For many years, the consumer purchase decision journey followed a relatively familiar process: seeing an advertisement, developing a need, searching for information, and making a choice. This is the model that brands have invested in building for decades, from mass media communications to search engine optimization.

But AI is beginning to change that.

I Is Becoming a New Source of Reference

More and more users are choosing to ask AI platforms directly instead of searching for and comparing dozens of different results themselves.

From choosing restaurants and technology products to cosmetics and insurance, AI is gradually becoming an important step in the consumer decision-making process.

This shift raises an important question for brands: if brands previously competed to be seen by consumers, will they also need to compete to be mentioned by AI in the future?

When Urban Media Meets AI Technology

This may also be one of the reasons behind Focus Media Group’s recent investment in Titanium Magnesium Era, a company specializing in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) solutions.

At first glance, this may seem like an unusual combination between an urban media company and an AI technology company. From a marketing perspective, however, it represents a strategic move.

A Global Trend, Not Just a Chinese Phenomenon

Importantly, this trend is not limited to China.

Around the world, more and more technology and media companies are investing heavily in AI-related solutions, with the expectation of building a more seamless marketing journey connecting brand awareness, information discovery, and conversion.

For the media industry, this may signal that future competition will no longer be a matter of online versus offline.

Instead, value may increasingly lie in the ability to connect real-world touchpoints with technology platforms that are playing a growing role in consumer decision-making.

A New Question for Brands

As AI becomes an increasingly important part of the purchase journey, the question for brands may no longer be:

“Should we adopt AI?”

Instead, the more important question is:

“How can our brand continue to be chosen in a world where AI is increasingly participating in the selection process?”