# Performance Marketing Shifts to Real-Time Audience Guidance

> AI chatbots and open web strategies reshape performance marketing as brands adapt to consumer behavior changes.
- Title: Performance Marketing Shifts to Real-Time Audience Guidance
- Summary: AI chatbots and open web strategies reshape performance marketing as brands adapt to consumer behavior changes. Marketers must optimize for chatbots and open…
- Keywords: performance marketing, ai chatbots, open web, consumer behavior, chatbots, llm, digital marketing, Performance, Marketing, Shifts, Real-Time, Audience
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/performance-marketing/how-the-performance-marketing-reset-affects-the-open-web
- Author: Emily Dalamangas
- Published: 2026-10-14T15:31:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: performance marketing, ai chatbots, open web, consumer behavior, chatbots, llm, digital marketing
## Industry-Specific Consumer Signals
Consumers show different patterns based on industry, with health and pharma users starting queries with AI.

> They’ll have a conversation with ChatGPT or Claude about: ‘What is this I’m feeling? What is it I’m experiencing?’
## Healthcare Queries Begin with AI
Ian Colley, DeepIntent CMO, says health consumers use AI to research symptoms before consulting providers.

> They’ll have a conversation with ChatGPT or Claude about: ‘What is this I’m feeling? What is it I’m experiencing?’
## Beauty Category Trust Challenges
Jessica Cruel, Allure editor-in-chief, notes beauty consumers need visual proof before purchasing AI-recommended products.

> However, I don’t think purchase will happen there because there’s a trust issue, and the other thing about beauty is it’s a visual medium.
## AI Chatbots Drive Decisions
Elizabeth Cagen, Digitas SVP, states brands must build trust through paid, earned, shared, and owned channels to appear in chatbots.

> In order to be able to be shown within those environments like we need to, we’re talking to our advertisers about how we create these content strategies to build trust across paid, earned, shared, and owned so that you’re building all of that trust so that you’re going to be showing up in these LLMs.
## Open Web Resurgence
Krystal Olivieri, Experian CSO, argues the open web is gaining traction as consumers start with chatbots and move online.

> I fundamentally do not believe that’s the case. I think that this has made the open web. It’s given it a little bit of a resurgence because now people are starting at that chat point, and they’re moving into the open web.
## Human Element Remains Key
Adam Singolda, Taboola CEO, emphasizes that human connection and culture are irreplaceable despite AI advancements.

> There’s one thing that never changes, and that is the human element, the importance of belonging to something, and culture
## Strategic Shift for Marketers
Marketers must prioritize first-party data and open web integration to guide real-time audience decisions.

> Start with that first-party data, the deterministic data. Start there and then build out your campaign from there
## Key takeaway

Marketers must optimize for chatbots and open web to show up in real-time audience decisions amid AI-driven shifts.