Consumers unhappy with non-human customer support responses may soon experience a more inviting online ad experience that enables real-time conversations within the ad space.
GMS, an AI-driven communications solutions company for global enterprises and mobile network operators (MNOs), launched Generative Response Ads in November. This innovative digital advertising format enables consumers to directly engage in real-time conversations with brands within the ad space.
AI-powered interactive ads enable dynamic, two-way conversations directly within the ad space. Shoppers can ask questions and receive real-time, contextually relevant answers in natural language. This innovative approach enhances the customer experience by simplifying their journey and providing tailored information without the need to navigate to a separate page.
This brand-specific AI technology goes beyond generic conversational advertisements and scripted chatbots by ensuring every interaction aligns with an organization’s unique products, services, and messaging. It delivers tailored responses, fosters a naturally conversational experience, and allows consumers to receive information without navigating to a separate landing page.
“We are laying the groundwork for a new era of interactive advertising that’s only just beginning,” said Marina Petrova, head of gen AI business at GMS. “For the first time, customers can have a conversation with brands right within an ad. Recognizing its potential to transform the marketing and business ecosystem, we are proud to lead this disruption at the intersection of technology, marketing, and business.”
Benefits of Interactive AI Ads
These interactive advertisements allow brands to instantly connect with their audiences, introduce new revenue streams for publishers, and offer agencies a future-forward format that helps optimize campaigns. They reduce friction, are suitable for any industry, and provide an ideal scalable approach that gives consumers quick, reliable answers that improve conversions and drive deeper user interactions.
This bolsters ad inventory value, increases dwell time and keeps audiences within an organization’s ecosystem longer. A key benefit of GMS technology is that it empowers businesses to unlock new value by deepening customer engagement and improving client experience.
This new ad format is a proprietary technology GMS developed in-house, with patents pending, noted Petrova. It is currently implemented only through GMS’s platform. Its inaugural deployment was with AdSpark, an ad tech firm in the Philippines for Globe, a telecommunications company that serves over 90 million subscribers.
Campaigns with other partners and brands are launching soon. GMS expects its feature to be available to a range of marketers, brands, publishers, and agencies through strategic partnerships and integrations, she offered.
“We consider it as pivotal as the advent of programmatic advertising or the introduction of video ads. It is a major shift and the first time that brands can engage their audience directly within an ad,” said Petrova about the significance of the new ad space tool.
Phased Rollout Prioritized Over Rapid Deployment
AI is new, the product is new, and there needs to be seamless collaboration among multiple players — marketers, brands, publishers, and the GMS team, among other considerations.
Despite the wave of interest among potential adopters, GMS made the difficult decision to decline some requests to go live immediately, including for time-sensitive opportunities like Black Friday.
“While we’re excited by the enthusiasm, our focus remains on delivering an experience that’s as innovative as it is responsible, and this requires a phased rollout,” she offered.
That is a necessary approach, given the new technology is a transformative phase in advertising. So the ultimate goal is having brands, publishers, agencies, and ad tech providers everywhere benefit from the Generative Response Ads, she added.
“Adoption covers so much — from changing mindsets around what ads can do to educating brands and consumers on how to interact with this new format. The concept of an ad answering questions directly, in real-time, is very new, so helping users understand its potential will take time,” mused Petrova.
How Interactive AI Ads Work
In this early phase, the interaction between the shopper and the bot agent takes place through a texting window, primarily due to the responsible scaling approach.
“But voice is, of course, coming next,” assured Petrova. “Another significant part to take into account is customer adoption. Right now, pretty much no one knows that they can talk with ads, be it through text or voice. So, it is a gradual rollout, but a truly exciting one,” she observed.
This format is perfect for retail, though, she added. Generative Response Ads simplify and shorten the customer journey. It works wherever customers value immediate answers and seamless paths to action, making it an excellent fit for businesses of any size or sector.
Answering questions directly within the ad eliminates unnecessary clicks and guides shoppers toward decisions faster. It impacts finding the right size, confirming availability, or learning about product details.
Another feature is an anonymized log of customer questions the system sends to marketers alongside standard performance metrics like impressions and clicks. These logs provide insights into what customers care about most, according to Petrova.
No Tech Skills Required
Despite the complexity of the technology that powers it, the goal was to create Generative Response Ads so non-technical users could easily and quickly build the ads. In most cases, no integrations are required.
However, that depends on what marketers want their AI model to know. Petrova explained that if the intent is to draw from data stored in a CRM or other systems, integration options can be explored to align with specific goals.
The interaction is powered by a brand-specific AI model created for each brand. This model is tailored to reflect the brand’s voice, style, and facts, ensuring the ad delivers relevant answers in real time.
“Once the AI model is ready, it is seamlessly integrated into a banner ad. This integration allows the interaction to happen directly within the ad space, eliminating the need for additional platforms or on-site installations. The process is cloud-delivered, making it efficient and easy to deploy across campaigns,” she detailed.