As the usage of AI continues to increase and integrate into daily life, opinions and associations with the brands utilizing this technology become more important. Brand fit shapes consumer behavior, trust in AI, and willingness to use or buy.
With the recent surge in the AI market, many brands are jumping in, developing and deploying AI applications across nearly every sector. From mobile phones, finance, and healthcare to e-commerce and streaming video/music and gaming services, companies are shaping the future of their businesses by using AI to solve consumer pain points.
As a college student, I’ve used AI to synthesize information, research, and create fun images and videos. I was unaware of all the other ways businesses and people use AI in so many industries. I am curious about many of these applications that can enhance many people’s lives. Still, like a growing number of consumers, I am a little worried about the impact of AI on privacy and identity theft, cheating, spreading misinformation, and the potential impact on workers.
This summer, as part of my internship at Reach3 Insights, we conducted a study to see how perceptions of AI have changed since previous studies (August 2023 and February 2023) and identify/prioritize usages, or “Jobs-to-be-Done,” for AI. As the usage of AI continues to increase and integrate into daily life, opinions and associations with the brands utilizing this technology become more important. Brand fit shapes consumer behavior, trust in AI, and willingness to use or buy.
Our study aimed to learn more about the top brands associated with AI applications across many scenarios, with the goal of helping Reach3 clients understand opportunities in the market.
Capturing and Tracking Real-Time AI Sentiment via Conversational Research
To capture authentic, real-time insights for this research study, we used our conversational research approach and the Rival Tech platform to engage over 1,400 consumers from across the US, aged 13-59, who are at least somewhat familiar with AI.
Recently, we shared findings on overall sentiment and what people most value from AI. This article focuses on brands' fit for AI usages, covering major industries and the biggest global brands today.
Since we were evaluating specific usages, we did not include any general association with AI. As we saw in our study last year, Google is the clear leader in the public’s association with overall AI (75%).
Today, I will focus on brand associations for AI applications within each category above.
Tech: Consumers Think Apple is the AI Leader
Let's start with the technology industry, since this is the space where AI is most applicable.
In our study, Apple emerged as the top brand for both computers and mobile phones. Apple had a jump start with its presence in the voice assistant space with Siri. Although this is not a generative AI product, Siri can feel like an AI assistant, albeit with some limited capabilities. Apple is also a well-known, reliable, and trusted brand—consumers likely feel more comfortable using AI built into familiar Apple devices.
Interestingly, Microsoft Surface rises to the top as a fit for computing. This is likely due to Microsoft’s promotion of Copilot and its investment in OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT.
I also find it notable that the leading wireless carriers—T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T—come in right behind the largest phone manufacturers and are a good fit for AI. Consumers already trust them to keep their personal data safe, and having AI built into their wireless service builds credibility that it will work reliably and securely.
Entertainment: Spotify, YouTube, instagram and PlayStation Lead the AI Pack
AI plays a pivotal role in the entertainment industry, with recommendations based on past behaviors, personalization, video/audio quality optimization, and content creation. According to a recent Forbes article, “AI holds immense potential to transform the industry, enabling faster concept creation and iterations as well as increased potential for experimentation during production.”
Several of the brands across streaming music and video, social media and gaming applications have made early in-roads into AI with features such as:
- Content recommendations based on behavior and preferences
- Personalized lists/content and ads
- Chatbots for customer service
- Proactive online gaming harassment, anti-bullying feature (PlayStation 5®) through biometric analysis of players and AI
Leaders in the streaming music (Spotify) and video (YouTube, Netflix), gaming console manufacturers (Playstation, Xbox/Microsoft, Nintendo) and leading social media players (Meta) are known and trusted for these enhanced features with many consumers using them today.
Retail: Amazon, Walmart Lead AI-Driven E-Commerce
E-commerce is another area that has been at the forefront of AI technology, making our shopping experiences easier and more personalized. Examples include personalized product recommendations, chatbots, virtual shopping assistants, dynamic pricing, fraud detection, and logistics optimization.
Top retailers—Amazon and Walmart—lead the pack when it comes to AI applications that make shopping easier, more personalized, and cost-effective. According to a recent survey of US shoppers from the web development firm HostingAdvice, consumers trust these retailers most for security when shopping online.
Among CPG companies, Coke and Pepsi, the US's most well-known soft drink brands, are most associated with AI. Both brands use AI in their innovative marketing and activations, and Coke has even launched a new soda flavor “from the future” using AI.
Financial Services & Insurance: Visa, PayPal and Nationwide Emerge As AI Leaders
The leading financial and insurance companies most trusted for AI-based applications have a strong reputation for security and data privacy practices and tools, including Visa, Nationwide, PayPal, Anthem/BCBS, and United Health Group. These brands will be able to address critical safety requirements for all AI applications, including fraud detection/prevention, real-time monitoring, and user authentication.
What's next in AI for these brands?
Our research shows that AI sentiment is changing and that certain brands are doing a better job at associating their products and services with AI than others.
Looking ahead, it's critical for global brands to understand consumers' Jobs to Be Done when developing AI features or products. Getting deep insights on consumer concerns and barriers to entry will help you adjust your messaging and marketing initiatives. Ongoing engagement with consumers, for example through an insight community, could help with these challenges.
Of course, it's important to be mindful of how we engage with consumers about a topic like AI. Getting authentic consumer feedback requires a research approach that feels enjoyable for participants and that gets them to open up. A conversational approach, the same methodology we used for this research, can help you get high-quality quant, qual and video feedback to better understand the consumer landscape.
A Trusted Research Partner for Your AI Studies
If you're looking for a full-service market research firm to partner with to understand what's next in AI, Reach3 has the experts you need. We have experts in the tech industry who can help you navigate what's ahead. Also, the Rival platform, the core technology in most of our research studies, uses AI to make it easier and faster to capture more profound insights.
Have a new research topic on your roadmap? Are you curious about our capabilities and product roadmap? Want to create your own proprietary insight community to engage relevant audiences about AI? Reach out to our team and see how we can work together.
