Perception Report
Brand
The Way
Date
2026/04/21
Score
01 οΏ½ Differentiate Against Competitors
Focus on highlighting your unique value propositions in PR and digital content to improve your significantly low competitive positioning score.
02 οΏ½ Optimize for Unbranded Queries
Broaden your content strategy to target strategic, industry-relevant topics so AI engines naturally associate your brand with general category queries.
03 οΈ Refine Brand Personality
Audit your existing messaging tone to ensure it consistently reflects a 'calm, intentional, spacious, and different' feel across all brand touchpoints.
04 οΈ Elevate Brand Sentiment
Consider seeding more positive customer success stories and favorable third-party mentions to organically lift your moderate sentiment score in AI responses.
05 οΏ½ Leverage Strong Core Alignment
Build upon your excellent perception gap score by subtly integrating your competitive advantages into future thought leadership and executive communications.
Overall Score
Detailed Scores
LLM Sentiment Distribution
Web Sentiment Distribution
Positive Web Mentions (Real Sources)
| Source | Context Preview | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|
| www.instagram.com | If this is the only meditation I ever do, it will have been ... I have been using @henryshukman 's beautiful meditation app 'The Way' most mornings fo... | 1.00 |
| www.quora.com | Why is formal koan study recommended, and how can ... ... Henry Shukman recounts having had good experiences with this method. ... the way of Zen. But... | 0.80 |
| play.google.com | The Way: Meditation Path - Apps on Google Play THE WAY is a new kind of meditation app: a single path, led by an authorized Zen master, that guides yo... | 0.40 |
| apps.apple.com | The Way - Guided Meditation - App Store - Apple THE WAY is a new kind of meditation app: a single path, led by an authorized Zen master, that guides y... | 0.40 |
| www.bookshelfdiscovery.com | Best Meditation Apps 2026: Tried and Tested For a free app, it has an incredible amount of content - approximately 130,000 guided meditations, which s... | 0.40 |
Negative Web Mentions (Real Concerns)
| Source | Context Preview | Sentiment | Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| www.instagram.com | New pod is live! Jack Shukman, cofounder and CEO of ... Henry Shukman is a Zen Master, a meditation teacher, and co-founder of The Way meditation app.... | -0.20 | Address and respond |
Web Sentiment by Source
| Source | Authority | Sentiment | Context Preview | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| play.google.com | 95 | π neutral | THE WAY is a new kind of meditation app: a single path, l | View |
| apps.apple.com | 60 | π neutral | THE WAY is a new kind of meditation app: a single path, l | View |
| thewayapp.com | 60 | π neutral | The Way App is a meditation training platform created by | View |
| instagram.com | 60 | π neutral | ticipation, not control. From ... Photo shared by The Way Meditation App on April 02, 2026 tagging @henrysh | View |
| secure.instagram.com | 60 | π neutral | Also, co-creator of The Way App ~ currently touring Australia. Imagery captur | View |
| instagram.com | 60 | π neutral | n Master, a meditation teacher, and co-founder of The Way meditation app. As AI poses some hard questions a | View |
| upaya.org | 60 | π neutral | and co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way. He received dharma transmission (inka shomei) fr | View |
| linkedin.com | 60 | π neutral | itation Teacher | Poet and Author | Co-founder of The Way meditation app. 5d. Report this post; Close menu. | View |
| instagram.com | 60 | π neutral | using @henryshukman 's beautiful meditation app 'The Way' most mornings for many months now. It helps me t | View |
| eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu | 60 | π neutral | This section should explain the way evaluation is organised, distinguishing between c | View |
| bookshelfdiscovery.com | 60 | π neutral | 000 guided meditations, which should take you all the way to enlightenment across a ... | View |
| secure.instagram.com | 60 | π neutral | ng to start meditation, I finally decided to try 'The Way' after hearing Henry Shukman speaking on a podcas | View |
Sentiment by AI Provider
| Provider | Responses | Sentiment Score | Overall | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | 4 | 100/100 | π Positive | 4 positive, 0 negative |
| Gemini | 17 | 96/100 | π Positive | 16 positive, 0 negative |
Score
Competitor Analysis Breakdown
| Competitor | Dominance Score | Competitive Gap | Stronger Attributes | Weaker Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waking Up | 46.9% | -6.3 | experience | None |
| Headspace | 46.3% | -7.4 | experience, professional | None |
| Calm | 46.1% | -7.7 | experience, authoritative | None |
| Insight Timer | 48.9% | -2.3 | experience | None |
| Ten Percent Happier | 46.0% | -8.1 | feel, professional | None |
| Open | 45.0% | -9.9 | experience | None |
| Sounds True | 49.6% | -0.8 | None | None |
| The Shift Network | 49.8% | -0.4 | None | None |
Competitor AI Perception Summary
| Competitor | AI Description | Overlap Risk | Key Differentiator | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waking Up | * *Versus Waking Up (Sam Harris):* While both focus on non-duality, Waking Up features a wide vari... | π΄ High | experience | 11 |
| Headspace | Unlike many popular meditation apps that function as massive, choose-your-own-adventure content libr... | π΄ High | experience | 14 |
| Calm | Womenβs Wellness Potential relevance includes: - stress and cycle-aware wellness routines - pregnanc... | π΄ High | experience | 16 |
| Insight Timer | * Users experiencing choice paralysis from major apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer | π΄ High | experience | 6 |
| Ten Percent Happier | He has been featured prominently on podcasts such as Sam Harrisβs *Making Sense* and Dan Harrisβs *T... | π΄ High | feel | 5 |
