In the zero-click era, visibility alone is no longer enough for brands

“Chatbots may shape what people discover, but word of mouth still shapes a brand’s reputation,” said Verena Gründel, host and director of brand and communications at DMEXCO. “The more trusted and consistently recommended a brand is across real conversations and public sources, the more likely it is to remain part of the consideration set.”

How zero-click search is changing the equation for brand visibility

The rise of zero-click search is putting growing pressure on publisher traffic and reshaping the digital ecosystem. As Digiday previously reported, similar to publishers, marketers have seen a shift in web traffic in light of the rise of AI search.

At the same time, the relationship between paid and earned visibility is becoming more complex. Some marketers are reallocating budgets and increasing their focus on PR and earned media as they seek greater visibility in AI-generated answers. But earned media cannot simply replace paid media: the trusted editorial environments that AI systems draw on also need a sustainable economic foundation. Per Digiday reporting, brands are prioritizing things like blogs, brand content and landing pages in addition to external brand narrative. For example, what gets picked up in a chatbot result could stem from a press mention or affiliate article. Gründel describes this tension as the “earned-paid gap.”

“The earned-paid gap shows that marketers cannot simply buy their way into AI visibility,” Gründel said. “They need to earn trust through credible coverage, relevant content and a consistent brand narrative, because these are the signals that increasingly shape what AI systems recommend.”

 As AI-generated answers reduce clicks, the economic model of the open internet is facing growing pressure. The challenge is to develop a healthier balance in which AI-driven discovery can grow without undermining the high-quality content and trusted editorial environments on which it depends.

For marketers, this means that machine-readable content, credible third-party coverage and a strong reputation will become increasingly important. Brands need to ensure that their information is reliable, accessible and consistent across their own channels and trusted external sources. The broader goal must be an AI-driven web that creates value without weakening the open internet on which it relies.

“This year’s DMEXCO motto, ‘Scaling Intelligence,’ reflects exactly this challenge,” Gründel said. “Becoming AI-ready is about more than adopting new tools. It requires reliable data, well-structured content, clear processes and the right skills to turn AI into real business value while keeping the brand recognizable, credible and human.”

Transitioning AI from pilot to sustainable value while fostering the human touch

The phase dominated by AI experimentation is giving way to a new focus on implementation and measurable value. The key challenge is no longer simply whether companies use AI, but how they integrate it into processes and business models in ways that create sustainable value.

Successful scaling depends on more than technology itself. Reliable data, clear responsibilities, integration into existing processes and acceptance within organizations are becoming crucial to turning AI from individual pilots into an operational tool. At the same time, companies need clear governance and responsible human oversight as AI becomes more deeply embedded in marketing and business decisions.

Meanwhile, the flood of automated, AI-generated content is driving renewed interest in distinctly human forms of communication and interaction. As automation increases, creativity, trust and personal exchange gain rather than lose importance. Personal contact, chance encounters and physical interactions at live events can generate insights and relationships that are often not captured in searchable or indexed content. These include spontaneous reactions, candid feedback, unspoken concerns and emerging ideas that have not yet been documented or indexed.

For brands, the same principle applies to communication itself. AI can increase speed, scale and efficiency, but it cannot replace a clear brand identity, genuine relevance or the human judgement required to decide what a brand should stand for and how it should communicate.

Ultimately, despite the rapid advance of AI and automation, humans must remain at the controls. Technology can support efficiency and scale, but brand identity, strategic direction and responsible decision-making still require human judgement.

“Technology should create space for better thinking, not replace it,” Gründel said. “Marketers can use AI to handle tasks and increase efficiency, while people remain responsible for the strategy, the story and the decisions that give a brand meaning. The strongest results emerge when human and artificial intelligence work together.”

Partner insights from DMEXCO