Search is no longer just typing a few words into Google. More and more people are having conversations with AI. They ask ChatGPT for travel tips, product recommendations, gift ideas and recipes.

And now, those conversations can include advertising too. OpenAI has started rolling out ChatGPT Ads to Free and Go plan users across the EEA and Switzerland, including the Netherlands.

For brands, this is a new opportunity to show up when people are actively looking for answers.

Why Europe has a head start on ChatGPT Ads

The first ChatGPT Ads campaigns in the US are already showing us what works. That means brands in Europe don't have to start from scratch. Advertising in ChatGPT works differently from traditional Search. Instead of targeting a few keywords, brands need to think about real conversations. That changes how you target audiences, create ads and measure success.

Visibility comes before findability, even in AI conversations

Visibility and findability still follow a fixed order: first you build awareness, then you make sure you get found when someone starts searching. That principle does not change inside AI conversations, but where visibility is built does.

A model like ChatGPT can recommend brands based on the information it has available and the question someone asks. The stronger your brand's presence online, the more likely it is to appear in those conversations.

Until now, that visibility was mainly organic. ChatGPT Ads adds a paid way for brands to appear in relevant conversations. It doesn't replace organic visibility. It adds another opportunity to be discovered.

Three questions every brand should ask today

As AI becomes part of how people search and shop, brands should start with three simple questions:

• Are we showing up in ChatGPT today?
• Which competitors are showing up instead of us?
• Could ChatGPT Ads strengthen our current Search strategy?

The answers help brands understand where the biggest opportunities are.

Don't guess. See what actually shows up.

Through our proprietary tool iScraper, we can see which brands appear in ChatGPT conversations, which competitors are visible, and where brands are missing from the conversation. Instead of guessing, we use real insights to understand where opportunities exist for organic visibility and ChatGPT Ads.

What this means for brands right now

AI conversations are already influencing how people discover and compare brands. The question is no longer if this matters, it's whether your brand is part of those conversations.

With dentsu's AI Visibility Audit, powered by iScraper, we help brands understand where they stand in ChatGPT, compare their visibility with competitors, and identify where a ChatGPT Ads pilot could add value.

Want to know where your brand stands today? Get in touch with our dentsu team to start the conversation.