Model is having a glow-up, and AI is the glam crew behind it.
The age of AI is giving the idea of ‘model’ its second within the strategic highlight. I’d say we’re experiencing a revolution. My earlier evaluation of search engine marketing instruments for AI search has already revealed how model mentions, sentiment evaluation, and branded search have emerged as pivotal elements for digital visibility.
The prevailing perception: Model will likely be king.
The notion of ‘model’ has flipped, from a nice-to-have to vital. Or as our CMO, Sydney Sloan, says, “A powerful model rolls out the crimson carpet for income groups.”
However whereas a model’s standing elevates in advertising and marketing, CMOs are below big strain to drive advertising and marketing return-on-investment (ROI) and use AI. 88% of promoting leaders are chargeable for assembly a income purpose, however solely 25% report very excessive ROI visibility.
The problem is evident: how can model funding translate into tangible enterprise impression in an AI-driven world?
Buckle up for an eye-opening evaluation that captures POVs from main CMOs, software program consumers, and category-specific sellers on navigating the ‘rebrand’ of brand name within the age of AI.
CMOs and advertising and marketing leaders on model’s altering notion
My daring takeaway from SaaStr 2025 was that CMOs are not simply entrepreneurs in fancy fits; they’re on the vanguard of integrating AI into their model methods. They’re transferring past effectivity beneficial properties to unlock deeper insights and create a stronger market presence.
Model funding has advanced from a imprecise expense to a tangible driver of long-term worth and aggressive differentiation. There’s an urge for food for instruments, methods, and methods that may assist drive this transformation.
Shifting from demand seize to model funding
Price range = enterprise focus, and CMOs are refocusing towards model and are being powered by AI instruments to:
- Monitor and interpret model visibility in actual time
- Decode emotional and visible sentiment
- Seize unstructured model moments (e.g., occasion photographs, memes, evaluations)
- Determine market white house and status dangers sooner
- Flip model right into a enterprise sign — not only a vainness KPI
We requested CMOs and advertising and marketing leaders from G2, VEED.io, LinkedIn, and Reddit if they’re betting huge on model to drive enterprise. And the proof is of their funding pudding.
Main advertising and marketing executives are actually brazenly acknowledging this pivot amidst a really noisy digital panorama.
“We’ve traditionally been very robust on demand seize — search engine marketing, paid, and product-led development have fuelled a lot of our ARR,” notes Leila Woodington, Chief Advertising Officer at VEED.io.
Nonetheless, she rapidly provides, “However over the past 12 months, we’ve made a acutely aware shift to speculate extra in model. AI has accelerated this alteration: The market is noisier, the stakes are greater, and belief issues greater than ever.”
Sydney Sloan, G2’s Chief Advertising Officer, confirms, “At G2, we’re betting huge on model in an age of AI and rising our year-over-year funding to not solely reinforce our trusted model but additionally to increase the worth of G2 on this new period.”
This is not nearly spending extra, however about spending smarter.
So, how are these forward-thinking leaders really placing AI to work? Let’s take a look at the real-world performs.
Reorienting model investments with AI IRL
Again in 2021, 81% of manufacturers might disappear tomorrow and we wouldn’t care. How unhealthy do you assume this example will get in 2025 and past?
Investing in model is a no brainer; the way you wield AI is the precise mind scratcher. Everybody has AI at their disposal, and if not used strategically, your model can shrink to a drop within the sea of sameness. Add decreasing human consideration spans, and voila, your model is invisible!
In keeping with the Director and Co-founder of LinkedIn’s assume tank, The B2B Institute, Tyrona Heath, the true query for us is not whether or not to guess on model. That is a transparent sure. It is how you can leverage AI to make these model investments work tougher for you.
A memorable model is the foreign money to successful psychological availability within the consideration financial system. The place tactical execution is changing into extra democratized, constant model constructing is what fuels long-term development.
The distinctive worth of a well-defined and trusted model turns into the last word aggressive benefit.
