Omnicom Media Group research finds a markedly different search marketplace, and new opportunities

Joanna O’Connell, Omnicom Media Group’s chief intelligence officer for North America, spearheaded the research but assembled a variety of team members from influencer shop Creo, cultural specialists Sparks & Honey, commerce shop Flywheel as well as design and research departments. S&H even did a Boolean query to see the latest cultural chatter on the topic. 

“The real fundamental human truth is that we… have a seeking behavior wired in us,” explained O’Connell. “Then it’s a question of, how do people want to seek? In some ways, Google taught us to put in sort of basic, text-based simple queries — but people have all kinds of different motivations and desires and questions and needs. So now they have more freedom to kind of ask in different ways, in all of these different places where they kind of didn’t before.”

The principal changes fall largely along generational divides, with younger generations relying more heavily on TikTok or Amazon for more varied types of search, the research showed — as well as the rapid advancement of newer AI-driven search models from the likes of Perplexity. 

Interestingly, algorithmic advances on social platforms have also engendered a sort of “passive” search experience for younger generations, according to O’Connell. “That’s the genius of platforms” like TikTok, she said. “A material percentage of these younger consumers are starting to say that this is their platform for search.” 

All these findings mean marketers and their agencies need to rethink their approach to search-oriented strategic, planning, measurement, creative, budget management, process, and even organizational decisions. It’s like SEO on steroids.

Marketers “need to understand that this is happening in all of these environments, and all of these environments have their own characteristics,” she added. “And the ways that people use them play out in unique ways in those environments — but that the behavior is happening across environments too.”

The research was conducted through OMG Signal in late September, and canvassed just under 1,500 consumers. 

OMG’s not the only agency thinking about the changing world of search. Independent performance shop Tinuiti in late November issued its Big Bets for 2025 report, whose first of five major bets addressed tectonic changes in search.

“With AI advancing at breakneck speed, the classic blue link search output is about to feel as outdated as the clickety-clack of a typewriter or dial-up’s familiar *kssshhh* buzz,” wrote Tinuiti CMO Dalton Dorné in the report. “We’re entering a high-stakes moment for search, and brands can’t afford to coast on outdated tactics. It’s time to throw out the standard playbook if they want to keep up.”

The report suggests that brands diversify their search spending beyond Google and Amazon, optimize search content for AI interpretation, and consider reallocating ad budgets to test CPM-driven answer sponsorships, especially for high-intent categories.