We are living through one of the most exciting and transformative moments in digital marketing. The rise of advanced AI powered algorithms has resulted in a strategic paradox; journeys’ are more hyper-fragmented yet interconnected than ever before, giving agencies the opportunity to rethink media strategy from the ground up.
What once was a world primarily defined by channels, placements and direct engagements has now fundamentally become a world about signals; the vital yet often unseen inputs that AI uses to build narratives, generate answers and shape consumer perception long before a single click is made.
Brands operating on legacy channel-based strategies are quietly becoming invisible, losing the battle for trust and authority in the AI ecosystem. Brands that learn to understand, shape and optimise these signals will be the ones that win.
Why signals now matter more than channels
AI has completely rewired how information flows online. When a consumer asks a question, from “is this product good?” to “which holiday should i book?”, AI engines don’t go to a single, authoritative page. They rapidly scrape and synthesise signals from across the entire digital ecosystem: from reviews & expert commentary, short-form video & peer-led UGC, to authentic discussions on platforms like Reddit or on-site content & editorials.
AI relies on the collective, distributed body of evidence, the signals, about a brand or category across hundreds of touchpoints.
This means the brands with the strongest, and most consistent signals across the right spheres of influence are the ones AI will champion. For many brands, there’s still a long way to go. Recent analysis at Brianlabs of 2 billion signals shows that in the highly competitive travel sector, many incumbent brands are underleveraging their potential, only showing up in an average of <3% of the key search signals AI synthesises.
The new reality… platforms are converging
Reddit is now one of the most visible domains in UK search results, and Google’s partnership ensures those discussions feed directly into AI Overviews.
Short-form video and UGC are increasingly prioritised as key credibility signals.
AI engines like ChatGPT and Gemini often pull YouTube videos, forum content, or credible social posts into their answers.
A single, quality piece of content can now influence YouTube Search, Google SERPs, multiple AI summaries, and competitive product comparisons simultaneously.
This is the new playing field for media strategists.
The strategic imperative: brands must map their signal architecture and journey
Every category has its own unique Signal Architecture, the specific channels, formats, and sources that disproportionately shape AI output. Understanding and mapping this architecture is the first critical step to winning the signal era.
For the pet food category where the journey can be 14 times longer than other CPG categories, Reddit and Social plays a huge role in visibility. In fact, for the UK and US specifically, Reddit ranks #3 and #8 in the Google SERP for pet food related queries.
If we look at the streaming category, streaming giants may own 77% of platform-first exploratory searches (i.e. “top new netflix shows”), but the real growth for challengers lies in the 33% of queries driven by mood and genre. Dominating these “best-of” signals allows challengers to intercept consumers during the critical discovery phase
Rebuilding media strategy around signal optimisation
The opportunity is exciting: media strategy can now be rebuilt around a focused plan for signal optimisation.
- Identify your high-weight signals
Understand where AI looks first for your category, which sources shape AI overviews and key competitor comparisons? And who influences sentiment? - Strengthen the right signals
Create useful demos, engage authentically in relevant forums, invest in expert reviews, and partner with credible creators. - Fix weak or negative signals
Outdated reviews, old criticisms, or lingering negative threads are signal gaps, not search gaps. Prioritise fixing these gaps aggressively. - Build cross-channel momentum
Signals compound powerfully. One strong YouTube video, echoed and validated on Reddit and supported by high volume, positive reviews, can quickly become the dominant AI narrative for your brand.
By mastering the right signals in the right spheres of influence, brands can shape and build influence across the entire digital ecosystem. The brands that rise in the next 12-24 months won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets; they’ll be the brands that understand which signals matter, where those signals live, how AI interprets them and how to leverage them to drive a competitive advantage.