Making model measurable and actionable with AI
A vital shift is the improved measurability of brand name impression. VEED.io’s CMO Leila Woodington factors out, “AI helps us make model measurable in new methods, from content material efficiency to artistic testing.” This drive for quantifiable outcomes is corroborated by broader business tendencies.
Market analysis signifies that AI options, significantly these targeted on automation, real-time concentrating on, and predictive analytics, are “main contributors to the sooner ROIs seen throughout these classes,” akin to social media analytics and model intelligence.
Constructing AI capabilities inside advertising and marketing groups
CMOs are additionally actively constructing AI capabilities inside their advertising and marketing organizations. G2 CMO Sydney Sloan established a Analysis Insights crew final 12 months, led by Tim Sanders, to leverage AI for market insights.
Sloan asserted that the crew “is concentrated on conducting proprietary analysis to ship market insights on what’s taking place in trending software program classes. A technique they do that is by making use of AI evaluation to G2 knowledge in addition to exterior analysis.”
This inner give attention to AI literacy empowers advertising and marketing groups to harness the know-how successfully. G2’s strategy entails prioritizing the event of our advertising and marketing crew’s AI expertise, particularly prompting and incorporating AI into our workflows with devoted AI trainers and coaches.
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AI in motion: Sensible purposes for contemporary model constructing
Past technique, main CMOs are deploying AI instruments to raise model impression the place it actually issues: in driving customized experiences, fostering deep buyer loyalty by product integration, and cultivating genuine connections inside specialised communities.
AI-driven efficiency indicators and personalization
For VEED.io, AI is deeply built-in into their operational cloth.
“AI is baked into how we function, not simply what we market.”
Leila Woodington
CMO of VEED.io
The VEED.io crew makes use of AI to research buyer conduct and floor content material alternatives, fueling each search engine marketing and social efforts. Additionally they leverage AI to localize and personalize messaging at scale and to quickly iterate creatives primarily based on efficiency indicators. This holistic integration underscores AI’s function in delivering customized buyer experiences at scale.
Injecting model presence in product expertise to win buyer advocacy
When it comes to strengthening model presence, CMOs are adopting various methods. VEED.io is leveraging video as its core medium, specializing in reside occasions, product storytelling, and short-form thought management.
On the tech aspect, they’re constructing attribution fashions that higher join model touchpoints to income, utilizing AI to hyperlink views and engagement to downstream conversion.
A singular strategic strategy from VEED.io is treating their “product as a channel, not only a vacation spot, so we are able to flip VEED customers into VEED advocates,” enhancing model loyalty immediately by the consumer expertise. This technique transforms current customers into highly effective model amplifiers, a vital transfer in occasions when belief and advocacy are paramount.
Constructing model in area of interest communities (with main examples)
Past conventional channels, B2B manufacturers are additionally discovering success by constructing a powerful presence in area of interest communities, recognizing that AI-driven search usually leads consumers to genuine evaluations and discussions.
In keeping with our newest Purchaser Habits Report 2025, community-driven content material peaks visibility in AI-driven search, with G2 and Reddit main the pack.
Supply: G2 Purchaser Habits Report 2025
What drives G2’s positioning in AI search?
G2’s #1 place in AI search is pushed by its distinctive mix of verified purchaser intent, genuine evaluations, and complete site visitors knowledge, which AI fashions leverage to offer extremely related and trusted software program suggestions. This positions G2 as a vital “third-party efficiency” validator within the AI period.
In keeping with Tim Sanders, VP of Analysis Insights at G2, “AI is consuming SaaS go-to-market (GTM). The most effective practices in 2024 will probably be the worst practices in 2026.”
This underscores the novel shift in purchaser conduct, the place G2’s data-driven strategy immediately feeds into AI’s means to generate concise and actionable shortlists, bypassing conventional, prolonged analysis processes.
G2 CMO Sydney Sloan highlights that, “Persons are not going to Google first; they will LLMs.”
