TTD: AI Reshapes the Consumer Brand Consideration Path, but "Being Presented by AI" Does Not Equal "Being Chosen"

Recently, The Trade Desk (TTD), based on relevant research and market observations, proposed that AI is reshaping consumers' brand consideration paths, with brand competition moving further upstream from the purchase stage to the consumer research and consideration stage. TTD believes that AI can help brands enter consumers' shortlists, but "being surfaced by AI" does not equal "being selected by consumers." For brands, entering the shortlist is only the beginning; the real challenge lies in how to continuously provide clear, credible and consistent brand information throughout consumers' research, comparison and purchase processes, and to build trust through quality Open Internet media, driving product recognition into longer-term brand value. According to research by The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, the changes brought by AI are not only about speeding up search and information organization, but also about changing the way consumers filter brands. AI can quickly aggregate product reviews, compare product specifications, and narrow a category with many choices down to a few candidate brands. Research shows that 77% of U.S. consumers expect to use AI search more in the future. For Chinese brands expanding overseas, AI offers an opportunity to enter consumers' field of vision more quickly, but also accelerates the speed at which brands are filtered out. This trend is particularly evident during the shopping season. eMarketer expects U.S. holiday season retail sales to reach $1.413 trillion in 2026, up 4.1% year over year, higher than 2.7% in 2025. However, consumers do not rely entirely on AI to complete purchase decisions. The same research shows that 95% of consumers will double-check AI-generated results, and 87% say they do not fully trust AI and will further verify other sources of information. Consumers often return to the Open Internet to verify product information. Research shows that consumers are 1.6 times more likely to complete a purchase through the Open Internet than through AI tools. Based on this consumer path, TTD distinguishes brand outcomes in the AI era into "Being surfaced" and "Being selected": the former refers to a brand appearing in AI answers, product comparisons or recommendation results; the latter refers to consumers having enough confidence in a brand to learn more and ultimately purchase. A survey of the U.S. consumer electronics market conducted by TTD together with Appinio shows that Chinese brands expanding overseas have an average Top 2 Box result of 76% on the "value for money" dimension, close to 78% for overseas benchmark brands. But more than half of U.S. consumers remain "neutral" in their trust toward Chinese brands expanding overseas, and the combined share of "first-choice brand" selections obtained by the Chinese brands surveyed is less than 5%. This shows that Chinese brands have gained a certain level of product recognition, but still need to further transform "worth trying" into "trustworthy and worth choosing for the long term." TTD's survey shows that 45% of respondents regard product quality and reliability as an important factor in maintaining brand loyalty, higher than the 31% who value discounts. TTD believes that where an ad appears is as important as what information the ad conveys. After consumers complete initial screening through AI, a credible media environment can help them further verify brand information and form judgments about the brand. Research by The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting among 4,500 consumers in the United States, the United Kingdom and France shows that 85% of surveyed consumers say a quality media environment enhances their trust in the advertised brand; quality media can increase consumers' purchase intent by 40%, and its effect in driving consumer action is 30% higher than that of non-quality media; compared with non-quality media environments, ads in quality media are 50% more effective in improving positive brand perception. Through the TTD platform, advertisers can connect to quality media scenarios in the Open Internet such as connected TV (CTV), online video, audio, news media, display advertising and digital out-of-home (DOOH), continuously conveying brand value at different stages of consumer discovery, research, comparison and purchase. For Chinese brands expanding overseas, the value of quality media is not just about expanding exposure, but also about using a credible content environment to provide trust endorsement for product information and help brands move from "entering the shortlist" to "being selected by consumers." Wu Yulin, Senior Director of Business Development for TTD China, said: "AI is helping marketing teams process data, discover opportunities and optimize campaigns more efficiently, but the core of brand building has not changed. For Chinese companies expanding into overseas markets, what really matters is not just letting consumers see products, but through clear brand value, a trustworthy media environment and a consistent consumer experience, gradually transforming product recognition into brand trust."