WFA releases new report on AI visibility and discoverability

WFA has released a new report designed to share best practice for brands in the age of AI-powered search. 

The Future of Discoverability: Why AI visibility is now a strategic marketing priority, produced in partnership with DEPT®, is designed to help marketers who are concerned that previous SEO strategies are no longer fit for purpose in AI-mediated environments. 

The report warns that AI systems increasingly synthesise information from multiple sources, including publishers, creators, communities, retailer platforms and user-generated content, meaning that discoverability is becoming less dependent on traditional rankings and more dependent on consistency, corroboration and structured information across the wider internet.  

Research conducted by WFA at an exclusive launch webinar for members revealed that 96% of participants believe that AI-generated search will have a transformational or significant impact on the way consumers discover and choose their brands  

The 27 brands that contributed – representing a cumulative global ad spend of approximately $31bn – also acknowledge they have work to do to meet that challenge. Just 6% currently have a clear strategy, ownership and measurement framework to ensure AI visibility, with 92% actively developing or closely monitoring developments.  

Part of the issue for many is the diffuse nature of the corporate responsibility, with 43% sharing ownership across multiple teams, and the rest spread across content/SEO, marketing transformation, brand strategy, media and social/creator. 

The Future of Discoverability: Why AI visibility is now a strategic marketing priority argues that traditional SEO and even ‘Generative Engine Optimisation’ (GEO) approaches are now insufficient. Instead, brands must think more broadly about AI visibility, ensuring their brand is consistently represented, validated and retrievable across the wider digital ecosystem that AI systems rely on. 

It includes practical frameworks, operational recommendations and real-world examples from brands working to improve their visibility across AI-generated search experiences. 

“AI-mediated discovery is fundamentally changing how consumers find and choose brands”, said Stephan Loerke, CEO at WFA. “Many marketers understand that this shift is coming, but most organisations are still in the early stages of determining what it means operationally. This guidance is designed to help CMOs move beyond tactical GEO discussions and start building a coordinated approach to visibility, discoverability in AI-driven environments”.  

The report also recommends that brands establish cross-functional governance models, define source-of-truth brand information, monitor AI-generated outputs and develop escalation processes for inaccurate or misleading AI representations.  

“Brands now need to answer to two audiences: humans and AI. AI increasingly shapes what consumers see, consider, and choose. This shift requires a broader approach to discoverability; one that aligns content, data, media, and governance around how brands are represented in AI-driven environments”, said Isabel Perry, Global EVP Strategy, DEPT®. “This guide helps marketing leaders move beyond tactical optimisation discussions and develop a coordinated approach to building visibility, trust, and influence in an AI-mediated customer journey.”