools that help creators track and present their LLM‑related performance to brands.
“We’re definitely working on how we advise creators to get better,” Jenny Kelly, head of content, creator and AI at Deloitte Digital said.
“my video about PFAS in your water shows up when you search it,” Crystal Duncan, evp of brand engagement at Tinuiti said.
Before this shift, creators typically opened pitches with stories about viral videos and the view counts they generated. Duncan expects the practice of citing LLM appearances to spread quickly, mirroring how creators once adopted affiliate metrics.
What we know
The marketing briefing is scheduled for Sept. 24 in New York City.
Jenny Kelly leads content, creator and AI strategy at Deloitte Digital.
Crystal Duncan is the executive vice president of brand engagement at Tinuiti.
Tristan Rhee is the chief executive officer of Launchpoint.
Industry observers expect creators to spend as much time proving LLM visibility as they do proving view counts within a year.