New Research: The Reality of AI Shopping and its Impact on Partner Marketing

Fact vs. Fiction

Across the internet, there’s no shortage of opinions about how AI shopping will spell either pitfall or progress for performance marketing. Myths about who uses it, how they use it, and how much their behavior matters are rampant.

Partner marketing leaders looking to define winning strategies for the AI-influenced future ahead will need to cut through the hype and leverage real consumer insights like those laid out in our AI shopping intelligence report.  

Here’s what we’ve uncovered for you:

• Where to find opportunities when the AI shopping market is actually splitting, not growing. 
• How income and age should inform your content strategy.
• Who your power users are and why they represent the most commercially active, highest-intent shoppers in the market.
• How specific LLMs are affecting downstream commercial behavior.
• Why AI’s weakest markets/categories represent the greatest opportunity for performance content.
• What’s the trust-verify paradox, and why is it so important?
• Content’s new role and entry point in the modern purchase journey. 
• Key takeaways for how to win in this market.

The data tells an interesting story. Here’s a sneak peek of just a few insights.

Gen Z Isn’t the Defining Audience You Thought It Was

The most durable shopping audience is actually between the ages of 36 and 55. This discovery should drive marketing leaders to carefully consider content tone, platform strategy, and partner selection across the performance marketing ecosystem. 

The New Audience Divide Behaves Quite Differently

Growth-minded and plateau users. Power users and casual users. And non-users who would only try AI shopping if compelled by a trusted recommendation from a trusted source. These groups represent the new audience landscape, and they’ve rendered universal strategies obsolete. 

Verification Stage = Performance Content Goldmine

Two of the most valuable audiences in AI shopping, the power- and growth-minded groups, are more likely to “always verify” after AI recommendations. Translation? Performance content matters hugely at the verification step and captures more valuable traffic than it ever did at the discovery step. 

Ready for more? Download the comprehensive AI shopping intelligence report to get exact percentages, demographic splits, comparison charts, and resources, including a short- to long-term performance marketing action plan.