So what should founders and marketers realistically do today?

Julia Amatuni
Head of Strategy & Research working at the intersection of AI, product development, and marketing.
AI-driven traffic to retailers grew rapidly in 2025. Generative tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Co pilot and Google’s AI search features are beginning to influence how customers research products and services. Yet they still represent a small share of overall visits, and most buyers continue to verify recommendations through Google and marketplaces.At the same time, major platforms are testing advertising formats inside AI interfaces. These programmes are real, but still limited and largely inaccessible to most small and medium-sized businesses. So what should founders and marketers realistically do today?
We’ll focus on practical decisions:
You’ll leave with a clear roadmap for where to invest time and budget in 2026 without overreacting to trends or chasing experiments that don’t yet make sense for your business.