You’re watching AI change how people find answers
Your buyers are asking ChatGPT instead of searching Google. They’re getting recommendations from Perplexity instead of reading review sites. The platforms where purchase decisions happen are shifting, and your current ad strategy doesn’t reach those conversations.
You’ve seen this before. Early Google Ads. Early Facebook. The companies that figured those channels out while everyone else waited built advantages that lasted years. Now it’s happening again, and you’re wondering: do we move early, or do we wait for the playbook?
The honest answer is that there’s no proven playbook yet. But there’s real inventory opening up. Google AI Overviews runs ads through existing Google Ads infrastructure. Microsoft Copilot offers placements through Microsoft Ads. OpenAI just announced ad testing for ChatGPT’s free and Go tiers. Most agencies are waiting for best practices to emerge. We think the best practices will be written by the companies willing to test now.
How we think about AI advertising
Most agencies either won’t touch AI advertising yet (too new, too risky) or oversell it (promising results no one can deliver). We take a different approach: bring two decades of paid media expertise to an emerging channel, with complete honesty about what’s known and what isn’t. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
Paid media foundation, not starting from scratch
We’ve managed multi-million dollar ad campaigns across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and emerging platforms for almost two decades. That experience translates. Bid strategies, audience targeting, creative testing, conversion tracking, budget optimization: the fundamentals apply even when the platform is new. We’re not learning paid media basics on your budget. We’re applying proven expertise to a new channel.
Honest about what we know and don’t know
Some platforms aren’t accepting new advertisers yet. Others have limited inventory. ROI data is sparse. We’ll tell you exactly what’s accessible, what we’re learning, and what remains uncertain. This is a bet on where attention is going, and we’ll help you make that bet with clear eyes.
Learning that compounds
What we test, what works, what doesn’t. It all goes in your Client Journal. At the end of month one, you’ll have: tested creative approaches, early engagement benchmarks (where available), a map of which platforms have inventory for your category, and a prioritized plan for what to test next. When these platforms mature, you’ll have a head start because we documented the learning curve.
Paid + organic AI presence work together
If we’re handling your AI visibility (organic citations), we understand how you’re being mentioned without paying. That context informs ad strategy. Paid placements and organic citations compound: organic builds credibility, paid drives immediate visibility, and intelligence from each informs the other.
What’s included
Here’s what we typically cover. The exact mix depends on which platforms you’re targeting and what access is available.
Platform access and setup
We monitor access windows across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Microsoft Copilot, and emerging platforms. When platforms open to new advertisers or expand beta programs, we move fast. Account setup, verification, and technical configuration so you’re ready when inventory becomes available.
Why this matters: Access is the bottleneck right now. Companies that aren’t monitoring miss windows. Companies that aren’t prepared when windows open lose weeks to setup while competitors start testing.
Campaign strategy and planning
Ad formats in AI platforms differ from traditional search and social. Sponsored follow-up questions. Sidebar placements. Contextual integrations. The difference: users are mid-conversation, not mid-scroll. They’re asking questions, not browsing. Strategy has to account for that intent shift.
Why this matters: You can’t copy-paste Google Ads strategy into ChatGPT. The user mindset is different, the formats are different, and what counts as “relevant” is different. Strategy built for conversational context outperforms strategy borrowed from search.
Creative development
Most AI ad formats are text-heavy: sponsored prompts, follow-up questions, conversational placements. Some platforms support video (Perplexity sidebar) or product imagery for shopping queries. We handle creative development for all formats: writing sponsored prompts, producing video assets, adapting existing creative for AI-native contexts. Creative development is scoped and quoted separately from ongoing management.
Budget management and optimization
AI platforms generally command premium CPMs compared to traditional display. That requires disciplined budget management. We treat your ad spend like our own money: testing methodically, scaling what works, cutting what doesn’t. No set-it-and-forget-it.
Performance tracking and reporting
Attribution in AI platforms is still evolving. We implement tracking where platforms allow, supplement with landing page analytics, and build reporting that shows what’s actually driving business outcomes. We’re honest about what we can and can’t measure.
