OpenAI is testing a new ad format for ChatGPT that features a larger image and an optional personalized call-to-action button with dynamic CTAs including “shop now,” “book now,” “sign up,” and “learn more,” according to mockups viewed by Digiday and confirmed by OpenAI.
The platform is also introducing a mobile and desktop-friendly dedicated e-commerce format that pulls in shopping data including price and customer reviews, with the portrait version designed to stack for carousel-style placement.
Until now, advertisers have only been offered a single ad format that consisted of a headline, short description, image, and link. These new formats provide more control over how their ads appear and a CTA button for the first time.
Digiday notes that more ChatGPT ad features are on the way including:
- Audience targeting to allow advertisers to retarget existing customers or exclude them entirely.
- Lookalike audiences to find new people who share similar traits and behaviors with an advertiser's existing customers.
- Outcome-based optimization, which will let advertisers target against CPAs instead of just impressions and clicks.
- Plus, additional new ad formats that have yet to be announced.
My vote: OpenAI should partner with CJ, Awin, Rakuten, and Impact (which powers Walmart's affiliate program), and even Amazon Associates if they'll let them, and incorporate affiliate links into their organic product answers. This would accomplish two things:
- OpenAI can continue to boast that its organic answers are not impacted by sponsorship revenue — which would be true. The platform would simply be algorithmically integrating affiliate links where available. Myself and other publishers have done it for years on WordPress blogs. OpenAI could certainly handle the integration with ChatGPT.
- The company would instantly monetize its 900M+ ChatGPT users without having to independently onboard a single advertiser. They'd make billions of dollars in affiliate revenue overnight and never have to do a fundraise again. And that'd just be the beginning. Next they could unlock affiliate revenue for travel & accommodation, business & financial services, and other subscriptions. The sky is the limit when it comes to scaling an affiliate revenue model.
Need help, OpenAI? I'll even lead the initiative for you. You'll just have to acquire Shopifreaks for the same amount you paid for TBPN to free up my time. 😂 Jokes aside, I think it's a win-win-win for OpenAI, merchants, and customers. Also, if OpenAI doesn't do it… someone else will.
What are your thoughts? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.
