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Good morning,
Hereâs what youâll find in todayâs DTC:
1ď¸âŁ Learn how Amazonâs AI shopping assistant Rufus has become a critical part of the buyerâs journey
2ď¸âŁ Why you need to constantly be A/B testing in the age of AI
Youâre reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Branch Furniture, REP Fitness, and ARTA. đ

âđ AI Hype Is Everywhere. But The Real Data Is Here.
AI is changing how people shop, but not everyone is adopting it the same way.
Klaviyoâs latest global survey of 8,000+ consumers reveals an important truth: your customers arenât all on the same page when it comes to AI.
Some are all-in. Others are cautious. Many are still figuring it out.
That means one-size-fits-all strategies are already failing.
The data reveals 4 key personas every brand should understand:
Each group responds to different messaging, experiences, and levels of automation.
The opportunity? Meet your customers where they are, and build smarter strategies from there.
đ Want to know which tactics convert (and which quietly kill trust)?
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âđ Is Your Brand Invisible to Most High-Intent Shoppers?
Amazon has shifted from a product-oriented search platform to a problem-oriented one through Rufus, its AI shopping assistant.
How do we know this?
Because shoppers interacting with Rufus are 60% more likely to buy.
What Amazon sellers need to know:
Rufus doesnât just scan keywords.
It interprets intent, compares brands, and even "reads" your visual assets to validate customer searches.
So if your creative isn't optimized for AI discovery, you risk being bypassed for a competitor who is.
How Rufus "Sees" Your Brand
Rufus pulls real-time data from your entire listing to build a confidence score based on how well you operate.
Itâs looking at your Order Defect Rate (ODR), refund frequency, tone of customer messages, and pricing consistency.
Rufus is analyzing:
Take a look at this example below. The traditional product shot provides no context, which impacts its confidence score negatively.
But the lifestyle image on the right?
Now Rufus can interpret how the appliance is used and make a connection between the blender and how itâs perfect for those looking for a âquick healthy breakfast.â

And it pays off to help Rufus connect the dots.
If Amazonâs Rufus determines you have a high internal trust score, you will be granted trust badges on your pages, such as "Amazon's Choice." đ
The Strategy: Beyond the Basics
Optimizing for 2026 requires moving past pretty pictures toward a comprehensive, AI-legible presence.
This ensures you show up when prompted, whether the customer is just becoming problem aware or is ready to buy.
This is a powerful way to understand exactly what customers and the AI are looking for in your category.
The takeaway?
Rufus is a moving target. It is constantly learning, and customer intent shifts with every season and trend.
At Pilothouse, we donât just launch and leave.
We strategically engineer creative for both human emotion and AI legibility.

âđĽ Hereâs 75+ New Ways to Boost Your Marketing
Klaviyo just dropped 75+ new product updates, and theyâre all about helping you move faster, connect deeper, and drive better results across every channel. đ
Key updates include:
Together, these updates help brands deliver more relevant marketing and customer experiences at scale.
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âA 1,000 Foot View of Amazon in 2026
Amazon isnât just a marketplace. Itâs a high-intent conversion engine.
In this episode, Aves breaks down how DTC brands should rethink Amazon in 2026, especially with the rollout of Rufus, Amazonâs AI shopping assistant.
If youâve been treating Amazon like a static storefront, youâre leaving serious revenue on the table.
Learn how to approach Amazon like a performance channel and why creative, testing, and intent matter more than ever.
What we cover:
âśď¸ Watch on YouTube | đ§ Listen on Spotify
âđ¤ One-size-fits-all AI service is falling flat. What do your customers actually want? Get insights from 8,000 global consumers to reveal which support tactics actually pay off. Grab your free copy of the AI Customer Service Playbook. *
đ§° Shopifyâs AI Toolkit. Merchants can now manage stores with their favorite agents, using tools like Claude Code to update product listings. Read more â
đ OpenAI tests self-serve ads. The tool is currently available to a handful of advertisers and minimum ad spend has dropped from 250K to 50K. Read more â
đ° Amazonâs $200B AI investment. CEO Andy Jassy defends major spending on data centers and chips as a âonce-in-a-lifetime opportunityâ. Read more â
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âđĽ Got a B2B Biz?
Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 150k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.
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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.
Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.