Ongoing intelligence and adaptation
Platform features change fast. New ad formats launch. Access expands. Pricing shifts. We stay current so you don’t have to monitor every announcement. When something changes that affects your campaigns, you’ll know.
When AI advertising makes sense
Honest guidance about whether this is the right investment for your situation.
AI advertising is the right move
You have budget for experimentation. Your buyers are already using AI tools for research and recommendations. You’d rather be learning now than catching up later. You understand this is early and results aren’t guaranteed.
Traditional paid media first
If Google Ads and paid social aren’t already performing well, start there. AI advertising is an extension of paid media strategy, not a replacement. Get fundamentals working before adding emerging channels.
AI visibility first
Organic AI citations don’t require ad spend. If budget is limited, AI visibility work can get you mentioned in AI responses without paying for placements. Advertising makes more sense once organic presence is established.
Not ready yet
Platform access is limited. Budgets are tight. You need proven ROI before experimenting. No problem. This channel will still be here when timing is right. We’d rather tell you to wait than watch you spend on something that doesn’t fit.
How AI advertising actually happens
Five phases that balance experimentation with discipline. Same framework we use for all paid media, adapted for emerging channels.
01 Discover
AI ads only work if we understand who you’re reaching and how they decide. We start with customer research: every persona, their questions at each stage, how they use AI tools in purchase decisions. Then we assess the platform landscape to understand what’s available, what’s in beta, and where you might get access. Competitive analysis shows who’s already advertising in AI and what they’re learning. If the foundation isn’t clear, we build it before spending a dollar.
02 Strategize
We make platform bets based on access probability and audience fit. Budget allocation assumes some tests will fail. That’s expected in emerging channels. Creative direction matches conversational formats to specific persona needs. Measurement frameworks work with limited data. We get clear agreement upfront on what we’re optimizing for: learning first, then performance.
03 Execute
Access requests and waitlist positioning. Campaign builds structured for rapid testing. Creative development for formats that don’t exist in traditional paid media. Tracking implementation where platforms allow (and workarounds where they don’t).
04 Launch
Small budgets first. We’re buying information, not scale. Daily monitoring in the early days. Quick pivots when something isn’t working. We don’t increase spend until we understand what’s driving results.
05 Optimize
What’s working, what isn’t, what we still don’t know. Budget shifts toward performing platforms. Creative iteration based on actual response data. Everything documented so the learning compounds. Quarterly reviews that decide: scale, hold, or wait for better access.
See complete marketing process with timelines
What you learn from AI advertising informs everything else. The intelligence flows back into your broader paid media and marketing strategy.
Why AI advertising multiplies other investments
AI advertising → Traditional PPC
What you learn about messaging in AI platforms translates to Google and Bing. If certain value propositions resonate with AI users, they likely resonate with search users too. The testing insights apply across channels.
AI advertising → AI visibility
Paid and organic work together. If you’re paying for visibility on certain queries, you want organic citations reinforcing the same positioning. The intelligence from ad performance informs content strategy for organic AI presence.
AI advertising → Content marketing
AI ad formats often require different content approaches than traditional ads. What you develop for AI placements becomes content you can repurpose across other channels. The creative investment serves multiple purposes.
AI advertising → Branding
How AI platforms describe your brand in sponsored contexts reveals positioning gaps. If your ads don’t resonate, it might indicate broader messaging issues worth addressing.
Sequencing guidance
If traditional paid media isn’t working, fix that first. If your brand positioning is unclear, AI advertising will struggle to differentiate you. We’ll assess your situation honestly and recommend the right starting point.
“Early Google Ads. Early Facebook Ads. Early LinkedIn Ads. The companies that figured those out while everyone else waited built advantages that lasted years. AI platforms are opening the same window. We’d rather learn alongside clients who want to be early than wait for someone else to write the playbook.” — Rodney Warner, Founder & CEO
Who we’re for
This is early-stage territory. AI advertising partnerships work when expectations align with that reality.
