﻿{"id":5439,"date":"2026-07-08T10:20:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T10:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/?p=5439"},"modified":"2026-10-14T15:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T15:20:29","slug":"six-things-we-learnt-in-the-six-months-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/me\/blog\/six-things-weve-learnt-in-the-first-six-months-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Six things we&#8217;ve learnt in the first six months of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The face of search has changed forever and the pace at which it\u2019s doing so is quicker than ever. At the start of the year, half of UK adults were using LLM-based AI tools to find car information. Now, as we enter H2, that number is already at two-thirds \u2013 and growing.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The era of a list of blue links and traffic funnelled direct to your website is over. Replaced instead by an aggregated response from AI, pulling information from a range of sources.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s an uncertain time for PR, marketing, and commercial teams, as they understand how and where they need to be for their brands to be seen by customers.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s why we created <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/me\/engine-room\/\">Engine Room<\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the AI visibility and content agent engineered for the car industry. To make sense of the data and put the power back in the hands of communication leaders.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Welcome to <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the AI MOT<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. The first report where we lift the bonnet on six things Engine Room has learnt so far this year\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Top 5<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While most AI search analysis tracks brand mentions, it\u2019s an over-simplified approach to a complex topic. At Engine Room, we use a more nuanced metric. We call it our composite score.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The composite score combines mention frequency with quality signals like sentiment, recommendation rate and position in the response. This gives a true measure of how a brand actually performs in AI-generated searches.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Toyota is doing the best job of appearing, followed by Hyundai, Kia, BMW and Volkswagen. It\u2019s close, though, with very little to choose between them\u2026 and the picture changes when we look at searches within individual categories. More on that later.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5441 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The platform gap<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The composite score takes an overall snapshot of AI search, combining equally weighted results across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overview. Very few people use all when starting their search and instead favour one (just like Alta Vista, Yahoo or Ask Jeeves at the start of the search engine era). And that matters more than you think.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At Engine Room, we call it \u2018the platform gap\u2019. The same report run across the four main LLMs reveals some striking differences.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For example, three of our Top 5 overall &#8211; Toyota, BMW and Kia &#8211; have five times as many mentions on ChatGPT as they do on Gemini.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the UK, Google remains the most likely starting point for car buyers, and therefore the importance of Google AI Overview increases. So, who is winning the battle here?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Toyota clings on to top spot, while BMW vaults into second. Mercedes makes an appearance in the Top 5 with Volkswagen dropping out.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This just goes to highlight that there isn\u2019t a single answer for AI \u2013 it\u2019s multi-layered and ever-evolving landscape. Automotive brands need to track the difference to make sure they\u2019re showing up where it matters. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5442\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The ZEV mandate<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Suggestions that the ZEV mandate \u2013 2030 targets for EV sales \u2013 might be weakened is playing into the hands of those manufacturers who rank highly for hybrid searches.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Currently, 80 per cent of new car sales need to be pure EV by 2030 but that could be watered down to 50 per cent. With the ban on new petrol and diesels set to continue, that leaves the remaining half to be made up by hybrids.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s sending more people to start researching cars powered by hybrid technology. Engine Room tracks mentions across individual categories, such as family, electric and practicality, and the most common prompts associated with them.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s Toyota, Honda and Renault which appear at the top of prompts related to hybrid vehicles and are benefitting for a renewed interest in the technology caused by the ZEV mandate news.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5443\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The biggest movers<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Top 5 reflects the best performers over the first half of the year but that\u2019s just a static snapshot. Engine Room is constantly tracking which brands AI assistants recommend to present a live picture \u2013 not just about which brands are getting mentioned but which ones get pushed forward as the answer.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tracking questions around new car recommendations and \u2018best cars for\u2019 we can see that between April and June, Hyundai and BMW recorded the biggest gains \u2013 both up two percentage points.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What does this tell us? The AI search revolution is just beginning and with new models, new content and new third-party sources, the way car buyers are finding brands is a constantly moving target. AI visibility is not a \u2018set and forget\u2019 issue, it requires a dynamic strategy driven by intelligence granularity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5444\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The power of YouTube<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We\u2019ve established that there\u2019s a <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">PLATFORM GAP <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">when it comes how different LLMs promote different brands. In part that\u2019s driven by where the AI is pulling its information from.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One of the sources that ranks particularly highly across all categories is YouTube. Whether you\u2019re asking your AI assistant about best family cars, the EVs with the longest range or which car has Apple CarPlay, YouTube channels consistently rank in the top three most cited.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Learning? Get your car talked about on videos that are uploaded to YouTube and make sure the message is consistent\u2026 which brings us onto our final point.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5445\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Press coverage is king\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While YouTube ranks consistently highly, earned media is king. It\u2019s the real fuel of AI visibility.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LLMs are built to answer questions and do so in a conversational, human-to-human way. They form opinions and construct responses from what journalists, reviewers and independent media and trusted third-party sources say about a brand.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that\u2019s all based on training and live data.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In other words, there\u2019s more old reviews than new ones. That means brands that have positively dominated the news historically have a headstart in the AI era. New brands and those brands that media don\u2019t report on (or report on unfavourably) are almost invisible to consumers using AI search.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Earned media has always been important. Now it&#8217;s the algorithm.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5446\" src=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/7.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The face of search has changed forever and the pace at which it\u2019s doing so is quicker than ever. At the start of the year, half of UK adults were using LLM-based AI tools to find car information. Now, as we enter H2, that number is already at two-thirds \u2013 and growing.\u00a0\u00a0 The era of [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[818,1673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-engine-room-ai"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Six things we&#039;ve learnt in the first six months of 2026 - Performance Communications<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/performancecomms.com\/me\/blog\/six-things-weve-learnt-in-the-first-six-months-of-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ar_AR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Six things we&#039;ve learnt in the first six months of 2026 - Performance Communications\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The face of search has changed forever and the pace at which it\u2019s doing so is quicker than ever. At the start of the year, half of UK adults were using LLM-based AI tools to find car information. 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