New Digital Age recently spoke with Conrad Arnavutian, SVP at MikeWorldWide UK to learn more about the impacts of AI and Generative Engine Optimistion (GEO) on brand markets…
Hi Conrad – tell me about your role – what sort of thing takes up most of your time?
I run the technology practice at MikeWorldWide UK, although “tech PR” only scratches the surface of what we do.
Technology is more pervasive than it ever has been and I enjoy its unpredictability and how it’s shaped by – and is shaping – geopolitics, economics and culture. AI is of course a huge part of this conversation. This always presents both a challenge and an opportunity for my clients, so a big part of my time is spent helping clients translate business priorities into technology communication strategies that work across markets, particularly across Europe.
It’s one of the things I enjoy most and as a language graduate (yes, many moons ago now…), I still have that affinity towards anything international. Part of that is why – alongside my colleague Harriet – I relish strengthening and maintaining our global partner network. We’ve got one of the most resilient, robust networks out there and we’ve got a few exciting things coming up this year. Watch this space!
What are the key concerns that your clients are talking about right now?
Unsurprisingly, given the current climate, clients are chiefly talking about AI in all its various forms and applications, but the conversation has shifted mainly from curiosity to execution: “How can I get the best out of AI for my own team and for the business?” Specifically, clients want to ensure they are set up for AI success as a team. Internally, they’re asking what AI readiness truly looks like – do they have the right skills, workflows, governance and tools in place to fully capitalise on AI-driven opportunities?
At the same time, they want to know they are showing up properly in the right places at the right time externally, particularly when it comes to ranking highly within Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) environments. And we’re increasingly seeing the value of earned media as a key driver for GEO, so clients are understandably wanting to tell creative, compelling stories that will drive earned coverage to help support that LLM (Large Language Model) ecosystem.
Why is advertising featuring in the results of popular AI tools such as GPT such a big deal for brand marketers? What’s changing?
Advertising appearing inside AI tools like ChatGPT is a watershed moment for brand marketers because it signals a shift in where influence happens. Discovery is no longer confined to search engines and social feeds; it’s unfolding inside generative answers. When AI becomes the interface, the brands it references – and now promotes – shape decisions at the point of intent.
I like to think, therefore, we’re entering GEO 2.0, a new era of influence that could reshape the way brand marketers consider their ad pounds. In GEO 1.0, brands’ priority was credibility. They refined their owned and earned content so AI systems would recognise them as accurate, authoritative sources.
What’s changing with GEO 2.0 is the elevation of paid media within these environments. Advertising won’t just support discovery; it will increasingly determine it. As AI platforms introduce sponsored placements, paid investment will influence which brands enter the conversation in the first place. There’s big money in this as well; up to $750 billion (£555 billion) in revenue projected is expected to be shaped by AI-driven discovery by 2028. So, brand marketers of both a B2B and B2C persuasion have a huge task – or, rather, opportunity – on their hands.
We’ve been hearing about/discussing Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) for a while now – why do you think having GEO strategy is “no longer enough”?
As AI becomes a default research tool, optimisation ensures your brand is visible, credible and more likely to feature in AI-generated answers.
But the pace of change of AI is exactly why GEO strategy is no longer a competitive advantage. Algorithms change, platforms develop, AI models sharpen. GEO should be a baseline for brand visibility. It is simply another weapon in a marketer’s arsenal – albeit it’s one of the most powerful ones.
The challenge now is not simply optimisation but securing meaningful inclusion within AI-generated responses, something that can be particularly difficult for smaller brands competing against established players with big budgets.
All of this means brands can no longer rely on a single optimisation strategy. They need visibility across every channel, including paid, earned, search and owned (PESO), as the AI agentic landscape and wider platform ecosystem continues to evolve.
Why should brands connect their GEO and paid media strategies?
Ultimately, GEO drives trust by relying heavily on recent, authoritative and well-structured non-paid content to shape responses. AI models synthesise what they can verify, cross-reference and contextualise.
According to a recent report by Muck Rack, just under 25% (!) of all links cited by AI come from journalistic sources, underscoring the reliance of AI models on earned media sources. And those brands with strong organic visibility and consistent media messaging are more likely to be referenced accurately and favourably.
The lesson? Paid placements may secure presence, but it is organic authority that sustains inclusion, shapes sentiment and influences how a brand is described within an answer.
Unpaid optimisation builds the foundation, ensuring brands are represented accurately and recognised as having authority in its field. Paid advertising then amplifies that presence, opening the conversation, accelerating visibility and reinforcing influence at key decision moments. Used together, they create both immediacy and legitimacy.
What key piece of advice would you offer brand marketers right now for the year ahead?
The easy answer here would be “invest wisely in your AI strategy”, but I think that’s a given – and most are (I hope) giving it serious thought. For me, in this area of AI, brands need to be more authentic than ever before. This is a true strategic imperative, although not necessarily a tangible one.
Consider the recent stories around Seedance 2.0 – the new AI model from ByteDance of TikTok fame – creating cinema-quality AI-generated content from just a few written prompts. Or simply these slightly unrealistic videos of wildlife doing highly dubious activities that just happened to be caught on camera.
These two examples aren’t necessarily examples of brand reputation at stake, but what they do show is a move towards a world where trust in what people see is more fractured than ever before. The brands that show that authenticity – and who cut through the misinformation – will win out.
