What if AI agents could bridge the gap between what brands say and how they behave, allowing consumers to shop with their values, rather than being hoodwinked by vanity marketing or greenwashing?

In a marketing ecosystem in which the potential for AI to amplify bias at scale is clear, Sara Denby, Director of the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative at the Said Business School at the University of Oxford, shared her lens on a more hopeful and inclusive future. One in which AI agents become the new brand activists.

Denby shared her perspective on how marketers shaped by Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) communication, must now wake up to the impact of Agent to Consumer (A2C) consumerism. Where consumers increasingly outsource their buying decisions to AI.

“AI agents are the new brand activists,” she shared. Using the analogy of a golden retriever she shared that her AI agent knows everything about her. Especially when it comes to her values and priorities and the issues she cares about. 

In the wake of the focus on the ethical issues surrounding the fast development of AI, Denby’s approach suggests the opportunity to use technology as an enabler of inclusion. “All this running with scissors may pay off,” she quipped.

Denby pointed to the fact that her AI agent would understand the data from the Unstereotype Alliance’s research. Research which confirms that inclusive ad campaigns deliver 3.5% higher shorter-term sales and 16% higher longer-term sales. The study also found that inclusive ad campaigns drive 15% higher levels of customer loyalty and a 62% higher likelihood of being a consumer’s first choice.

“My agent knows that inclusion drives income,” she explained, adding: “When my AI agent goes hunting for me, it doesn’t just accept a brand’s claims, it does the research.”

Denby is alluding to a fundamental shift in brand discovery. As she explains: “The first moment of brand truth isn't on a shelf or a scroll; it's a recommendation from an AI agent. It looks at Google reviews, news coverage, all the details behind all those headlines.”

“If it publicly rolls back from its DEI initiatives, those brands won't make the cut,” she explained, adding: “AI agents will tell the difference if a brand is overstating its environmental claims; if a brand is greenhushing, it will not show up at all.”

“Some might say the brands not embracing inclusion will become irrelevant, redundant and dismissed,” she added. According to Denby, the brands that will show up through her AI agent are those standing firm in their commitments to inclusion. These brands are consistently building equity that other brands will struggle to grow.

“My agent will ensure that brands that don't show up will disappear from sight,” she added. 

Photo credit: Bronac McNeill Photography

Creativebrief is proud to be supporting RISE with the free to access RISE Trend report. Please register to receive the report here: