When AI assistants replace buyers

For decades, consumer goods companies have invested billions in understanding buyer psychology: the perfect packaging color that arouses desire, the optimal placement on the shelf, the brand message that resonates. But what happens when the buyer is no longer human? Geoff Clarke, COO of IPG Mediabrands, discusses this looming issue in detail.

We are on the verge of perhaps the biggest disruption in consumer marketing since television: the rise of AI shopping assistants as the primary decision-makers in purchasing. This is not a distant scenario, but is unfolding now as technology advances so quickly that we can no longer adapt.

The traditional consumer journey, which includes attention, consideration and purchase, puts people at the center. But what happens when an AI assistant communicates directly with retail systems to replenish household supplies, select groceries and manage diets, select clothing and balance household budgets?

In this new paradigm, consumers will develop an intimate relationship…