Leading Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) at Mars Wrigley during the era AI Discoverability, with Global Director of Search Tory Bradley

New Frontier (AI & Ecommerce) · with Tory Bradley · November 6, 2025 · 24 min

Summary

The rise of AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT and Amazon Rufus marks a pivotal shift in consumer discoverability. This episode with Tory Bradley, Global Director of Search at Mars Wrigley, likely provides a crucial framework for ecommerce brands to optimize their presence and ensure their products are recommended by these new AI gatekeepers. Understanding how to adapt search strategies is paramount for maintaining visibility and driving sales in an AI-first commerce landscape.

Key takeaways

• Develop an 'answer engine optimization' strategy to ensure your brand's products are discoverable and recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Amazon Rufus.
• Invest in high-quality, comprehensive product data and content that AI models can easily process and use to answer user queries effectively.
• Monitor and analyze how AI answer engines are surfacing product recommendations and adjust your content and SEO strategies accordingly.
• Explore partnerships or strategies with AI development platforms to get early access and insights into how their answer engines function and can be influenced.

Themes

Topics covered

Episode description

In this episode, Tory Bradley, Global E-Commerce Retail Search Director at Mars Wrigley, dives deep into how Mars is navigating the evolving world of GenAI, search, and digital commerce. Drawing on Mars’ legacy of embracing technology - from pioneering electrified chocolate production in the 1920s to revolutionizing vending machines- Tory explains how the company is once again at a pivotal inflection point. She shares how Mars, in partnership with Azoma, is embracing generative AI to stay visible in an increasingly digital path-to-purchase landscape, where tools like Amazon’s Rufus and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are reshaping the way consumers discover and shop for products.Tory breaks down the difference between traditional SEO and the newer, fast-moving world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), highlighting how retail search now demands cross-functional collaboration across content, PR, legal, and marketing. She emphasizes the need for both top-down leadership support and bottom-up experimentation to drive AI adoption. With real-time changes in how platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and others surface product information, Mars is investing in partnerships and agile processes to stay ahead of shifting algorithms, new discovery channels, and consumer behaviors.The conversation also explores the broader industry implications of AI-powered shopping assistants, such as Amazon’s Rufus and Walmart’s emerging integrations, which are already driving significant incremental sales. Tori shares how she stays informed in a fast-evolving space, the organizational challenges of aligning large teams toward innovation, and why she believes e-commerce and search are the most dynamic and exciting areas in marketing today. With a clear pa

Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about ai & e-commerce?

Develop an 'answer engine optimization' strategy to ensure your brand's products are discoverable and recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Amazon Rufus.

What does this episode say about brand strategy?

Invest in high-quality, comprehensive product data and content that AI models can easily process and use to answer user queries effectively.

What does this episode say about product discoverability?

Monitor and analyze how AI answer engines are surfacing product recommendations and adjust your content and SEO strategies accordingly.

What does this episode say about search engine optimization?

Explore partnerships or strategies with AI development platforms to get early access and insights into how their answer engines function and can be influenced.

Listen

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