The biggest shift in search advertising since Google Ads
In February 2026, OpenAI launched paid advertising inside ChatGPT — the AI platform now used by over 900 million people every week to research, compare, and make purchasing decisions.
Most New Zealand businesses have no idea this exists yet.
That’s your window.
Early movers in new advertising channels almost always win — lower competition, lower costs, and a brand advantage that’s hard to recover once competitors catch up.
We saw it with Google Ads. We saw it with Facebook Ads. ChatGPT Ads is next.
What are ChatGPT Search Ads?
ChatGPT Ads aren’t just another keyword match. They show up inside the conversation — when someone is actively exploring, comparing options, and moving toward a decision.
Think of it as a new layer in the customer journey:
Discover
Someone asks ChatGPT for ideas or options in your category.
Compare
They're evaluating solutions and asking follow-up questions.
Decide
They're narrowing down and looking for the right provider.
Your ad shows up during that process — before they’ve even clicked through to a website or run a Google search. That’s influence at the earliest, most open stage of the decision.
Ads appear below the relevant ChatGPT response, clearly labelled as sponsored — a simple image, headline, and body copy.
Clean, contextual, and designed to fit naturally into the conversation.
New Zealand is a supported market. You can target NZ users right now.
We're running these ourselves. Here's What We Know.
We don’t just talk about new platforms — we test them.
We’re currently running ChatGPT Ads for our own agency, which means we’re building real first-hand understanding of what works before we scale it for clients.
Here’s what we know right now:
- Minimum spend is $25 per day — accessible for the right businesses
- Conversion tracking is available — results are measurable
- Custom audience lists can be uploaded to target or exclude (minimum 25,000 contacts)
- Ad format is a 1:1 image with headline and body copy — simple and clear
- The platform is new — competition is minimal and costs are low
- Context matters — how you frame your ad affects how and when ChatGPT surfaces it
- Clear, direct messaging and multiple creative variations improve performance
We’ll be honest: this is an emerging platform and the industry is still learning what works best. But that’s exactly why getting in now matters.
ChatGPT Ads aren't for everyone. Here's who they suit.
ChatGPT Search Ads work best as part of a broader marketing strategy — not as a standalone channel. They’re particularly well suited to businesses in retail, e-commerce, travel, education, professional services, and B2B.
They’re best suited to businesses that:
- Already have Google Ads or Meta Ads running
- Have a monthly ad spend budget of $3,000+
- Want to reach customers earlier in their decision-making process
- Are serious about being ahead of their competition
Note: some regulated industries may have restrictions based on OpenAI’s current platform guidelines. We’ll let you know upfront if your category has any limitations.
If that sounds like you — let’s talk.
Lets start a conversation
Are you ready to drive real growth for your business? We’d love to hear your vision and goals.
Call us on 0800 999 549 or fill out the form and let us know how we can help and we’ll be in touch soon.