The AI revolution isn’t on the horizon—it’s happening now, fundamentally transforming digital marketing. Agencies are being called to radically rethink their approaches, and at Threepipe Reply, we’re not just keeping up; we’re setting the pace. We’re fully embracing these seismic shifts, building new frameworks, and guiding our clients as we test, learn, and evolve together in real time.
Today’s consumers are more dynamic and unpredictable than ever, moving seamlessly between searching, streaming, scrolling, and shopping—sometimes all at once. The traditional marketing funnel, a longstanding campaign staple, is struggling to keep up with this new fluid reality. Consumer journeys have become “predictably unpredictable,” spanning platforms and touchpoints in ways that defy easy categorisation. AI-driven innovation is accelerating these changes, fundamentally altering how people discover, consider, and buy. But these same innovations also give us the tools we need to keep up, adapt, and ultimately thrive.
In this rapidly changing landscape, Google has introduced two groundbreaking features: AI Overviews and AI Mode.
AI Overviews, launched in the UK in August 2024, provide concise, AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, delivering fast, context-rich answers and often eliminating the need to sift through multiple sites.
But it’s AI Mode that marks the most profound shift yet. Now live in the UK after trials in the US and India—and soon to roll out across 200 countries and 40 languages—AI Mode replaces the traditional list of search results with a conversational interface. Users receive curated, dynamic answers that distil the best sources into a single response. For brands and marketers, the stakes are higher than ever: visibility in these AI-generated responses is the new gold standard. If your brand isn’t featured, you’re invisible. There’s no longer a second or third place—just in, or out.
This transformation demands a new approach. At Threepipe Reply, we’re proactively testing strategies to ensure our clients’ brands appear in these coveted AI-driven summaries and responses. That means rethinking everything from SEO and content to data and how we leverage AI-powered tools. We’re helping clients decode these new systems, experiment with best practices, and ensure their digital presence is optimised for AI-powered search.
Google is already testing ads in AI Mode across the US, spanning text, shopping, and Performance Max campaigns. There’s no confirmed UK launch date yet, but one thing is certain: to be visible in AI-powered search, brands must embrace AI-powered targeting. This includes Broad Match for Search, AI Max for Search (beta), and Performance Max/Shopping campaigns—making feed hygiene more critical than ever.
We’re deepening our AI Max testing at Threepipe Reply, building on experience with Broad Match and Pmax, to expand reach and relevance while optimising creative content. Early results are promising, and we’re confident this is our gateway to the AI revolution.
And Google isn’t alone. Microsoft’s Bing Chat and Copilot, Amazon, and Perplexity AI, are all integrating ads and personalisation into their AI ecosystems. Even OpenAI’s ChatGPT is testing conversational native ad formats, expected to launch within the next year. As AI becomes the backbone of advertising, we’re forging partnerships—like our recent collaboration with Feedonomics x Perplexity—to ensure our clients are ready to capitalise on these generative AI experiences.
Yet, as much as we champion innovation, it’s essential to approach this AI revolution with a healthy dose of scepticism. At Threepipe Reply, our PPC philosophy is clear: we don’t blindly follow wherever Google leads, even when their solutions come wrapped in impressive tech and bold promises. The temptation to adopt every shiny new feature is real, but so is the need for critical evaluation.
AI-powered automation can bring immense opportunity—unlocking new audiences, delivering hyper-relevant messaging, and driving efficiency at scale. But it also introduces real risks: reduced transparency, less control over targeting, and the potential for brand safety issues as algorithms take more of the reins. The black-box nature of some AI tools can make it difficult to understand why certain decisions are made or how budgets are allocated. As agencies, we have a responsibility to interrogate these systems, test rigorously, and ensure that every innovation we deploy is genuinely in our clients’ best interests—not just serving the platform’s agenda.
In this new landscape, discernment is as important as ambition. Our role is to cut through the hype, weigh the risks and rewards, and provide strategic guidance that’s rooted in experience, expertise, and a deep understanding of our clients’ goals. Agencies that succeed will be those who use AI to augment—not replace—human insight, delivering campaigns that are not only innovative and effective, but also responsible and transparent.
The future is here, and it’s powered by AI. But success will belong to those who combine the best of technology with the best of human judgement.
Author: Lorenzo Giammaico
Published: 14/08/2025
