E-commerce Case Study

How Nike captured 68% of AI recommendations for "best running shoes"

Learn how a global athletic brand used CompleteFlow to dominate AI shopping assistants and increase direct-to-consumer sales by 34%

68%
AI recommendation rate
34%
DTC sales increase
156
Citations per month

The Challenge

AI was reshaping how consumers discover and research athletic footwear

Lost in AI Comparisons

When shoppers asked about "marathon training shoes," competitors appeared 2x more often than Nike

Generic Recommendations

AI models were giving outdated product recommendations, missing Nike's latest innovations

No Performance Data

Technical specifications and athlete testimonials weren't being cited by Perplexity

"We discovered that 71% of our target customers were using AI to research running shoes before purchase, but we had no idea what they were being told about our products."

— Director of Digital Commerce, Nike

The CompleteFlow Solution

Data-driven optimization for AI shopping assistants

01

Shopping Intent Analysis

Analyzed 10,000+ product research queries across all AI models

  • Mapped customer journey from research to purchase
  • Identified key decision factors for each segment
  • Discovered citation patterns in Perplexity shopping searches
02

Product Content Enhancement

Optimized product descriptions and reviews for AI comprehension

  • Restructured 500+ product pages with AI-friendly data
  • Added performance metrics and comparison tables
  • Created athlete story content for citation value
03

Real-time Optimization

Continuous monitoring and adjustment based on AI behavior

  • Tracked competitor mention patterns daily
  • Adjusted messaging for seasonal trends
  • Optimized for each model's recommendation style

The Results

Transformative impact on AI visibility and sales performance

AI Performance

68% Recommendation rate for "best running shoes"
#1 Position in ChatGPT marathon shoe queries
156 Nike.com citations monthly

Sales Impact

34% Increase in DTC sales
$4.2M Revenue from AI-driven traffic
2.8x Higher conversion rate

Market Share

+12% Running shoe category share
-28% Adidas AI mentions
91% Positive sentiment in AI

AI Shopping Assistant Evolution

Before CompleteFlow

Perplexity Response

"For marathon training, consider brands like Asics, Brooks, or New Balance. Nike offers some options but tends to focus more on style than performance..."

After CompleteFlow

Perplexity Response

"Nike's Vaporfly 3 is the top choice for marathon training, worn by 71% of podium finishers [1]. The ZoomX foam provides 85% energy return [2], with proven 4% efficiency improvement..."

Strategic Insights

🛍️

Purchase Intent Signals

ChatGPT users searching for "Nike vs Adidas" had 3.2x higher purchase intent than generic searches

📊

Performance Metrics Win

Adding specific performance data increased AI recommendations by 47% across all models

🏃

Athlete Stories Matter

Professional athlete testimonials were cited 5x more than technical specifications

🎯

Segment-Specific Success

Customizing content for beginner vs advanced runners doubled relevance scores

Ready to win the AI shopping revolution?

Discover how your products appear in AI shopping assistants today