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Recent research involving interviews with senior marketing and digital leaders across multiple sectors reveals critical insights into how companies adapt SEO for AI-driven search. Key findings identify three challenges: gaps in AI visibility metrics, resistance to changing SEO workflows, and the rapid amplification of inaccurate brand information by AI.

A case study of an investment platform, Stakewise, highlights the risks when AI-driven referrals increase but the accuracy of AI responses about the brand falls short, leading to misinformation about products and services.

The rise of generative AI search demands a new discipline called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which focuses on two main challenges: ensuring brand visibility in AI responses and maintaining accuracy of that information. While traditional SEO helps AI find relevant content, GEO ensures AI cites and conveys the brand correctly.

Effective GEO requires content to be structured for AI extractability and extends beyond owned websites to third-party reviews and forums. Technical access for AI crawlers and ongoing content updates are vital.

Accuracy remains a major concern, with companies lacking processes to identify and correct AI-generated errors. A disciplined approach involving systematic querying, source tracing, targeted corrections, and ongoing monitoring helps maintain brand integrity in AI answers.

New GEO metrics—share of voice, citation patterns, and AI-referred engagement—help measure AI visibility and accuracy, guiding strategic adjustments. Managers are advised to audit AI perceptions, improve content clarity, manage offsite authority, and measure performance regularly.

In a zero-click AI search environment, brand visibility is no longer just about being found—it’s about being accurately cited and described. This shift demands a comprehensive reputation strategy, making AI-driven brand management a pivotal competitive advantage.

Salesforce has agreed to acquire Braze for $5.66 billion, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. The move is seen as a strategic expansion of Salesforce’s marketing technology, with Braze’s real-time customer engagement and AI tools expected to complement Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud and related products. Some financial institutions have questioned the deal’s valuation.

Salesforce says the integration will create a more connected system, where customer data and engagement results flow across marketing and business functions. However, marketers at Braze’s recent Forge conference voiced concerns about platform lock-in, data migration, and operational reliability. The risk is that campaign assets and decision logic could become tightly coupled to Salesforce’s proprietary tools, making it harder to switch vendors or connect to outside systems.

Braze’s leadership emphasised the need for human oversight and creative differentiation, especially as AI automates campaign execution. The deal raises questions for marketing leaders about balancing efficiency and control, particularly in regulated sectors where data access and portability are critical. Buyers are advised to scrutinise how easily data and assets can be exported, and how platform changes might affect compliance and operational flexibility.

The acquisition’s outcome will depend on regulatory review and how Salesforce implements its promised open approach. Marketers should monitor integration plans and prepare for possible shifts in vendor dynamics.

Paulie Dery, CMO at AG1, and Victoria Lozano, CMO at Crayola, discussed at Brandweek 2026 how brands can move beyond product benefits to build deeper consumer connections and maintain cultural relevance. The conversation addressed ways to protect premium positioning against cheaper alternatives by offering consumers meaningful values and beliefs.

Both CMOs outlined the importance of building authentic communities and embedding products into daily routines, shifting the competitive focus from price to lifestyle and attention. They also talked about balancing immediate revenue targets with sustained brand investment, and aligning these with executive priorities.

The discussion included approaches to using AI that support consumer creativity and trust, rather than eroding it. AG1’s challenger approach and Crayola’s creative legacy served as case studies for turning brand purpose into daily habits and sustainable growth.

For marketing and brand leaders, the session provided practical lessons on defending brand value and fostering loyalty in sectors facing price competition and shifting consumer expectations.

Meta reported in an earnings briefing that its ad revenue growth has slowed since the European Union introduced the Less-Personalized Ads model at the start of this year, according to Wired. The company linked this decline to new privacy rules that let users limit ad personalisation.

This matters for marketing leaders in regulated sectors, as digital ad targeting is a key tool for customer engagement. The EU’s privacy rules may prompt firms to rethink their digital strategies and monitor the impact on revenue and reach.

Omnicom has taken over Coca-Cola’s media account for the US and Canada, a business valued at about $785 million, according to Digiday sources. The move follows PepsiCo’s decision to move its own North American media business, worth a similar amount, to Publicis after nearly 30 years with Omnicom. WPP will continue to manage Coca-Cola’s global media outside Japan and South Korea, where Dentsu remains in place.

Omnicom’s win comes after a direct pitch to Coca-Cola’s senior marketing team, promising dedicated talent and technology, not recycled from its previous PepsiCo work. The agency’s recent integration of IPG has made it the world’s largest media house by billings, which is expected to give it more influence in negotiations with TV, publishers and social platforms. Coca-Cola now spends 70% of its media budget on social and creator content, a sharp shift from its previous focus on TV.

