There is a reason why we don’t mind seeing a beautiful Mercedes-Benz ad at the start of a movie, but we find “one weird trick to lose weight” pop-ups infuriating.
The industry is obsessed with the contextual relevance of AI, but they are ignoring the psychological relevance. For ChatGPT, starting with branding isn’t just a business choice—it’s a defensive one.
1. Branding as a “Safety” Feature
The first few months of an ad program are the most dangerous for a platform’s reputation. If the ads feel “spammy,” the user base rebels.
- The Trust Gap: Users have a baseline level of trust in established brands. A Coca-Cola or Apple banner carries a “trust halo.” Even if it distracts the user, it doesn’t feel like a scam or a breach of privacy; it feels like high-end media.
- Lower Cognitive Load: Performance ads (e-commerce, lead gen) ask the user to do something—evaluate a price, check a size, or click a link. Brand ads simply ask you to feel something. On a platform like ChatGPT, where users are already doing heavy cognitive lifting, a brand ad is a “safer,” less intrusive distraction.
The Contrarian Truth: Users don’t hate ads; they hate being sold to by strangers. Branding introduces the platform to the user’s wallet through a familiar face.
2. The Operational “Training Wheels”
As mentioned before, the “High Touch” nature of brand deals serves as a buffer for the developers.
- The Learning Curve: Branding allows the OpenAI team to manually vet the first few dozen partners.
- The “Error” Margin: If a brand ad displays incorrectly, it’s a minor PR fix. If a performance ad’s tracking pixel fails and a merchant loses $50k in un-tracked sales, it’s a legal and technical nightmare.
3. The Roadmap: From “Ego” to “Efficiency”
To be clear: Branding is the foundation, not the house. The long-term goal for any AI agent is, of course, the Full Funnel. We are moving toward a world where the AI can move a user from “I’m curious about hiking” (Awareness) to “Here is the best tent for your specific trip” (Conversion).
- Phase 1 (The Present): Top-of-Funnel. Establishing the platform as a premium, safe space for the world’s biggest spenders.
- Phase 2 (The Mid-Term): Consideration. Using the AI’s contextual power to suggest categories and solutions.
- Phase 3 (The Future): Full Funnel. A seamless, automated ecosystem where the AI handles everything from the “Vibe” to the “Transaction.”
Why Commercial Leadership is “Right” to Revert
While the tech community was disappointed that we didn’t get “Hyper-Contextual Shopping” on Day 1, the commercial leadership at OpenAI is playing the long game. They are building a Trust Buffer. By the time they launch a full-scale performance engine, the users will already be conditioned to see ads as a high-quality, integrated part of the experience rather than an invasive species.
bostjanspetic.com 
Leave a comment