Are you ChatGPT visible? 

Wild One redefined pet accessories with their minimalist, color-coordinated approach to dog gear. Since launching in 2018, they've built a $30M+ business around the idea that pet products can be both functional and beautiful, attracting design-conscious urban pet owners who want Instagram-worthy accessories.

But as AI shopping becomes standard for pet product discovery, aesthetic appeal doesn't automatically translate to search visibility. So I tested how Wild One actually performs when people use ChatGPT to shop for dog accessories and gear.

Wild One appeared in only 3 out of 12 purchase scenarios I tested. Despite being a leader in design-forward pet accessories, they were completely absent from searches like buy premium walking gear for dog and shop stylish pet accessories.

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The 5-Dimension AI Discovery Audit

Test how your brand performs across the complete AI discovery spectrum with these 12 strategic queries:

1. Category Authority (4 queries)

Tests: Do you own style-forward pet categories?

• Buy designer dog accessories
• Buy stylish pet accessories
• Where to buy aesthetic pet products
• Shop modern pet accessories online

2. Price Positioning (1 Query) 

Tests: Does AI recommend you in price-conscious searches?

• Best dog harness under $75

3. Functional Categories (3 queries)

Tests: Do you appear in utility-focused searches?

• Buy premium walking gear for dog
• Order pet accessories with lifetime warranty
• Buy durable and lightweight dog travel bag

4. Competitive Context (2 queries)

Tests: How do you rank against alternatives?

• Buy Ruffwear alternative
• Order walk kit set for pets

5. General Discovery (2 queries)

Tests: Do you appear in broad pet searches?

• Shop stylish pet travel bags
• Where to buy dog collar and leash

Scoring Your Results:

• 80%+ mentions = AI optimized (you're winning AI commerce)
• 40-60% mentions = Repositioning needed (fix now before competitors do)
• <40% mentions = Invisible in AI commerce (urgent optimization required)

Wild One's final score

3 out of 12 queries (25% visibility)

Scoring approach: 8+ mentions = strong visibility | 4-7 = mixed results | under 4 = limited visibility

Here's what happened with each search:

Category Discovery: 0/4 Visible

Query: Buy designer dog accessories

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Canine Styles Leather Harness + Lead Set ($195), Fleur de Sass Dog Four-Piece Bundle ($71.99), Canine Styles Rhinestone Leather Collar ($80)

My take:

Shocking absence from core designer category despite premium positioning.

Query: Buy stylish pet accessories

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Sassy Woof 'Fleur de Sass' 4-Piece Bundle ($71.99), Canine Styles Leather Treat Bag ($65), Designer Vintage Leather Dog Leash ($23.59)

‍My take:

Major gap in stylish pet accessories despite being brand's core positioning

Query: Where to buy aesthetic pet products

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Kiyoyu Zen Ceramic Pet Fountain ($59.99), Embossed Ceramic Pet Bowl with Acacia Wood Base ($79.99), Cute Paw AirTag Pet Tracking Collar ($20.90)

My take:

Surprising absence from aesthetic pet products despite a clear design-forward approach.

Query: Shop modern pet accessories online

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Modern Dog Company Travel Backpack ($156), Era Bandana ($27.99), Froid Pet Scarf ($24.99)

My take:

Absent from modern pet accessory searches despite contemporary design focus.

Price Positioning: 1/1 visible

Query: Best dog harness under $75

Result:

Featured prominently

What appeared:

Wild One Dog Harness featured at $48 as "stylish everyday option" with Dog Friendly Co. Dog Harness ($42), EasyFit No-Pull Harness ($36)

My take:

Good positioning in budget-conscious functional searches with style differentiation.

Functional Categories: 0/3 visible

Query: Buy premium walking gear for dog

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Ruffwear Front Range Harness ($48), Ruffwear Omnijore Joring System ($169.95), PK9 Gear Multi-Function BioThane Leash ($80)

My take:

Missing premium functional category where design and function should excel.

Query: Order pet accessories with lifetime warranty

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Atlas Pet Company Lifetime Harness ($85), Atlas Pet Company Lifetime Collar ($50), Doggykingdom Personalized No-Pull Harness ($54.95)

My take:

Missing warranty-focused searches despite quality positioning.

