Brands need to align their messaging across owned content, earned media, and customer evidence to improve how they are represented in AI-generated answers, according to a new study by PRecious Communications.
The research, PRecious AI Authority Index: Southeast Asia Banking 2026, examined how artificial intelligence (AI) represents banks across six Southeast Asian markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The study analysed 2,740 AI-generated responses across four question groups covering business, trust and choice, authorities and society, and consumers. Questions were tested in eight languages to examine how banks appeared across different markets, languages, and customer needs. The research is a point-in-time analysis from August to October 2026.
The findings suggest that brands need to identify information gaps and maintain a consistent, accurate narrative across owned content, earned media, and customer evidence to strengthen their visibility and credibility in AI-generated responses.
AI-generated answers vary across services
The study found that when two tested AI services answered the same question and both named a bank, different banks appeared first in 43 per cent of comparisons.
This suggests that a bank appearing first in one AI-generated answer may not receive the same prominence on another service, even when users ask the same question.
For brands, the findings highlight the importance of understanding the questions their target audiences are likely to ask across AI services, as well as identifying which competitors appear most prominently in the responses.
According to PRecious Communications, brands should match their products and services to their audiences and inform their website content, case studies, and media engagement, with the aim of improving visibility in relevant AI-generated answers.
Brand visibility differs across question types and AI models
The study found that the banks appeared differently across questions relating to consumers, businesses, trust, and public roles.
The findings suggest that appearing first in an AI-generated answer does not necessarily mean a brand is represented accurately or comprehensively.
Beyond visibility, brands need to consider whether AI-generated descriptions accurately explain their products and services and whether the information is supported by current, relevant sources.
The research also found that different large language models (LLMs) drew on different information sources.
PRecious Communications recommended that brands clearly explain their offerings through owned channels while providing journalists with access to customers, original research findings and relevant expertise.
Regular reviews of AI-generated answers, alongside maintaining accurate and accessible information on owned channels, were also identified as important considerations.
Language influences how banks appear in AI-generated answers
The research found that the language used in AI prompts could affect which banks appeared in responses and how many were mentioned.
For example, Thai-language responses showed the most frequent changes in which bank appeared first within a particular question group, while Malay-language responses recorded the largest average reduction in the number of banks named.
These findings suggest that reviewing AI-generated answers in English alone may overlook differences in brand visibility and the emphasis placed on particular organisations.
For communications professionals working across Southeast Asia, the results highlight the importance of assessing AI-generated responses in the languages their audiences use.
Local market context shapes AI visibility
The study also identified differences in how banks appeared across individual Southeast Asian markets.
Some banks were frequently mentioned first across all four question groups, including DBS Bank in Singapore and Maybank in Malaysia.
In other markets, the bank appearing first varied depending on the question, while the most frequently mentioned bank was not always the one appearing first.
The findings suggest that a single regional communications approach may not adequately reflect differences in customer needs, product offerings and languages across markets.
PRecious Communications recommended that brands assess local customer needs, relevant products and language preferences before determining their content and media priorities.
Applying the findings beyond banking
Although the research focused on the banking sector, PRecious Communications suggested that its approach could also inform communications planning in other industries.
The study emphasised the importance of understanding how brands appear alongside competitors in AI-generated answers and identifying where information may be incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate.
It also highlighted the value of connecting earned media, owned product content and customer evidence into a consistent brand narrative that can be adapted across different formats and markets.
What communications professionals need to know
The research suggests that AI visibility is not simply a matter of how often a brand appears in generated answers. The accuracy, relevance, and consistency of the information presented also matter.
For PR and communications professionals, the findings point to the importance of reviewing how AI platforms describe their organisations across different customer needs, languages and markets.
The study also highlights the role of earned media alongside owned content and customer evidence in supporting a credible and consistent brand narrative.
Rather than producing more disconnected content, communications teams may benefit from identifying information gaps, maintaining current and accessible sources, and aligning their messaging across channels.
These considerations could help organisations assess how effectively their existing communications support accurate brand representation in AI-generated answers.
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