OMMAX Events

Teck Talks 2025: The AI-powered consumer brand

Our event explored how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping value creation in the consumer sector.

Event recap

Munich, October 9, 2025 | As conversational AI and large language models redefine how consumers discover, decide, and connect, traditional SEO and digital marketing tactics are being disrupted. At OMMAX’s Tech Talks: The AI-Powered Consumer Brand, leading voices from Google, IU Group, Zendesk, and the luxury space convened to explore how AI is reshaping visibility, trust, and brand value.

Key takeaways that every brand should prepare for

During the event, one clear consensus emerged: AI only matters when it creates visible value for customers, not just cost savings. Across industries, delivering on this potential requires strategic execution, a strong data foundation, and customer-centric design.

LLMs are reshaping visibility: Consumers no longer search — they ask. AI systems like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode now decide which brands are seen and trusted. Latest AI innovations by OpenAI and Google ensure the highest visibility & performance.
Return on Loyalty (ROL) becomes the North Star: As Dr. Beate Klingenberg highlighted, AI must create perceived added value — brands that deliver time savings, better products, personalization, and trust will earn loyalty.
Social, search, and (agentic) commerce are converging: ChatGPT now enables direct purchases (Shopify, Etsy), and we are entering the era of agentic commerce. Much more to come in the next weeks.
AI traffic converts 9× higher: A Cornell–Forbes study confirms, users arriving via AI recommendations show far greater intent than traditional search traffic.
Leaders are amplified, not equalized: Top brands are cited up to 10x more often in AI answers. If your brand is not mentioned across online channels, you risk disappearing in AI answers. We already observe a traffic decline of up to 40% for some consumer industries.

If your brand isn’t visible to AI, it risks disappearing from tomorrow’s customer journey. Now is the moment to shape how AI sees, cites, and recommends your brand.

Insights from our speakers

Dr. Beate Klingenberg - Authenticity is the ultimate differentiator

“AI can support connection, but it can’t replace trust.”

In a marketplace shaped by algorithms, Dr. Beate Klingenberg, Brand Senior Executive Advisor and OMMAX A&E Network Member, reminded the audience that authenticity remains the most valuable differentiator. While AI can enhance communication, it cannot replace the emotional trust that underpins strong brands.

Drawing on her experience in the luxury and lifestyle sectors, Beate highlighted that more than 50 million consumers have left the high-end segment in just two years, reinforcing the importance of credibility, coherence, and emotional resonance. Brands that lead in the AI era will be those that use technology to deepen, not dilute, authenticity.

Sven Schütt - Personalization that scales human learning

“Use AI to amplify human learning; not to shortcut it.”

For Sven Schütt, CEO of IU Group, the lesson was clear: AI’s purpose is to amplify human potential. IU’s AI-powered tutors help more than 140,000 students learn up to 30% faster by tailoring content and feedback to individual needs.

Rather than replacing teachers, the system gives learners freedom to choose between human guidance and AI support, ensuring that success, challenge, and celebration remain personal. Students using the AI companion ask 10× more questions, proving that technology can unlock curiosity when designed responsibly.

Christopher Harms - Efficiency meets empathy

“Automate what’s repeatable and elevate what’s human.”

Christopher Harms, Lead Business Transformation Strategist at Zendesk, demonstrated how AI is redefining customer experience economics. By automating up to 80% of service requests, companies achieve 30–45% efficiency gains while maintaining satisfaction.

AI-driven support interactions now cost roughly €0.38 per conversation versus €1.40 for human-only service, freeing teams to focus on moments that matter. As Harms noted, true AI success in CX is measured not by speed but by resolution quality and sustained trust.

Lisa Stirnal - Data readiness defines visibility

“Design for AI discovery, not just clicks — and let AI do the heavy lifting for ROI.”

Lisa Stirnal, Principal at Google, showed how AI is reinventing discovery itself. With AI Overviews already reaching 1.5 billion users and Lens usage up 65% year-on-year, search is becoming conversational.

“Be where discovery starts and decisions are made,” Lisa urged, emphasising that success now depends on credible content, clean data pipelines, and consistent presence across channels. Early adopters of AI-driven campaigns are already seeing 3–4× higher conversion rates, proving how data readiness directly drives business performance.

Dr. Stefan Sambol - AI visibility as the new battleground

“Consumers are no longer just searching — they’re asking.”

Closing the event, Dr. Stefan Sambol, Founding Partner at OMMAX, framed the central shift facing every brand: as conversational AI replaces traditional search, visibility inside AI systems will define growth. OMMAX data shows that brands in the top 25% of their peer group achieve 10× greater AI overview visibility, with traffic from LLMs converting up to 9× better than traditional search.

To stay relevant, organisations must build AI-ready data foundations, track new KPIs such as citation frequency and sentiment, and align content across platforms. Stefan's call to action was clear: make your brand AI-friendly today, or risk invisibility tomorrow.