Coined, 2026
Sentiment Shaping
Sentiment Shaping is the work of moving brand sentiment in AI search across 4 layers, from brand awareness to the sources retrieved per prompt.
"Sentiment in AI Search is not one number. It is a four-layer system, and you cannot move what you cannot read."
A sentiment score is a roll-up of 4 layers: brand awareness, the model's memory, the sources retrieved for a cluster of prompts, and each source's contribution to a single prompt. They move on different clocks. Layer 4 moves in weeks, layer 3 in months, layer 1 over years, and layer 2 only at training cutoffs.
The techniques are not new. The 4-layer model, and the Sentiment Footprint that reads it before any shaping work, are.