The consumer is still human. The gatekeeper isn’t

For much of her career in marketing, the fundamental equation revolved around brands vying for consumers' attention. The strategies employed were intended to reach, influence and persuade people, ultimately driving them to make a purchase. However, the landscape has changed significantly with the advent of search engines, social media, algorithms and now artificial intelligence.

While the human involved in the purchase remains the core element, the entity that determines what the consumer sees, considers and buys is becoming increasingly non-human. Advertising has transitioned from interruption-based to a more subtle approach, as AI is reshaping the consumer decision-making process.

Consumers are no longer solely searching for products; they are turning to AI for assistance in making decisions, whether it's choosing the right laptop, hotel, healthy food option, or running shoes. This subtle yet profound change has resulted in consumers seeking AI recommendations more frequently in their household and grocery purchases, as well as using AI-powered tools for research and decision-making.

The traditional marketing funnel has shifted, with AI emerging as the new gatekeeper. Marketers are now focused on how to win the machine's attention before even reaching the consumer. AI is increasingly playing a role in the decision-making process, selecting products, comparing specifications, reading reviews, evaluating prices and narrowing down choices. Consequently, the marketing battle has evolved upstream, requiring brands to win over not only the consumer but also the AI assistant.

This shift in the marketing landscape presents new challenges for companies, as they must now optimize for both human attention and machine evaluation. Traditional methods of attracting attention through campaigns and brand stories may no longer suffice. Instead, brands must focus on providing enough evidence to convince both humans and AI that their product is the preferable choice.

The rise of AI consideration means that marketers must add a new metric to their dashboards: AI consideration. This involves analyzing how often a brand appears in AI recommendations, which competitors are mentioned alongside the brand, and what attributes the AI associates with the brand. It also requires understanding the information used by AI to evaluate the brand, including product performance, reviews, price, availability, customer experience, content and reputation.

Ultimately, the marketing game is shifting from persuasion to proof. In the AI era, companies must focus on creating a strong evidence base to convince both consumers and AI of their brand's credibility and superiority. The role of the marketer has evolved from telling consumers why they should choose a brand to ensuring that the brand is the obvious answer when humans and AI evaluate the category.

While the consumer remains human with emotions and intentions, the journey to the final decision is becoming increasingly shaped by machines. As this trend continues, the future of marketing will not only involve learning how to market to people but also how to make brands understandable, credible and recommendable to the intelligence situated between the brand and the consumer. This represents a significant shift in the marketing landscape, one that is still in its early stages.