The effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on brand visibility online is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by the team from Sauce Advertising: Leanne Levine, local digital lead; and Kwezi Ngcukana, senior digital strategist.
Established in 1988, Sauce is one of the largest and oldest advertising agencies in the country. It counts businesses such as Famous Brands, Mugg & Bean, Wimpy, Cashbuild, Sorbet, Steers and Nashua as clients.
Listen to the conversation:
According to the company, AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity are changing how consumers discover information.
Instead of displaying a list of search results, these AI engines deliver direct answers — meaning if your business isn’t part of that answer, it is effectively invisible to potential customers.
Levine explains that globally, websites of all kinds are grappling with the effect of zero-click search and sliding organic traffic numbers; and businesses in SA are no exception.
She also helps to paint a picture of how various advertising mediums have been affected by AI.
According to Ngcukana, when it comes to discovery in AI search, consistency and accuracy are the bare minimum.
“What this means, in practical terms, is yes — you need to keep your name, address and place data 100% up-to-date and accurate wherever it appears, but also cleverly deploy structured data to make it easier for AI tools to parse your business, and bring in things like real reviews and fresh, multi-dimensional content for greater visibility.”
Through the discussion, the team outlines ways in which brand can stay visible in the AI world; shifts in consumer online behaviour that business need to be aware of; and a look at possible realities that the new technology may bring.
Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcasts Production.
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