One-third of consumers turn to AI when shopping | MarTech

One-third of consumers regularly use AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude throughout their shopping journeys, with Millennials (33%) and Gen Z (11%) leading adoption. Nearly half of brands (47%) have minimal or no AI agent presence, and only 7% possess comprehensive AI optimization strategies. Marketers rate AI agents highly in channel importance while 90% of organizations plan to expand marketing channels over three years. Technology fragmentation is common, with organizations using more than five disparate marketing applications and 60% expressing low confidence in customer data. Only 3% of brands can predict customer desires in real time using behavioral data, and 33% plan martech consolidation by 2028 to enable harmonious, AI-driven experiences.

One-third of consumers now regularly use AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude throughout their shopping journey, according to a report by Cordial. The report, " Brands Battle for Attention as AI Redefines the Funnel," (registration required) found Millennials (33%) and Gen Z (11%) are leading in AI adoption. But despite this growing consumer behavior, nearly half of all brands (47%) maintain minimal or no AI agent presence, while only 7% have developed comprehensive AI optimization strategies.

The report found marketers rank AI agents highly in channel importance, even as brands fail to keep up. Cordial's report found 90% of organizations plan to increase their marketing channels over the next three years. One potential roadblock to developing effective AI strategies is technology fragmentation. The report found organizations juggling more than five disparate marketing applications, with 60% expressing low confidence in their customer data.

Only 3% of brands, overall, said they have the ability to predict what customers actually want by leveraging behavioral data in real time. As 33% of organizations plan martech consolidation by 2028, the report predicts brands that synthesize their technology stacks to yield harmonious, AI-driven experiences will do more than improve their relevance rates. They'll separate themselves from the noise makers.

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