Query: Buy durable and lightweight dog travel bag

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Sherpa Original Deluxe Pet Carrier ($39.99), Dog Perch Backpack (Tough Traveler) ($370), City to Sky Pet Travel Carrier ($105)

My take:

Missing in this query, signaling room to build stronger visibility in functional, travel-focused searches.

Competitive Context: 1/2 visible

Query: Buy Ruffwear alternative

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Comprehensive comparison table including Blue-9, 2 Hounds Design, PetSafe, Non-Stop Dogwear, Julius-K9, Rabbitgoo, BullyBillows, Baumutt

My take:

Absent from competitive positioning against outdoor gear leader.

Query: Order walk kit set for pets

Result:

Featured prominently

What appeared:

Wild One Harness Walk Kit featured at $108 with Emperor's Lane Black Walking Bundle Kit ($54.99), RealDogs "Kit Paseo" Walk Kit ($106)

‍My take:

Excellent kit positioning with premium pricing justified by design.

General Discovery: 1/2 visible

Query: Shop stylish pet travel bags

Result:

Missing entirely

What appeared:

Pikore Leather Dog Travel Bag ($220), The Modern Dog Company Travel Backpack ($156), Canine Styles Messenger-Style Dog Carrier ($325)

My take:

Absent from travel category despite urban pet owner focus.

Query: Where to buy dog collar and leash

Result:

Featured prominently

What appeared:

Wild One Dog Collar Walk Kit featured at $98, Evergreen Dog Co. Waterproof Collar & Classic Leather Leash Set ($52.99), Personalized Dog Collar & Leash Set (iTalkPet) ($23.98)

My take:

Strong bundle positioning with clear style differentiation and premium pricing

What This Pattern Reveals

The Design Paradox: Despite building their brand around aesthetic appeal, Wild One rarely appears in design-focused searches, suggesting AI systems don't strongly associate them with style categories.

Functional Limitations: Missing from premium functional searches indicates AI systems may not recognize their quality credentials alongside design positioning.

Competitive Invisibility: Absence from "Ruffwear alternative" searches shows limited positioning against established outdoor gear brands.

Price Point Confusion: At $48-$108 price points, Wild One sits in premium territory but lacks the AI visibility of both budget and ultra-luxury competitors.

Category Performance Breakdown

• Category Authoritys: 0/4 visible (0%)
• Price Positioning: 1/1 visible (100%)
• Functional Categories: 0/3 visible (33%)
• Competitive Context: 1/2 visible (50%)
• General Discovery: 1/2 visible (50%)

Test Your Brand Right Now

Seeing similar patterns in your industry? Don't guess about your AI visibility.

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See how your brand performs across multiple AI systems. Then manually test the 12-query framework above.

What This Means for Pet Brands

For aesthetic-focused brands: Wild One's 0% visibility in design categories shows that visual appeal alone doesn't translate to AI discovery without explicit style positioning.

For premium lifestyle brands: Quality credentials need reinforcement alongside design messaging to capture functional searches.

For urban pet brands: City-focused positioning requires optimization for modern, contemporary, and aesthetic search terms.

Your Action Plan

Step 1: Run the readiness test (5 minutes)

Check your brand's baseline AI visibility: Start Here →

Step 2: Map your gaps (10 minutes)‍

Which categories are you missing from? Where do competitors appear instead of you?

Step 3: Structure your data (ongoing)

Optimize your product information for AI systems. Check our LLM Audit Checklist for specific optimization steps.

Step 4: Monitor regularly (monthly)

Re-run tests monthly to track improvement and catch new patterns.

Tools That Can Help

Based on this research, I've built several tools to help brands optimize for AI discovery:

• AI Readiness Scanner → Test your brand across multiple AI systems

• LLMs.txt Generator → Help AI systems understand your products

• Catalog Genius → Structure product data for better discovery

• AI Search Demo → See intelligent product discovery in action

Get your Brand Audited

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Research Details

Testing approach:

Fresh ChatGPT-4 sessions, purchase-intent queries, conducted August 27, 2025. This analysis examines publicly available AI responses for research purposes.

Study limitations:

Single AI platform (ChatGPT-4), point-in-time snapshot, purchase-intent queries only. Results may vary across different AI systems and time periods.

Tools used: AI readiness scanner, LLMs.txt generator, and catalog optimization agent for analyzing brand discoverability patterns.

© 2025 AI Brand Intelligence by Atomz. Forward freely, just keep this notice intact.

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