Want AI to Recommend Your Brand? Start Building It Now.

Last month we posted a blog discussing how AI is changing the consumer's search journey (https://bit.ly/AIChangesSearch) and what that means for advertisers. ThinkBox's latest Ultimate Nickables chart expands on this theme by discussing how, for brands looking to win in the age of AI, long-term brand building matters more than you might think.

For years, marketers have talked about the importance of building a strong brand. Now, as consumers increasingly turn to AI and large language models (LLMs) to discover products, services and brands, there’s another reason to take brand building seriously.

The latest Chart of the Month from Thinkbox highlights research by Charlie Oscar, published by WARC at Cannes in June 2026, which looked at 30 brands across six categories over an eight-month period. And one statistic really stands out:

AI doesn't just discover brands. It recognises them.

As we discussed in our previous blog,the way people find information is changing.

Search engines have already transformed how consumers research products and services. Now, tools such as ChatGPT and other AI platforms are increasingly becoming part of that journey.

But when someone asks an AI tool for a recommendation, it doesn't present the consumer with hundreds of options. It tends to surface a relatively small number of brands.

That makes being known, being recognised and being associated with the right things increasingly important. And that isn't something a brand can necessarily achieve with a burst of activity today. It is built over time.

Brand equity is becoming an AI advantage.

Thinkbox's findings reinforce a wider body of research around the value of long-term brand building.

Strong brands create memory structures. They become mentally available. They become familiar and associated with particular categories, needs and occasions.

Those associations don't disappear when a campaign ends.

In fact, the latest findings suggest they could now have another benefit: helping determine which brands AI systems are more likely to surface when consumers ask for recommendations.

That's a pretty powerful reason to think beyond the next click, lead or sale.

So, is short-term marketing dead?

Absolutely not.

The research doesn't suggest that current marketing activity is unimportant. Far from it. Short-term activation can generate immediate demand, drive traffic and convert people who are already in the market.

But there is a difference between creating an immediate response and building a brand that people remember and seek out in the future.

The most effective approach is likely to be a combination of both.

And this is where TV still has an important role.

Thinkbox points to its wider research showing the continuing importance of broad-reach, brand-building media such as TV.

TV can put a brand in front of large audiences, create memorable associations and give brands the opportunity to become part of the culture around the programmes and moments people care about. That matters because brand building isn't simply about being seen. It's about being remembered.

And increasingly, it may also be about being recommended.

The takeaway for brands.

If your marketing strategy is focused entirely on what will generate a response this week, this month's finding is worth thinking about.

The brands that AI recommends tomorrow aren't necessarily going to be the brands that shouted the loudest today. They could be the brands that have spent years becoming familiar, distinctive and meaningful to consumers.

In other words, if you want to be discovered by AI, make sure you're already discoverable in people's minds.

At TVADSWORK, we're passionate about simplifying the world of TV advertising and helping new-to-TV SMEs build their brands with confidence.

We believe TV remains one of the most powerful tools available for creating long-term brand awareness and sustainable business growth.

And getting on TV doesn't have to mean spending millions. In fact, TV advertising is often far more affordable than many businesses expect.

So when you next review your marketing plan, consider how you build your brand, build your memory structures and build your future demand.

Because when consumers ask AI, "Which brand should I choose?", you want yours to be one of the names it knows.

If you'd like to find out what a TV advertising campaign might look like for your business, feel free to contact us for a no obligation chat at hello@tvadswork.com.