In February of this year, OpenAI began displaying advertisements to American users in its AI service. Now, the feature is being expanded to 31 European countries, including Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
The function will be available from next week and initially targets those using the free version of the service. Paying subscribers to Plus, Pro, and Enterprise will continue to have an ad-free experience.
New Ways to Reach the Customer
For companies running e-commerce businesses, the launch represents an opportunity to gain visibility at a stage where consumers are using the platform to search for information, plan purchases, or compare different products.
The platform allows companies to use targeted advertising based on geography and customized audiences. OpenAI states that the advertisements are kept separate from the regular responses, are always clearly labeled, and that user data is not sold on to third parties.
Karl Lindberg is CEO of the agency Adrelevance and he believes that the new format suits the industry well.
This is really exciting, opening up opportunities for e-commerce businesses to meet customers just when they are seeking inspiration, comparing alternatives and are close to a purchase, says Karl Lindberg to Ehandel.se.
Early Presence Can Pay Off
Unlike a traditional search via, for example, Google, where the customer often enters a few keywords, users of AI tend to describe their needs in more detail. This creates a context that resembles advice.
To get started with advertising this summer, initial contact is required via agencies or partnerships with OpenAI, before a fully open self-service function is launched in the future.
There is great potential in being early and learning the channel before the competition increases, says Karl Lindberg and adds:
This could be an important next step for e-commerce businesses that want to be visible earlier in the customer's buying journey.