We’re ideal for
- Companies with existing paid media success who want to extend to emerging channels
- Leaders comfortable with experimentation and unclear ROI in early phases
- Teams with budget allocated specifically for testing new channels
- Organizations already investing in AI visibility who want paid to complement organic
- Decision-makers who understand first-mover advantage requires first-mover risk
- Companies that value learning and documentation over immediate guaranteed returns
We’re not ideal for
- Companies expecting proven ROI from day one
- Organizations without existing paid media fundamentals in place
- Teams that need every dollar to produce measurable results immediately
- Anyone looking for a mature channel with established best practices
- Companies without budget flexibility for experimentation
- Organizations uncomfortable with honest conversations about uncertainty and limited data
The companies that succeed are the ones willing to bet on where attention is going, not where it’s been. If you need certainty, this isn’t the right channel yet. If you want to be learning while competitors wait, let’s talk.
Read This First: Comprehensive Fit Evaluation
Transparent pricing
AI advertising follows the same model we use for PPC and Paid Social: a base management fee per platform plus a percentage of ad spend that decreases as you scale. Creative development is quoted separately.
Investment
$1,000/month + 12%-5% of ad spend
Per platform base fee plus tiered ad spend percentage
Platform landscape audit from $500 | Creative quoted separately
Timeline
Ongoing
Month-to-month retainer with platform access driving pace
Some platforms open now. Others have waitlists. We move fast when access becomes available.
Payment
Monthly retainer
Base fee plus ad spend percentage billed monthly
Three-month minimum commitment
What drives investment
- Number of platforms. Each AI ad platform has its own base fee and ad spend calculation
- Ad spend level. Higher spend means lower percentage rates, tiered like tax brackets
- Creative scope. Text prompts are simpler than video production or multi-format campaigns
- Platform access. Available inventory varies by platform and changes frequently
Example: $75,000/month ad spend on one platform = $1,000 base + ($50,000 × 12%) + ($25,000 × 10%) = $9,500/month
No surprises, no hidden fees. Each platform is a separate engagement. This keeps pricing aligned with actual work.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about AI advertising engagements.
What can you actually do for us right now?
Plenty, even with access constraints. As of February 2026: We assess which AI ad inventory is accessible for your category. We build ready-to-launch campaigns (landing pages, tracking, creative) so you’re not starting from scratch when access opens. We position you for betas and partner programs. We run tests in available inventory like Google AI Overviews (via Google Ads) and Copilot placements (via Microsoft Ads). And we document everything so you build institutional knowledge as these platforms mature.
What happens in the first 30 days?
Discovery and setup. We dig into your brand DNA, map your personas to AI platform contexts, and assess which platforms have accessible inventory for your category. Platform accounts get set up and verified. Tracking infrastructure gets built. We develop initial creative concepts suited to conversational formats. If inventory is available (Google AI Overviews, Copilot), initial testing begins. By day 30, you have a clear picture of what’s accessible, a ready-to-launch framework, and early test data if platforms allowed it.
How is this different from regular PPC?
The platforms are different (ChatGPT, Perplexity vs. Google, Bing), the ad formats are different (sponsored follow-up questions, contextual integrations vs. search ads), and the maturity is different (early-stage vs. established). But the fundamentals of paid media apply: targeting, creative, bidding, optimization, measurement. Our PPC expertise translates even though the specifics are new.
Can you advertise on ChatGPT?
OpenAI announced ad tests in January 2026 for free and Go tier users. Ads will be labeled as “sponsored” and appear separate from organic responses, often at the bottom of answers. Restrictions apply for minors and sensitive topics. No self-serve platform yet. We monitor access and position clients to move fast when broader rollout happens.
Can you advertise in Google AI Overviews?
Yes, this is the most accessible option right now. AI Overview ads run through existing Google Ads infrastructure, appearing in AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. Available in multiple countries including the US. If you’re already running Google Ads, this is the fastest path to AI ad exposure.
Can you advertise on Perplexity?
Perplexity launched sponsored follow-up questions in November 2024 with partners like Indeed and Whole Foods. They paused accepting new advertisers in late 2025 while refining their model. We monitor for reopening and help clients prepare campaigns so they’re ready when access returns.
