10 DAYS WITH
OpenAI ADS
What happens when advertising enters the conversation?
THE FIRST DAYS OF A NEW MEDIA ENVIRONMENT
Search has traditionally captured declared intent, while social has given brands access to audiences, interests and behaviours.
ChatGPT introduces something different: context.
People are asking questions, exploring options and making decisions within a conversation. And now, brands can become part of that environment.
We spent our first 10 days with OpenAI Ads looking beyond the launch headlines to understand what this new environment could actually mean for marketers.
FROM KEYWORDS TO CONTEXT
One of the most interesting shifts is context hints.
Rather than targeting only specific keywords, advertisers describe the conversations, creative strategies, needs and situations where their offering could be relevant.
The question becomes less:“What will people search for?” and more: “When will our product become useful?”
Think of a Greek traveller asking:
“I’m going to Crete for four days. Where should I stay if I want something quiet but close to the action?”
Or someone looking for a new laptop:
“I need one under €1,200 for work, video editing and some gaming.”
These aren’t simply searches. They are decision contexts.
THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE REALITY CHECK
ChatGPT Ads are now open across Europe, including Greece, giving marketers access to a completely new digital marketing environment.
But being early and using something right away does not automatically mean effective.
The audience is currently limited to Free and Go users, while the platform is still establishing its performance benchmarks. CPCs and CTRs cannot yet be judged against the maturity of Google or Meta. Measurement is familiar, Pixel, Conversions API, click-through and view-through attribution, but proving true incrementality will be the harder quest.
Because the real value may not be the click. It may be influencing the decision before the click ever happens.
SO, WHAT DID 10 DAYS TEACH US?
We don’t think ChatGPT Ads are “the next Google” or “the next Meta”. They are something different. A media environment built around context.
The biggest opportunity may not be reaching another audience. It might be starting to matter when someone is actively figuring out what they need, what to choose and why.
Ten days in, we are still learning what that is worth and that’s exactly what makes being early interesting.
The advantage of being early isn’t knowing the answer. It’s having the chance to learn before everyone else does.