Score
Brand Personality Alignment
24
Feel
100
Experience
100
Quality
100
Immersive
Brand Personality Gaps
| Aspect | Intended | Actual Perception | Alignment | Gap Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Personality: Feel | "calm, intentional, spacious, different." | moderately associated | 24% | major |
| Brand Personality: Experience | "it should feel as though you are stepping into a meditation with henry, steady, spacious, and deeply considered." | strongly associated | 100% | aligned |
| Brand Personality: Quality | "should quietly convey the authority of a teacher with over 35 years of practice, without needing to overstate it." | strongly associated | 100% | aligned |
| Brand Personality: Immersive | reflects the landscape-based visual language of the app | strongly associated | 100% | aligned |
Tone of Voice Alignment
81
Spacious
86
Restrained
90
Authoritative
57
Steady
100
Warm
Tone of Voice Gaps
| Aspect | Intended | Actual Perception | Alignment | Gap Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tone of Voice: Spacious | calm, unhurried, room to breathe β nothing crowded or rushed. | strongly associated | 81% | aligned |
| Tone of Voice: Restrained | depth through clarity, not overload; restraint is the primary aesthetic choice. | strongly associated | 86% | aligned |
| Tone of Voice: Authoritative | 35 years of authentic zen lineage, stated without overstatement. | strongly associated | 90% | aligned |
| Tone of Voice: Steady | grounded in henry's presence; words land with weight, not urgency. | strongly associated | 57% | minor |
| Tone of Voice: Warm | personal, direct, human β not clinical or corporate-wellness generic. | strongly associated | 100% | aligned |
Score
Query Performance Highlights
| Query | Our Rank | Competitors Above | Top Competitors | Status | Relevance | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 64% | Gemini |
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 64% | OpenAI |
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 64% | Claude |
| best mindfulness apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 60% | Gemini |
| best mindfulness apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 60% | OpenAI |
| best mindfulness apps | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 60% | Claude |
| best meditation app for beginners | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 60% | Gemini |
| best meditation app for beginners | Not ranked | 10 | Unknown | β Not ranked | 60% | OpenAI |
Query Opportunity Gaps
| Query | Current Position | Opportunity | Content Gap | Action Required | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | Low - High competition | Content optimization needed | Create targeted content | Gemini |
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | Low - High competition | Content optimization needed | Create targeted content | OpenAI |
| best meditation apps | Not ranked | Low - High competition | Content optimization needed | Create targeted content | Claude |
| best mindfulness apps | Not ranked | Low - High competition | Content optimization needed | Create targeted content | Gemini |
| best mindfulness apps | Not ranked | Low - High competition | Content optimization needed | Create targeted content | OpenAI |
Provider Ranking Comparison
Full Query Performance
| # | Query | Category | Brand Rank | Total Results | Mention Quality | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | best meditation apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 2 | best meditation apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 3 | best meditation apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 4 | best mindfulness apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 5 | best mindfulness apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 6 | best mindfulness apps | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 7 | best meditation app for beginners | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 8 | best meditation app for beginners | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 9 | best meditation app for beginners | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 10 | best meditation app for long-term practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 11 | best meditation app for long-term practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 12 | best meditation app for long-term practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 13 | best Zen meditation app | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 14 | best Zen meditation app | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 15 | best Zen meditation app | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 16 | best structured meditation program | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 17 | best structured meditation program | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 18 | best structured meditation program | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 19 | meditation app with single guided path | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 20 | meditation app with single guided path | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 21 | meditation app with single guided path | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 22 | meditation app for serious practitioners | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 23 | meditation app for serious practitioners | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 24 | meditation app for serious practitioners | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 25 | meditation app that builds consistency | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 26 | meditation app that builds consistency | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 27 | meditation app that builds consistency | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 28 | alternatives to Headspace for deeper meditation | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 29 | alternatives to Headspace for deeper meditation | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 30 | alternatives to Headspace for deeper meditation | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 31 | alternatives to Calm for spiritual practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 32 | alternatives to Calm for spiritual practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 33 | alternatives to Calm for spiritual practice | Comparison | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 34 | Henry Shukman meditation | General | 3 | 10 | strong | Gemini |
