The platforms and capabilities in play across our network, what they actually do today, and what matters for PhRMA.
When someone asks ChatGPT "why are drug prices so high," the answer comes from whatever content AI systems have picked up. That answer is shaping public perception at scale, and right now the industry has no say in it.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about monitoring and influencing how you show up in those AI-generated answers. AI-sourced sessions to healthcare content grew 527% year-over-year in 2025. This is moving fast.
Three platforms and one execution framework are currently in play across our network. Here's what each one does, what it doesn't, and where it fits.
The most mature GEO platform on the market. Shows you exactly how your brand appears across every major AI system.
Key differentiator: Profound tracks what real people are actually asking AI, not synthetic queries. You see the real questions, not guesses.
AI visibility monitoring today. Bigger infrastructure play on the roadmap but not live yet.
Bottom line: Scrunch and Profound do the same thing right now. Profound does it better. Scrunch's real differentiator is AXP, but it's not available yet. Betting on Scrunch means betting on the roadmap.
Stagwell's own GEO play. Built by Assembly with Emberos. Five AI agents that monitor, predict, and execute.
The Stagwell angle: This is in-network. Assembly is a sibling agency. Echo (governance) could matter for pharmaceutical compliance. But the platform is days old and the tech partner is very small.
The action layer. HUNTER's earned media framework designed specifically to generate coverage that AI systems pick up and cite.
Why it matters here: The three platforms above all tell you how you look in AI. Hi5 is how you change it. For PhRMA, this is the layer that generates the trade press, expert commentary, and policy content that shifts what AI says about the industry.
| Profound | Scrunch | Search+ / Emberos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Monitoring + analytics + content agents | Monitoring + insights (infrastructure roadmap) | Monitoring + prediction + workflow execution |
| Data Quality | Real consumer panel data (400M+ prompts) | Synthetic prompts from keywords | Proprietary "Share of Prompt" metric |
| AI Engines | 10+ (most coverage) | Multi-engine (varies by tier) | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, AIO |
| Execution | Content creation agents (new) | None. Data only. | Flow agent automates cross-channel tasks |
| Governance | None built-in | Misinformation flagging | Echo agent for compliance |
| Maturity | Most mature. Sequoia-backed unicorn. | Growing. $19M raised, 500+ brands. | Brand new. Pre-seed tech partner. |
| Pricing | $99-399/mo + enterprise | $100-300/mo + enterprise | Custom (managed service) |
| PhRMA / Pharma Track Record | None public | None public | None public |
| TV Relationship | Independent vendor | Independent vendor (used by HUNTER) | In-network (Stagwell/Assembly) |
When people ask AI about drug pricing, industry practices, or specific treatments, the answers come from whatever content those systems have picked up. Right now that skews toward media coverage and public commentary, not the industry's perspective.
PhRMA isn't optimizing for one brand. You're shaping how AI represents an entire industry across drug pricing, MAHA/RFK policy, PBM reform, biosimilar competition, FDA regulatory changes. That's a different scale than what most companies are doing with GEO.
Start with Profound. Best data, widest coverage. Run the audit, get a real picture of where the industry stands in AI search today.
Pair it with Hi5 for execution. Profound shows you where the gaps are. Hi5 fills them through earned media and thought leadership that AI systems actually pick up.
Keep an eye on Search+ and Scrunch AXP. Both could matter down the line, but neither is proven yet. No reason to wait on them to get started.