If you’re a consumer PR or marketing professional still thinking about AI as just another search engine to add to the mix, you’re already behind.
The most notable shift is that people are moving beyond simply asking AI assistants questions, and these platforms are becoming like personal shopping assistants.
Consumers are increasingly asking ChatGPT, Claude. Gemini and other AI tools to compare products, recommend the best option for their budget and explain why one product is better than another. I’ve personally done everything from having AI help me compare skincare ingredients and prices to searching for very specific dress styles and colors for formal events.
OpenAI is leaning into that behavior. Earlier this year, the company expanded ChatGPT’s shopping experience with richer product discovery, side-by-side comparisons and more visual product results, making it easier for users to research purchases without leaving the conversation.
At the same time, the quality of AI shopping traffic is becoming difficult to ignore. A recent analysis of more than 35,000 Shopify stores found that AI referrals converted at 3.6%, compared with 1.23% for traditional Google search, while generating roughly 30% more revenue per session.
It’s also evident that consumers are embracing AI as a research assistant, even if they aren’t ready to hand over the final purchasing decision. According to Gartner’s latest consumer shopping survey, only 11% of consumers are comfortable letting AI make purchases on their behalf, but 31% are willing to let AI narrow their choices for household products.
For consumer brands, that creates the need for an entirely new communications strategy.
Your next customer may never visit Google
For years, product PR focused on getting your product in front of people through trusted editorial reviews. Landing coverage in publications like Wirecutter, CNET, Tom’s Guide, Good Housekeeping or The Verge meant referral traffic, affiliate sales and brand credibility.
Now those same reviews serve another purpose; they help shape the information AI assistants use when recommending products.
When someone asks ChatGPT for “the best robot vacuum for pet hair” or “the espresso machine worth buying under $300,” the answer isn’t pulled from a single website. AI synthesizes information across trusted editorial sources, product testing, reviews and brand information to generate a recommendation. That means every credible third-party review contributes to your brand’s discoverability inside AI.
At Bospar, we’ve always believed the best earned media programs do more than generate headlines. They build lasting credibility around a brand. That philosophy is even more relevant in the age of AI discovery. We help consumer brands earn meaningful product reviews, trusted third-party validation and executive thought leadership that both influence today’s shoppers and strengthen the information AI assistants rely on when recommending products tomorrow.
Earned media is becoming part of AI visibility
SEO still matters, but earned media now plays a bigger role in how brands appear across AI-powered discovery experiences.
Your website tells AI what you say about your product, and earned media tells AI what everyone else says about it, which is an important distinction.
If your brand consistently appears in respected reviews, comparison articles and expert roundups, AI has more trustworthy information to reference. If your coverage is thin or inconsistent, you’re giving competitors more opportunities to become the recommendation.
This is also where PR and search are beginning to converge. Your owned content still matters, but the editorial ecosystem surrounding your brand is becoming increasingly important as AI assistants synthesize information from multiple trusted sources.
What CMOs should be doing now
Don’t abandon traditional product PR. Instead, put a fresh spin on how it’s handled.
Ask yourself:
- Are we earning reviews from the publications consumers and AI both trust?
- Do our product reviews consistently reinforce the messages we want associated with our brand?
- Are we generating fresh editorial coverage throughout the year instead of relying on a holiday gift guide strategy?
- Are we measuring AI visibility alongside traditional PR metrics?
- Are we pairing strong earned media with the content on our own website so AI sees a consistent story?
Bospar has long helped brands earn the kind of third-party credibility that drives awareness and trust. As AI reshapes discovery, that same earned media is becoming even more valuable.
The next chapter of consumer product PR
PR has always influenced purchasing decisions. What’s changing now is where purchasing decisions begin. Consumers are now asking AI to do the research for them before they ever visit a retailer or brand website. That makes every review, comparison and piece of earned media more valuable than it was even a year ago.
The brands that break through will gain competitive advantage by having the strongest body of credible, third-party validation for AI to learn from.
That’s exactly what great consumer product PR has always been built to deliver.