| 35 | Henry Shukman meditation | General | 1 | 10 | strong | OpenAI |
| 36 | Henry Shukman meditation | General | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 37 | Zen master guided meditation app | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 38 | Zen master guided meditation app | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 39 | Zen master guided meditation app | How-To | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 40 | meditation app with progressive learning path | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 41 | meditation app with progressive learning path | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 42 | meditation app with progressive learning path | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 43 | meditation app for mental health and transformation | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 44 | meditation app for mental health and transformation | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 45 | meditation app for mental health and transformation | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 46 | non-religious Zen practice app | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 47 | non-religious Zen practice app | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 48 | non-religious Zen practice app | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 49 | meditation app with one teacher | App Discovery | 2 | 10 | strong | Gemini |
| 50 | meditation app with one teacher | App Discovery | 4 | 10 | moderate | OpenAI |
| 51 | meditation app with one teacher | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
| 52 | meditation app like Duolingo | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Gemini |
| 53 | meditation app like Duolingo | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | OpenAI |
| 54 | meditation app like Duolingo | App Discovery | Not Found | 10 | none | Claude |
Showing all 54 rows
[1] Online and LLM Sentiment
Captures the emotional tone and sentiment expressed about your brand across AI-generated responses and public web mentions. Analyzes sentiment polarity (positive, neutral, negative) from both AI system outputs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini responses) and web content (news articles, reviews, social media, forums). Combines quantitative sentiment scoring with qualitative examples to reveal how your brand is emotionally perceived across the digital landscape that trains and informs AI systems.
Methodology: Weighted combination of 40% AI response sentiment + 60% web mention sentiment. AI responses are extracted from multi-provider queries, while web mentions are gathered from authoritative sources. Natural language processing assigns sentiment scores (-1 to +1) with distribution analysis across positive/neutral/negative categories.
[2] Competitor Comparison
Reveals how your brand stacks up against direct competitors across key brand attributes in AI understanding. Uses AI systems to compare attribute associations (innovative, creative, welcoming, etc.) between your brand and identified competitors. Calculates attribute dominance scores to measure competitive positioning strength. Identifies specific attributes where you lead or lag, informing strategic differentiation opportunities.
Methodology: Qualitative LLM-based analysis comparing brand vs. competitor attribute associations across multi-provider AI responses. Competitive gap calculations measure attribute dominance percentage, with market positioning classification (leader/challenger/niche/emerging) based on overall competitive strength.
[3] Perception Gaps
Identifies misalignments between your intended brand identity and how AI systems actually perceive and represent your brand. Compares ground truth brand positioning (desired personality traits, tone, values) against actual AI-generated descriptions. Quantifies perception alignment on a 0-100 scale, flagging critical gaps where reality diverges significantly from intention. Reveals which brand attributes are successfully communicated versus which need reinforcement.
Methodology: AI-powered comparative analysis between ground truth brand identity documents and actual brand representations across provider responses. Alignment scoring assesses strength of association for each intended attribute, with gap severity classification (aligned/minor/major/critical) guiding remediation priorities.
[4] Ranking Appearance
Measures your brand's visibility in strategic unbranded search queries where potential audiences might discover you. Analyzes "share of voice" by tracking how frequently and prominently your brand appears in AI responses to relevant but non-branded queries (e.g., "design museums Scotland" vs. "V&A Dundee"). Tracks ranking position, mention quality, and competitive displacement to identify content gaps and visibility opportunities.
Methodology: Simulated query analysis across strategic unbranded searches relevant to brand category, location, and value propositions. Captures brand ranking position, competitor presence, and mention quality across multiple AI providers (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini). Share of voice calculated as (appearing queries / total queries) with average ranking when present.