For B2B consumers, particularly in giant enterprises, effectivity and productiveness are paramount. They depend on G2’s structured and verified knowledge to rapidly receive trusted suggestions and consider software program options, essentially altering the analysis, analysis, and decision-making journey.
What drives Reddit’s positioning in AI search?
Kate Karmel, senior director of Mid-Market Gross sales at Reddit, states, “Reddit is the place immediately’s B2B consumers go to coach themselves, to not be offered to. Profitable manufacturers perceive this. They present up with authority, relevance, and a transparent standpoint.”
Karmel emphasizes that efficient manufacturers on Reddit “take part in business conversations, supply actual experience, and leverage instruments like Reddit Professional to determine the high-intent indicators that matter most.”
She cites Auth0 as a primary instance, whose tailor-made strategy to Redditors resulted in considerably decrease prices per sign-up and better engagement. This underscores the significance of audience-specific worth provision: “The manufacturers that earn belief on Reddit don’t push; they supply worth. And in doing so, they meet determination makers on the precise second they’re forming opinions and evaluating options.”
The G2 take
Model is not a gentle metric that’s laborious to measure and map from a enterprise perspective. G2 ROI knowledge throughout 4 adjoining advertising and marketing intelligence classes Social Media Analytics, Model Intelligence, Viewers Intelligence, and Media Monitoring — reveals a transparent development: AI is accelerating time to worth.
Supply: Unique G2 knowledge
Our assessment knowledge throughout 2023, 2024, and 2025 exhibits a transparent ROI compression throughout all classes with two standouts: Model Intelligence and Viewers Intelligence.
AI is rebranding model as a strategic asset, and model intelligence platforms are enabling this phenomenon.
Overview knowledge from Model Intelligence class exhibits a pointy shift: quick ROI, first-time adoption, and excessive satisfaction with area of interest instruments show that model, when powered by AI, is measurable, actionable, and mission-critical.
Prime 5 industries utilizing model intelligence software program:
- Advertising and promoting
- Info know-how and companies
- Retail or eCommerce
- Client items
- Media and publishing
Prime 10 consumer profiles primarily based on G2 evaluations
- CMOs and advertising and marketing administrators
- Model managers and model strategists
- Social media managers and neighborhood leads
- Insights and analytics professionals
- Development and efficiency entrepreneurs
- Artistic strategists
- Founders and CEOs (particularly in smaller corporations)
- PR and communications managers
- Product advertising and marketing managers
- Digital advertising and marketing specialists
Time to ROI is quick, defying model’s ‘gentle’ status
Greater than 55% of reviewers reported seeing clear worth from their model intelligence instrument inside 6 months, demonstrating a fast time-to-value, particularly for SMBs and mid-market gamers, and considerably sooner payback durations even for bigger enterprises.
Model intelligence platforms supply quick, visible, and predictive insights which might be making model efficiency actionable.
- Small enterprise: < 12 months, with many below 6 months
- Mid-market: 7–24 months
- Enterprise: 13–36 months, with just a few by no means reaching full payback
Supply: Unique G2 knowledge
Reliable, narrative-rich model insights substitute namesake dashboards
G2 evaluations reveal that model leaders count on greater than mentions. They need correct, explainable model indicators. If insights aren’t trusted, adoption stalls, and so does model worth.
Prime 3 dislikes primarily based on consumer evaluations:
- Inconsistent knowledge
- UI/UX friction
- Gaps in reliability
Consumers are rewarding specialised model instruments that go deep, not simply broad
Specialised instruments earn extra consumer love than the giants on this house. The satan is actually within the particulars. Distributors like YouScan, Audiense, and Synthesio persistently have general satisfaction between 4.7-4.9 star rankings and a 9.4+ likely-to-recommend scores.
Sharper, community-aware, insight-rich instruments specializing in areas like Reddit insights, influencer visuals, and sentiment nuance are successful available in the market.