For marketing leaders, this reshuffle shows how major brands are consolidating media buying to secure better terms and digital reach. WPP’s retention of Coca-Cola’s international business also signals the importance of integrated media, data and creative offerings. The split between agencies could affect how global campaigns are managed and how media budgets are allocated across regions.

The next phase will show whether Omnicom’s scale delivers the promised savings and innovation for Coca-Cola, and how WPP adapts its global approach to keep the account secure.

Meta reported Q3 revenue of $64.6 billion, a 26% rise year over year, with a 10% increase in ad impressions and a 14% rise in global average ad price. The company invested $34.9 billion in capital expenditures, focusing on servers, data centres and network infrastructure to support its AI-driven advertising business.

However, Meta recognised a $9.9 billion pre-tax charge related to the August 2026 Multi-State Attorneys General Agreement, which addresses lawsuits over the platform's handling of youth mental health. This expense cut Q3 GAAP operating income by 37% to $13 billion, reducing the operating margin to 20%. CFO Susan Li said that without the legal settlement, operating income would have grown 11% year over year.

For regulated-industry marketers, Meta's results show the commercial gains possible from AI-powered ad delivery, but also the scale of legal and reputational risk from regulatory action. The size of the legal charge signals ongoing scrutiny of digital platforms by US authorities.

Executives should watch for further regulatory developments and assess their own risk exposure in digital campaigns, especially those targeting youth.

Meta’s revised terms of use, which expand its web scraping permissions, have prompted a rare show of unity among publisher trade groups worldwide. The News/Media Alliance, representing over 2,000 publishers, and WAN-IFRA, with more than 20,000 members, have sent letters to Meta’s CEO demanding the withdrawal of the new terms before they take effect on 30 October. These groups argue that the changes would force publishers to let Meta use their content without permission or compensation, or risk losing access to Facebook’s audience.

The publishers claim Meta’s move could undermine the market for AI content licensing and allow the company to use journalism to develop competing products. The Center for Media and Digital Governance at the Open Markets Institute has called for regulators in the US, UK and EU to intervene before the deadline. Several European trade groups have also filed complaints with the European Commission.

Industry leaders say the timing of Meta’s recent AI licensing deals, alongside the new terms, raises questions about the future of paid content agreements. Unlike Google, which offers publishers some opt-out options, Meta has not committed to respecting publishers’ content controls. The outcome may shape future negotiations between platforms and content owners.

Meta has updated its advertising terms to state that, from 30 October, advertisers are solely responsible for any AI-generated outputs in their ads. According to Adweek, buyers report that Meta’s AI tools have already altered ads without explicit consent, with some brands discovering automated illustrations or revisions added to their campaigns. Bookshop.org, for example, said Meta’s AI changed its ad imagery without notice, prompting the company to disable all AI ad features.

The new terms specify that advertisers accept all risks related to AI-generated or altered content, including the potential for inaccuracies or inappropriate material. Legal teams at agencies such as Go Fish Digital are now reviewing the terms, while some buyers are advising clients to manually opt out of AI enhancements, which can be hidden in complex menu settings. Meta describes the update as a consolidation of existing terms, but did not address concerns about the AI features directly.

For regulated industries, this shift places the onus on brands to ensure compliance and protect reputation, as consumers are unlikely to distinguish between brand actions and Meta’s automated changes. Firms may need to review approval processes and increase oversight of digital campaigns to avoid unauthorised or misleading content.

Walmart Connect has started pitching on-site brand lift studies directly to brands as it seeks to secure a larger share of holiday ad budgets. Agency executives told Digiday that several clients have been approached, though Walmart declined to comment. The initiative comes as brands are finalising their Q4 and 2027 media budgets, with measurement and proof of incrementality becoming central to spending decisions.

The lack of standardised measurement and walled-garden data has made it difficult for marketers to assess retail media performance. Walmart’s approach aims to address these concerns by providing brands with specific insights into their campaign results. Agency sources say this could help Walmart compete more directly with Amazon by offering clearer evidence of return on investment.

Brand lift studies can be costly and slow, sometimes taking up to nine weeks for results, and require significant spend commitments. However, agency leaders expect more retailers to follow Walmart’s lead as demand for transparent measurement grows. For CMOs and marketing leaders in regulated sectors, the trend signals a shift towards more accountable media investment, though challenges with data access and speed remain.

Salesforce announced plans to acquire Braze, an AI marketing firm, for about $5.66 billion, offering $47.50 per share in cash to Braze Class A common stockholders, according to Fast Company. Braze’s AI-powered multichannel marketing tools will be integrated into Salesforce’s core products, which the company says will enhance its enterprise solutions amid concerns over the future of traditional SaaS models.

For senior marketing and digital leaders, this signals a push towards more advanced, real-time AI engagement tools in regulated sectors. The integration could affect how brands design and automate customer interactions, raising questions about data use and compliance as AI takes a larger role in marketing.