Brands & Beyond August 2026

August 31, 2026
7:12 am

DURATION: 5 minutes time read

Floortje Goenee

Succesmanager

☀️ Welcome to the August edition of Brand & Beyond

This month, big things are happening in the digital advertising world — and right here at Deluux. ChatGPT Ads just launched in the Netherlands, AI is reshaping how people find products online, and organic search traffic is being redistributed in ways that matter for every brand.

Plus: we’re heading to London for IAAPA Expo Europe in September. Enjoy the read!

💡ChatGPT Ads launch in the Netherlands

ChatGPT Ads are now live in the Netherlands. Here’s what that means for your brand! As of 24 August 2026, ChatGPT Ads have officially launched in the Netherlands, part of OpenAI’s largest expansion yet, rolling out across 31 European markets simultaneously.

What does this mean in practice? Users on ChatGPT Free and Go plans will now see sponsored ad cards appearing below AI-generated answers. These aren’t intrusive banners but they’re contextual placements that appear when a user’s conversation signals commercial intent: researching a product, comparing options, or preparing a purchase decision.

With an estimated 4.8 million Dutch users on ChatGPT monthly, this creates a genuinely new touchpoint in the customer journey. One that sits even earlier than traditional search. Users aren’t just searching; they’re forming opinions and preferences in real time.

A few important nuances: Dutch advertisers can’t yet set up campaigns independently via Ads Manager — access currently runs through OpenAI’s Ads Solutions team and selected agency partners. Self-service is expected later this quarter. Ads in the EU also launch without personal data-based targeting; placement is based on conversation context, topic, language, and device.

What this means for your brand: Start thinking how you want to be found, how you are found already and what CHATGPT ads will contribute to your brand.

👉 Want to learn more?

Industry Game-changer

Shopping gets smarter with CHATGPT and Shopify

Shopping gets smarter: how Shopify and ChatGPT are changing e-commerce

The way people shop online is shifting — fast. Shopify’s integration with ChatGPT is creating a new kind of shopping experience: one where users can discover, compare, and buy products through natural conversation, without ever leaving the AI interface.

Here’s how it works: through Shopify’s ChatGPT plugin, users can ask questions like “what’s a good sustainable running shoe under €100?” and receive curated product recommendations directly within ChatGPT — complete with pricing, descriptions, and a direct link to purchase.

For brands and merchants, this opens a fundamentally different discovery channel. Product visibility no longer depends solely on Google rankings or paid search. It increasingly depends on how well your product data, descriptions, and reviews feed into AI systems.

The implications are significant: brands that optimise their product feeds and content for AI discoverability will appear in conversational search; those that don’t, won’t.

What this means for your brand: E-commerce is entering its AI chapter. The question is whether your products are ready to be found by AI — not just by search engines.

👉🏼 Learn more