Prime 3 capabilities of brand name intelligence software program that delight G2 customers:
- Visible listening
- Picture and brand recognition
- AI clustering for sentiment and themes
Model intelligence software program is a development market, not a churn market
Model intelligence isn’t changing one thing — it’s being added as a brand new strategic layer. Solely ~8% of reviewers reported switching from one other platform. Most are first-time consumers, or beforehand relied on guide or general-purpose instruments.
Ease of use is now a part of model efficiency for software program sellers
G2 evaluations recommend some platforms nonetheless wrestle with onboarding, integrations, or characteristic discoverability.
Autonomy is in, however software program consumers need model intelligence instruments to satisfy them midway with intuitive UX, stable onboarding, and sensible integrations.
Viewers intelligence: the Robin to model intelligence’s Batman
An AI LLM could gamble in your Google rankings and model visibility, let’s not overlook — folks construct manufacturers. So why not get to know them?
Whereas model intelligence tells you ways you’re perceived, viewers intelligence exhibits you who you’re influencing (and how you can attain extra of them!)
Prime 7 consumer profiles primarily based on G2 evaluations
- Model strategists
- Social media and neighborhood managers
- Digital advertising and marketing managers
- Influencer advertising and marketing leads
- Content material entrepreneurs
- Product entrepreneurs
- CX and analysis analysts (particularly for bigger manufacturers and businesses)
Prime 5 industries utilizing viewers intelligence software program:
- Advertising and promoting
- Media and publishing
- Retail and shopper items
- Know-how and SaaS
- Leisure and sports activities
These platforms have gotten central to viewers segmentation, marketing campaign planning, and GTM technique. G2 knowledge exhibits satisfaction is tied to AI depth, not scale.
AI depth drives satisfaction, particularly in viewers segmentation
G2 customers reward platforms that floor extra than simply viewers dimension. AI instruments that decode behaviors, affinities, and purchaser intent win on belief and traction.
Platforms with AI-powered clustering, persona enrichment, and predictive behaviors persistently earn 4.6-4.9 star rankings. These embody instruments like SparkToro, Audiense, and Resonance AI.
Search, discovery, and filters are make-or-break options for software program consumers
Fairly pure, proper? You possibly can’t uncover an perception you don’t know exists in your database. In case your instrument doesn’t allow you to peacefully carry out a search in your dataset, you’re eons away from constructing insights-backed methods.
Opinions present that higher discovery and sensible filtering are key to turning knowledge into technique. “Search,” “filtering,” and “narrowing” are among the most talked about ache factors. Customers need cleaner workflows, particularly when evaluating segments or influencers.
New consumers, new use circumstances
Viewers intelligence is a net-new layer within the MarTech stack, serving to groups transfer from guesswork to proof.
Much like model intelligence, most viewers intelligence customers are first-time consumers, not switchers. However their use circumstances range from marketing campaign planning to neighborhood constructing to influencer vetting. Here is how advertising and marketing leaders are listening to their goal audiences.
Prime 5 use circumstances of viewers intelligence software program
- Viewers segmentation and purchaser persona constructing
- GTM methods, marketing campaign timing, and message alignment
- Micro influencer discovery and target market affinity
- Competitor benchmarking and strategic positioning
- Content material technique optimization
To actually grasp the size of this model reawakening, we analyzed G2 knowledge to uncover some indicators.
Supply: Unique G2 knowledge
AI is the wind beneath model’s new wings
Model is again as a strategic engine, and AI is the gasoline making it measurable, memorable, and market-moving. So, the following time somebody calls model an arrogance metric, present them the receipts.
Manufacturers that pay attention higher, see sharper, and act sooner will win. As a result of immediately, essentially the most iconic manufacturers aren’t constructed accidentally, they’re engineered with intelligence, each mental and emotional.
We get it, AI has its challenges, and we’re all studying as we go. In case you’re scuffling with AI hallucinations, AI search efficiency, or AI governance, every of those reads will assist information you.
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Edited by Supanna Das
