CMOs cite AI search anxiety to push for bigger upper-funnel budgets

State Farm, Mercedes and Hoka marketers say AI search behavior is a factor in budget debates, arguing brand spend protects consideration as tools like ChatGPT and AI Overviews reshape research.

Why it matters. Marketers gain internal leverage to protect or grow static budgets by framing brand spend as a defense against AI search disruption rather than a discretionary cost.

Signal from digiday.com · Sam Bradley · read the original.

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