The Consumer Journey Has Changed, and Awareness Matters More Than Ever
For decades, marketers have relied on a predictable funnel: build awareness, drive research, and convert the sale. That model worked when consumers searched, compared, and decided. Artificial intelligence has changed that pattern. The modern customer journey is shorter, more direct, and more conversational than ever before.
Today, people do not always search for answers. They ask for them. They ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Copilot who makes the best SUV, which college is right for them, or where to get a mortgage. Instead of scrolling through ten links, they get one confident answer.
That shift is having a measurable effect. Across many industries, clicks from search are down as much as sixty percent. Consumers are finding what they need without ever visiting a brand’s website. The middle of the marketing funnel, where discovery and comparison used to happen, is disappearing.
And that means awareness matters more than ever.
If a consumer has never heard of your brand, your chances of being recommended by AI are almost zero. AI can only suggest what it can recognize and verify. Awareness is what feeds the Ask moment.
The New Funnel: Awareness → Ask → Verify → Act
In this new environment, success begins before anyone opens a browser.
- Awareness: The consumer already knows your name. They have seen your content, your people, and your story.
- Ask: When they turn to AI, the system recognizes your brand and includes it as a credible option.
- Verify: The consumer checks what AI told them by visiting your site, reading reviews, or viewing your social presence.
- Act: The decision happens quickly, with fewer touchpoints than before.
The brands that succeed are those that are visible before the Ask and credible when the verification happens.
Awareness Is the New SEO
Generative AI tools do not just crawl websites. They learn from what is trusted, shared, and consistent. Visibility, authority, and reputation now shape discovery.
To be recognized, your brand must exist in the conversation both online and off. Video content, community engagement, and thought leadership all signal relevance to AI systems and to consumers. Awareness is no longer a soft metric. It is the foundation of discoverability.
And it is not only digital awareness that counts. Old school PR still works. Press coverage, speaking engagements, and earned media all contribute to the credibility signals that AI systems use to rank and reference information. Traditional PR builds real-world authority, which strengthens how AI views and represents your brand.
Real People, Real Places, Real Connection
Even as AI reshapes discovery, people still crave real voices and authentic experiences. Across the country, local content creators, reporters, podcasters, small business owners, and influencers are filling the trust gap that corporate media leaves behind.
These are the people documenting city council meetings on TikTok, reviewing restaurants on YouTube, and telling community stories that resonate because they are rooted in real life.
This is where modern awareness is built: through authentic, human storytelling. Brands that join those conversations by supporting local events, collaborating with real creators, and sharing content that feels genuine become recognizable, credible, and trusted.
AI can summarize data, but it cannot replicate the emotion of a familiar voice or a hometown story. The brands that win will be those that connect through real people in real communities.
The Brand Leader’s Playbook
To stay visible in this new search ecosystem, brands should:
- Invest in awareness before the Ask. Use consistent storytelling and media visibility to get your brand into the conversation early.
- Keep your brand discoverable and verifiable. Maintain accurate data, reviews, and listings so AI systems and consumers can confirm who you are.
- Create human content. Show faces, tell stories, and participate in your community both online and offline.
- Use PR to build credibility. Earned media, interviews, and public appearances remain powerful ways to increase visibility and authority.
- Encourage engagement. Reviews, testimonials, and local partnerships are the new digital word of mouth.
The Takeaway
Artificial intelligence has changed how people look for answers, but not what they value. Awareness still drives trust. Human connection still drives action.
AI can only recommend what it recognizes. Consumers can only trust what feels real.
Clicks from search may be falling, but connection is not. Brands that invest in awareness, credibility, and authentic storytelling will still be the ones consumers choose.
Local content and real people continue to win. The brands that build awareness today will be the ones AI recognizes and consumers trust tomorrow.