Can you advertise in Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft is testing ads within Copilot, leveraging Bing/Microsoft Ads infrastructure. Users in Copilot are often in work/productivity contexts with higher intent. We can run campaigns through Microsoft Ads that may surface in Copilot contexts. Note: Copilot ad inventory is tied to consumer Bing experiences. Some business contexts (like Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for Entra ID users) don’t include ads.
What about Google Gemini?
Google’s ads leadership has stated they have no current plans for ads in Gemini itself. AI Overviews (which do have ads) are separate from Gemini. We monitor for changes.
What kind of creative assets do AI ads need?
Most formats right now are text-heavy: sponsored prompts, follow-up questions, conversational placements. Some platforms support video (Perplexity sidebar). Text-based creative is faster to produce and easier to test. We quote creative development separately from management because scope varies by platform and format.
What does a “sponsored follow-up question” mean?
It’s Perplexity’s ad format. After a user gets an answer, they see suggested follow-up questions. Some are sponsored by advertisers. When clicked, the AI generates an answer that relates to the advertiser’s offering. The brand pays for the placement, but the AI writes the response.
Can you guarantee we’ll get access to ChatGPT ads?
No. Platform access is controlled by OpenAI, Perplexity, Google, and Microsoft. We can’t guarantee access, but we can position you to move fast when it becomes available and help you get on relevant waitlists or partner programs.
How much should we budget for ad spend?
Platform and goals determine this. AI platforms generally command premium CPMs compared to traditional display. Google AI Overviews uses existing Google Ads infrastructure with similar pricing patterns. ChatGPT pricing isn’t established yet. We recommend starting with test budgets you’re comfortable potentially losing as you learn. Our management fees scale with spend: $1,000 base per platform plus 12% on the first $50k of ad spend, decreasing at higher tiers.
What kind of results should we expect?
Honest answer: we don’t know yet, and neither does anyone else. These platforms have limited performance data. Early advertisers are establishing benchmarks. We’ll give you whatever data is available and be transparent about measurement limitations. This is an investment in learning and positioning, not guaranteed returns.
How do you measure success without clear ROI data?
We track what we can: impressions, clicks where available, landing page engagement, conversion events. We build attribution as platforms allow. We also measure learning: what creative approaches work, what audiences respond, what platforms deliver quality traffic. The goal is building knowledge that pays off as channels mature.
Should we wait until these platforms are more mature?
That’s a legitimate choice. The tradeoff: you reduce risk but also reduce first-mover advantage. Companies learning now will have institutional knowledge when these channels scale. Companies waiting will be starting from scratch. There’s no wrong answer, just different risk tolerances.
What’s the relationship to AI visibility work?
Complementary. AI visibility is organic presence (getting cited without paying). AI advertising is paid presence (sponsoring placements). Both get you in front of buyers using AI tools. Running both creates compound effects: organic citations build credibility, paid placements drive immediate visibility. The intelligence from each informs the other.
What if we’re already doing PPC with another agency?
We can work alongside existing agencies or take over PPC entirely. AI advertising can be standalone if your current agency doesn’t cover emerging channels. Or we can provide broader paid media management if you want everything under one roof. Whatever makes sense for your situation.
What happens when these platforms change?
They will change. Constantly. New features, new formats, new pricing, new access rules. That’s why documentation matters: our learning compounds even as platforms evolve. We stay current on changes so you don’t have to. When something shifts, we adapt strategy and keep you informed.
Ready to advertise where attention is going?
You’ve seen why AI advertising matters and what’s actually possible right now. Maybe you’re ready to start testing. Maybe you want to understand the landscape first. Maybe you need traditional PPC working before adding new channels.
We’ll tell you what we’d actually recommend, including if this isn’t the right move yet.
Book a consultation to discuss your specific situation. We’ll cover platform access, realistic expectations, budget requirements, and how this fits with your broader marketing strategy. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll say so. If you should wait, we’ll tell you that too.
Houston-based, serving clients nationally.
