I’ve been building with AI long enough now that the novelty is gone. But early on, it was tempting to treat AI like a faster set of hands. Writing code, iterating prompts, and debugging felt like a high-speed version of 2016. It worked, but the gains were incremental. Then the role shifted.
I stopped trying to out-calculate the machine and started directing agents. I focused entirely on reviewing outputs and killing weak takes. I stopped operating the camera and started calling the shots.
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. AI is now good enough at execution that your real job is upstream. It’s about vision, constraints, and taste. It is the ability to say “that’s not it” and knowing exactly why.
Now here’s where this gets uncomfortable… AI models are directors too.
When a prospect asks a model who to trust, that model casts the brands. It pulls from Reddit threads, community debates, and old blog posts to build the scene. Those are the scripts. If your brand reputation is fuzzy, inconsistent, or simply absent from those spaces, the model won't stop the show. It will just improvise your role.
You might think you’re the lead, but the model might cast you as a supporting character or cut your scene entirely. If you aren't actively directing how you show up in the conversations AI trains on, you’re outsourcing your narrative to a system that prioritizes the internet’s loudest voices. And that’s a pipeline risk.
Let’s get into it.
Patrick Patterson
CEO at Level Agency
Is your brand reputation being decided by /u/PizzasAndPPC?
Reddit is one of the few places where buyers say what they actually think. No polished testimonials. No curated case studies. Just raw comparison and commentary (oh, and 121 million daily active users... NBD).
So how do you plan for that kind of exposure? We’re sitting down with experts from Reddit and Level Agency to show you how to approach Reddit as a strategic part of your marketing mix.
We’ll break down:
Why Reddit is a primary data set for AI search
How to participate without sounding like a corporate intruder
How to launch creative that actually feels native
How real conversations shape brand reputation and pipeline
Search Is Fragmenting Faster Than Most Teams Realize Search behavior is spreading across YouTube, Amazon, Reddit, and niche communities in ways that are now measurable. SparkToro analyzed 41 sites with significant internal search activity and confirmed what many teams feel anecdotally: intent no longer lives in one engine. Read more
Stop Treating Attribution Like a Scoreboard This MarTech piece highlights how attribution models often substitute for real performance conversations. Leaders should be asking whether marketing activity is advancing accounts and pipeline, not just redistributing credit across channels. Read more
Your Product Page Is Now a Visibility Engine High-converting ecommerce pages share a pattern: layered proof, structured FAQs, clear comparison context, and frictionless next steps. What matters here isn’t cosmetic optimization. It’s whether your page can answer objections cleanly for both buyers and AI systems summarizing your offer. Read more
Forty Videos a Week Won’t Save You YouTube is absorbing a wave of low-effort AI content, and feeds are getting noisy. Search Engine Journal outlines the scale of the issue. Volume is rising. Audience patience isn’t. Brands that invest in clarity, expertise, and production discipline will stand out as the algorithm adjusts to quality signals. Read more
Connected TV Is Becoming an Infrastructure Battle The Trade Desk’s Ventura ecosystem signals a push for greater control over supply paths and measurement standards in CTV. If CTV is a serious line item in your budget, ecosystem alignment will shape performance. Read more
Free Tools Are Cheap. Governance Isn’t. UGC production tools are multiplying, and many are free. This comparison breaks down the tradeoffs clearly. If UGC feeds paid media at scale, reliability and oversight will matter more than entry price. Read more
Deep dive: AI
Model switching signals workflow maturity
TechCrunch reports that some users are shifting from ChatGPT to Claude, complete with migration guidance. That development is less about brand rivalry and more about workflow specialization.
Claude has gained traction for long context handling and document analysis. For teams working through research, contracts, or dense internal documentation, those capabilities affect day-to-day output quality. The presence of switching guides indicates that users are moving from experimentation into structured tool decisions.
For growth leaders, the implication is operational. Teams are unlikely to standardize on a single model across all use cases. Instead, model choice will align with specific tasks: research, content drafting, analysis, coding, or synthesis.
AI maturity looks like orchestration across systems rather than loyalty to one platform. Defining what “excellent” means for each workflow will produce better outcomes than debating which model wins headlines.
Marketing and finance are arguing about different scorecards
Digiday outlines how Reddit has established itself as a meaningful upper-funnel channel for brand advertisers. The context matters. Buyers increasingly consult peer discussion threads during evaluation, especially for considered purchases and B2B decisions.
Reddit threads appear in Google results, AI-generated summaries, and social feeds. They function as public due diligence. Brands that show up constructively in those environments influence perception before a paid click ever happens.
Upper funnel activity now intersects with credibility. If your brand has no presence in organic conversations, paid media must compensate for that absence. Reddit’s strength lies in proximity to real buyer dialogue, which makes it strategically relevant for teams thinking beyond immediate conversion metrics.
If you’re thinking through where Reddit fits in your own funnel, we’re hosting a live session on March 19th to break down how marketing leaders are approaching it strategically.
I’ve tested 5+ AI video platforms recently. WAN 2.6 and Kling 3.0 were in a different league. Veo 3.1, Grok, and Sora 2 weren’t close.
Kling wins on realism, motion physics, and scene consistency. It feels less like “AI video,” and more like early-stage production footage you can actually work with.
Definitely doesn’t replace high-end creative, but it makes high-speed iteration real. And right now, it’s one of the strongest models in the category.
What does ChatGPT actually say about you?
When a potential buyer asks an AI agent for a Top 5 list in your category, do you make the cut? More importantly: Why or why not?
Don't leave your brand’s reputation to an algorithm you haven't audited. Our scorecard pulls back the curtain on how AI platforms frame your brand sentiment and which sources they use to vet your authority.
Inside your custom report:
Sentiment analysis: Is the AI's summary of your brand accurate or outdated?
Citation audit: Discover which third-party sites are feeding the AI your info.
AEO roadmap: Immediate steps to improve your "AI discoverability."
