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Merrick owns the high-protein conversation in AI answers, but fresh-food rivals are gaining ground.

Here is the read on where your signal is leading the industry and where newer brands are starting to siphon off your potential customers.

Merrick's baseline score
76/100
Good

Merrick enjoys strong AI visibility as a legacy premium brand with a robust presence in training data. However, the rise of personalized fresh pet food subscriptions is challenging Merrick's dominance in 'healthiest dog food' queries. Maintaining visibility requires a shift from general premium claims to specific functional and sourcing-based authority.

What we see
  • Merrick is a dominant mention in 'best dog food' prompts due to high citation volume on editorial sites.
  • The brand faces increasing competition from DTC brands like The Farmer's Dog in 'healthiest' and 'fresh' category prompts.
  • There is a visibility gap in specific 'functional' prompts, such as diets for specific breeds or senior mobility.
  • Cat food visibility is significantly lower than dog food across all major AI assistants.
  • YouTube review transcripts significantly boost Gemini's likelihood to recommend Merrick's Zuke's treats.
Business goals Merrick is likely trying to hit
  • Defend market share against emerging direct-to-consumer fresh food brands
  • Increase awareness of the Hereford, Texas kitchen and ingredient sourcing transparency
  • Capture more of the 'functional pet food' market for sensitive stomachs and joint health
  • Expand loyalty within the cat food category specifically for wet food recipes