OpenAI’s announcement that ChatGPT can now complete purchases directly through its platform, starting with Etsy in the US, with Shopify, Skims, and other major brands following, represents the most significant shift in commerce and marketing since mobile shopping. This isn’t just another sales channel. It’s a fundamental restructuring of how brands compete for customers. Charlie Terry, Founder of CEEK Marketing, discusses this momentous marketing shift.
For years, performance marketing has dominated. Success meant data-led targeting, keyword bidding, and optimising cost-per-click. That era is ending. In AI-first commerce, the biggest ad budget doesn’t win – the most visible brand does.
When AI makes purchasing decisions on behalf of users, it doesn’t optimise for the smartest retargeting campaign. It recommends based on brand authority, social presence, influencer reach, and omnichannel visibility. If your brand isn’t showing up everywhere your customers are, it won’t show up when AI makes the purchase.
The old playbook is obsolete. Brands that have relied solely on paid search and performance metrics are about to discover they’re invisible to AI. Meanwhile, brands that have invested in authentic influencer partnerships, robust SEO strategies, and genuine social engagement will dominate recommendations.
“We’ve already seen emerging brands like Skims thrive precisely because they built multi-channel presence from day one, blending influencer marketing, strong SEO, and cultural visibility. That approach, once considered comprehensive, is now the baseline for survival, especially for brands in the UK that want to say competitive”. Said Charlie Terry.
With the US launch already live and the UK rollout imminent, British brands now have a rare window of opportunity to get ahead before the market shifts entirely. The shift to AI-first commerce is already underway, and the priorities for businesses are clear:
- Build an AI visibility strategy. Strengthen your brand presence across every channel, not just paid search.
- Use omnichannel and influencer-led campaigns. Authentic voices and engaged networks are signals AI uses when deciding which products to recommend.
- Invest in authoritative content. Robust SEO and trusted resources give AI the confidence to choose your brand over a competitors’.
To stay ahead, businesses must act now: audit where your brand shows up beyond paid ads, forge genuine influencer partnerships to build trust signals, and prioritise high-quality content that establishes authority.
The winners in this new era won’t be those with the biggest ad budgets, but those with the most credible, consistent presence across the channels AI trusts.
AI-first commerce marks a return to a simple truth: brand is king. We are at a pivotal moment where AI will increasingly decide not just what gets searched, but what gets purchased. The question every business must confront is: when your customer lets AI choose, will it choose you?
“In this landscape, visibility is everything – and only those brands that build trust, authority, and genuine presence will thrive” concludes Terry.