‘To communicate effectively, we must understand how the robots treat our information,’ Kyle Drenon of Supper Co. says at CSP’s Convenience Retailing University, urging c-stores to prepare for AI's influence on customer interaction and category communication.
More traffic from bots, less from humans
AI is increasingly acting as an intermediary between convenience stores and their customers, filtering content and reducing direct human visits to websites. Bot traffic has surpassed human internet usage, meaning AI models now interpret web properties, summarizing information for users rather than them visiting sites directly. This fundamental shift impacts how c-stores are found and how their brands are digitally translated.
Impartialness of AI won’t last
Currently, AI claims impartiality, but this is expected to change with the integration of advertising into AI systems, making responses less neutral, similar to traditional search engines. AI's influence on purchasing decisions already significantly outweighs organic search, underscoring its growing power in consumer behavior and the necessity for businesses to adapt to evolving AI advertising strategies.
People crave real connections
Despite the rise of AI, human authenticity is proving to be a critical factor in social content engagement. Consumers are seeking genuine connections and prefer less polished, more raw content that simulates real conversations and experiences. This approach, particularly in vertical video, is more effective at engaging users and driving sales, highlighting the importance for retailers to create authentic content showcasing real human interactions with their brand.
