Consumer Behavior

AI redefining brand reputation, consumer trust

Photo: Generated by AI. Adobe Stock.

December 4, 2025

More than half of consumers often or always check a retailer or brand's reputation before engaging, and, at the same time, AI-driven discovery tools is reshaping what voices and platforms consumer trust most.

Those are findings from a Sogolytics report, "Beyond SEO: How Online Reputation Wins Business in the Age of AI," which explores how AI intelligence is transforming the ways consumers evaluate businesses, according to a press release.

Additional findings include:

• One in five consumers regularly use ChatGPT, Google AI or similar tools to research businesses, and 16% say AI recommendations most influence their final choices.
• 71% check Google reviews before deciding, yet younger adults increasingly rely on TikTok, Instagram and AI-based discovery channels.
• 38% of consumers question credibility when all reviews are positive, and 61% expect businesses to show proof of corrective action after a negative incident.
• 13% of consumers interpret the absence of a business from AI results as a sign it is "less established" or "less trustworthy."