“What content is being used to answer our customers’ questions?”
It’s a simple question. But too many brands still don’t know.
I’m hearing it more and more — across global FMCG teams and B2B players alike. Because while AI might feel new, the way people search hasn’t changed. They start with a need. A problem. A moment of curiosity.
They’re not asking for your brand.
They’re asking for help.
What is changing is where they’re asking — and who’s doing the answering.
Yes, AI agents are becoming a bigger part of that picture. But let’s not overstate it. AI is now in the customer journey — especially for those using search engines or native tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini. But it’s not the whole journey.
Social media still matters. Communities still matter. Your website still matters.
But with AI increasingly acting as the first point of contact for many discovery journeys, you can no longer afford to leave your customer journey unmapped — or your content unstructured.
AI Is Quietly Rewiring Discovery
This shift hasn’t come with fireworks. But it’s happening — quickly:
- 70% of Gen Z now use AI tools like ChatGPT daily — not just for schoolwork, but for life advice, product recommendations and decision-making (Salesforce, 2024).
- 56% of global consumers say they’d trust an AI-generated answer for product comparisons if the experience feels useful and impartial (PwC, 2024).
- Google’s A2A and Microsoft’s NLWeb allow AI agents to scan and structure your website’s content — not to link to it, but to use it to generate answers. If you’re not feeding them the right content, you’re not even in the conversation.
But here’s the real issue:
Most brands still aren’t showing up well across the full customer journey. And the ones struggling the most?
The Struggle of the Big Brands
Some of the world’s biggest, most established brands — the 100-year-old giants — are finding this hardest.
Why?
Because many have traded off their name for decades. They’ve got scale, but not speed.
Massive teams — but misaligned functions.
Strong offline equity — but fractured digital journeys.
Their customers (typically the older generation) simply won’t be here in a few years time, yet they are not adapting their strategies to attracting their ’round the corner’ customer.
Digital native brands are taking their market share and they still only feel they compete with other large global brands
They’re tankers in a digital world that now needs speedboats.
They’ve siloed digital into a corner.
And customer centricity is still seen as “marketing’s job.”
But let me be clear: this customer journey work isn’t optional. And it’s not owned by one team.
The Journey Still Stands. But It’s Messy.
I use the ACPL model — Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Loyalty — because it gives structure without being restrictive.
It reflects reality:
Customers jump on and off the journey.
Sometimes they start with a trigger and move steadily through the funnel.
Sometimes they go straight to purchase.
Like me last year — two days before I headed up a mountain the weather forecast changed (snow), suddenly realising I needed hiking spikes. Amazon to the rescue.
That’s real life.
Your job isn’t to predict the perfect route. It’s to be there, be found, and be chosen — wherever and whenever they land.
What Real Intent Sounds Like
Let’s break down how customer questions show up across the journey:
Awareness
“Why is my skin looking dull?”
“How do I get my products seen in France?”
“How do I make my team more commercially aware?”
No brand names. No sales intent. Just problems needing answers, not product solutions.
Consideration
“Best vitamin C serums for dull skin”
“Amazon vs Carrefour for fulfilment”
“Commercial training providers for manufacturing teams”
They’re comparing. Exploring. They’re open — and ready to learn, not be sold to.
Purchase
“Skinceuticals CE Ferulic reviews”
“Local 3PL setup Paris D2C”
“B2B marketing workshops London”
Now they’re ready — but only if you’ve shown up earlier in a useful, relevant way.
Loyalty
“Can I layer CE Ferulic with SPF?”
“How often should I re-optimise my product pages?”
“Follow-up training for commercial strategy teams?”
Even post-purchase, customers are still asking. Still expecting support. Still making decisions.
So… How Do You Get Better?
Here’s where I’ve been focusing with brands — and where you can start now.
✅ Quick Wins and Cultural Shifts
- Educate your teams
Everyone — not just marketing or digital — should understand the customer journey. - Work as one team
Sales, comms, product, operations — you’re all responsible for customer experience. - Align values, KPIs and language
If you’re all pulling in different directions, the customer will feel it. - Get leadership behind it
Without senior buy-in, the strategy won’t stick. Show them the value and the risk. - Start small, start visibly
Fix one journey. One touchpoint. One product path. Let people see the difference.
This Is Make-or-Break Brand Time
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
If you’re not thinking about the customer of tomorrow, you won’t be around in 5–10 years.
But with AI raising expectations and speeding up journeys?
That timeline is shorter now.
If you’re not mapping the journey, aligning your teams, and building for real customer needs — not internal structures — you’re already behind.
This work isn’t theory. It’s not a “nice to have.”
It’s the difference between relevance and not being in business.
And you don’t fix it by chasing channels.
You fix it by designing the customer journey — together.
Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page) where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publically published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.