Agencies and brands are moving quickly into ChatGPT advertising following OpenAI’s rollout of paid placements, despite limited measurement tools and unresolved brand safety questions. The rush reflects a broader recognition that consumer discovery is rapidly shifting toward AI platforms, with ChatGPT’s reported 800 million weekly users already using the tool to research, compare and evaluate products. For marketers, the moment echoes the early commercialization of search and social, when first movers built lasting advantages. “We don’t see a new media channel springing up every day or every year,” said Ben Hovaness, chief media officer at OMD Worldwide.“It’s a monumental shift in the landscape when it happens, and this is one of those.” Hovaness added that clients are looking to agencies to help them navigate what he describes as a major migration in consumer behavior, noting that “about 20% to 30% of discovery behavior has migrated out of search and into AI platforms in general.”
Even though OpenAI has said ads will not influence ChatGPT’s organic responses, agencies are betting on a broader halo effect—believing that paid visibility inside conversational AI could reinforce brand positioning across the emerging generative engine optimization (GEO) landscape. Hovaness likened the opportunity to the early days of Facebook, arguing that early participation can create durable advantage through scale and expertise. “Back in 2014… by being an early mover, you can actually accumulate a durable advantage in the space,” he said.