Consumers are increasingly turning to AI to help them make decisions.
Not just to find information, but to answer questions, evaluate options and navigate everyday situations.
Instead of typing short queries, people now ask AI full questions, like:
What should I bring to a BBQ?
What’s a light drink after a long week?
What can I make with what I already have?
They aren’t browsing anymore. They are deciding, in the moment.
Why this matters:
Marketers already have access to a wide range of consumer data.
Search data helps us understand what people are looking for
Social data shows what people share and discuss
Surveys reveal attitudes and stated preferences
But there is still a gap. Few methods capture the moment when someone is actively trying to solve a problem, make a choice or figure something out.
Prompt data offers an early glimpse into that.
What this whitepaper explores
Using approximately 35,000 publicly available prompts and AI responses in the alcohol category, this whitepaper explores:
How people express needs and questions in AI conversations
The role context and situations play in decision-making
How AI structures and responds to those needs
When and why brands appear in AI-generated answers
What prompt data might add to the future insight toolkit
This is not intended as a definitive view of digital consumer behavior. Rather, it is an early exploration of a new and rapidly evolving source of insight.
What stands out
Consumers think in situations, not categories
Questions are often rooted in moments, occasions and practical needs rather than products or brands
Prompts reveal real intent in context
People don’t simply state preferences. They describe goals, constraints and real-life situations
AI shapes the outcome
It simplifies, frames, and guides decisions
Brands are rarely the starting point
They only appear if they help solve the situation
Relevance may matter more than visibility
If it doesn’t fit the moment, it doesn’t show up
Why it matters
AI is no longer just a channel. It is part of the decision itself.
That changes how influence works and raises new questions for marketers:
How do brands remain relevant when consumers start with a need?
What makes a brand useful enough to be included in an AI generated answer?
How might AI reshape the relationship between awareness, relevance and choice?
While it is still early, our findings suggest that brands may increasingly need to think beyond visibility alone and focus on being connected to specific situations, needs, and decision-making moments.
Get the full report
Download “What People Ask AI: A New Layer of Consumer Insight” to explore:
Download the whitepaper
People are asking AI what to do.
The question is whether your brand is part of the answer.
