A new advertising channel arrives. Someone immediately asks whether the business should “get in early.”
Maybe. First, can you explain what you would advertise, to whom, and what a worthwhile result looks like?
OpenAI’s September 2026 advertising update describes testing Sponsored Agents: people can begin a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad. Product access and formats may change, so check current advertiser information before making a media plan. OpenAI’s announcement
The interesting question is not whether the channel is new. It is whether your offer belongs in that conversation.
Begin with a buyer problem
Choose an offer that addresses a recognisable need. “We do digital transformation” is hard to evaluate. “Find the three manual reporting tasks worth automating first” is easier.
The landing page or conversational experience should match the ad. If the ad offers a practical assessment, do not send people to a homepage that requires a treasure hunt.
Prepare answers to common questions about scope, process and next steps. If you cannot explain the offer internally, an advertising platform will not politely fix that for you.
Set a learning budget
Define a maximum spend and a review date before launch. Decide what evidence would justify another test.
A small test may tell you more about message fit than long-term profitability. Avoid treating a handful of leads as proof of a stable acquisition cost.
Use the same qualification definition you use elsewhere. Otherwise a new channel can look brilliant simply because its “lead” means someone clicked a button.
Measure past the click
Track enquiries, qualified conversations and actual opportunities where possible. Note time spent reviewing and following up.
A campaign that produces twenty unsuitable enquiries can be more expensive than one producing three useful conversations. Your sales team’s calendar is not a free resource.
Ask prospects what they expected when they clicked. A mismatch here may point to the offer or creative, not the platform.
Keep claims under human control
If a conversational advertising experience is available to your account, review the information it can use and the commitments it may make. Pricing, availability and guarantees need explicit limits.
Keep an escalation path for questions the system cannot answer. An AI representative should not improvise your refund policy for dramatic effect.
The sensible approach is curiosity with a spreadsheet: a defined offer, capped spend, consistent measurement and a stop decision. You can learn from a new channel without turning the whole marketing budget into an experiment.
