Product discovery and search in the age of AI

I’m Melina, a product marketing executive, DTC brand founder, and ecommerce enthusiast. I write a weekly newsletter, Curious Commerce, on fun ecommerce, consumer, and marketing topics. Subscribe to get the latest in your inbox.

In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, has an iconic monologue about the power of the fashion industry — exemplified by the cerulean sweater. She shares how a creative design decision made at a luxury fashion house — the decision to use a certain shade of blue — trickles down to the high street, where, without even choosing to, the average consumer participates in these trends.

The Devil Wears Prada — one of my ultimate comfort movies that also has a lot to say about how we shop

I think a lot about how what we buy is shaped not only by creative decisions, but by financial ones. Namely, how brands spend money to ensure that our eyeballs see, consider, and ultimately buy their products. Advertising is nothing new, but the omnipresence and sophistication of marketing continues to increase. With the popularization of AI applications, the way we shop is once again changing.

When Google reorganizes their search results page and adds AI-driven summaries, the information we use to make purchase decisions…