Since September 16, clicking on an ad in ChatGPT can open a chatbot financed by the brand, identified as such and separate from the current discussion.
On September 16, OpenAI launched a new advertising format: Sponsored Agents. The principle consists of backing an advertiser-funded chatbot with an ad space. The user who clicks on the ad can engage in a discussion with this agent, ask follow-up questions, and then be redirected to the brand's site or to another step.
OpenAI insists on compartmentalization: the sponsored exchange is explicitly labeled as such, separate from the responses that ChatGPT produces on its end, and separate from the conversation that the user had engaged in before clicking. The format is currently limited to a few advertisers in the United States, including Angi, Wayfair, Newegg, Best Buy, Lowe's and VistaPrint.
Angi, a platform for connecting with craftsmen, is a good example of the commercial value of the formula: its agent can appear in conversations about domestic work, collect project details and then switch the user to their request for a quote. Its co-founder Angie Hicks sees it as a direct path between describing a site in ChatGPT and putting the user in touch with a local professional. In other words, conversational advertising becomes a funnel for generating leads.
Read the full article on the original source
Go to the source →