How David Protein Increased AI Share of Voice Share by 3.3x in 3 Months

Key Results

• From #400 to #15 in Amazon Best Seller Rank in the ‘Sports Nutrition Protein Bars’ Category

• 3.3x increase in AI Share of Voice

• 363% ChatGPT referral traffic increase

The Challenge

David Protein entered an extremely competitive market with superior product metrics but limited brand recognition. Founded by Peter Rahal (who previously founded RXBar) with Dr. Peter Attia as Chief Science Officer, David Protein delivers 28 grams of protein in just 150 calories, making it the highest protein-to-calorie ratio bar on the market.

However, David Protein held only 2.9% competitive mention share on ChatGPT while legacy competitors, like Rahal's previously founded RXBar, dominate AI recommendations with 16.4% share. Also, certain David Protein products, like their variety pack, suffered from low visibility on Amazon, ranking #400 in the ‘Sports and Nutrition Protein Bars’ category.

With Amazon as their primary revenue channel and a focus on premium brand positioning, David Protein needed a partner who understood both CPG dynamics and generative engine optimization. They chose Azoma for their specialized expertise in tracking and improving brand performance across ChatGPT, Amazon Rufus, and other AI platforms - the only comprehensive solution designed specifically for CPG brands competing in AI-powered discovery.

The Solution for ChatGPT

Based on an analysis of citation data from thousands of generated questions from David Protein's target personas, Azoma implemented a comprehensive strategy to help David Protein increase AI mention share:

1. Off-Page Mentions

Azoma's analysis revealed that established fitness publications like BarBend disproportionately appear in AI citations about protein bars. Azoma helped David Protein secure mentions in these existing high-performing articles that AI systems already trust for protein bar recommendations.

2. Knowledge Center Implementation

Azoma consulted David Protein on the implementation of their new knowledge center, addressing gaps in AI responses, and ensuring metadata was well structured for AI responses and consistent with high performing citations.

3. UGC Presence

Azoma implemented targeted efforts across user-generated platforms, focusing on authentic conversations in health and fitness communities. This approach built long-term AI mention share through organic brand mentions in contexts where protein discussions naturally occur.

The Solution for Amazon Rufus

With 44% of Gen Z shoppers—a core audience for fitness brands like David Protein—using Amazon Rufus, optimizing for this platform was critical. Using their proprietary technology, Azoma provided David Protein insights into the key questions users were asking Rufus, enabling them to generate optimized copy that answered these customer queries.

Azoma's generated content focused not only on the specific questions customers were asking, but also incorporated the five "subjective properties" outlined in Amazon's research paper "A Shopping Agent for Addressing Subjective Product Needs":

• Subjective attributes of the product (e.g., "sturdy," "colorful," "spacious")

• Events where the product would be used (general public events or personal milestones)

• Activities for which the product is intended (e.g., gaming chair, travel pillow, running shoes)

• Goal/purpose that the product is intended to fulfill (e.g., weight-loss gear, office organizer)

• Target audience for whom the product is intended (e.g., boy hiking shoes, gifts for boyfriend)

This approach ensured David Protein's listings addressed both direct customer questions and the descriptive attributes that influence purchase decisions but aren't captured in standard product specifications.

The Results: ChatGPT

The most significant gain was AI share of voice growth of 3.3x, rising from 2.9% to 9.6%. While RXBar and Quest maintain leadership positions, David Protein now competes meaningfully in the category with substantially improved brand visibility in AI systems.

For topic-specific queries related to protein-to-calorie metrics, David Protein's visibility among AI responses increased 64%, from 40% to 66%. This improvement ensures David Protein appears in nearly two-thirds of relevant AI recommendations for this topic—exactly the queries where their superior nutritional profile should dominate.

The Results: Amazon Rufus

David Protein's variety pack moved from #400 to #15 in Amazon's Best Seller Rank for Sports Nutrition Protein Bars.

Best Seller Rank (BSR) is Amazon's ranking system that shows how well a product is currently selling compared to other products in its category, with #1 being the top seller.

Future Growth

David Protein established meaningful AI mention share across key platforms in a competitive CPG category. Azoma's proven strategy helps CPG companies increase their AI mention share through increased off-page presence, content strategy, and community engagement.

The results demonstrate how Azoma's AI visibility strategy can help CPG companies even in categories dominated by well-established brands. Superior products can rapidly gain market share in consumer AI discovery when supported by strategic optimization that improves brand visibility in AI systems.