Short reads for short attention spans

British Airways' parent company launches its own advertising network

International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, has launched IAG Media, a new advertising network connecting brands with more than 122 million annual passengers across British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Vueling and LEVEL.

The network brings together advertising across in-flight entertainment, airport lounges, onboard publications and connected Wi-Fi experiences, including Starlink. Using customer insights and travel destinations, IAG aims to offer advertisers more relevant targeting opportunities throughout the passenger journey.

Why it matters: Retail media is evolving into a much broader commerce media ecosystem, with airlines and other businesses monetising their customer relationships and first-party data. For advertisers, this creates new opportunities to reach valuable audiences at moments of high engagement and commercial intent.

Further reading at IAG:

IAG launches new media and advertising business

Outdoor advertising could make consumers trust AI recommendations more

New research from Bauer Media Outdoor, surveying 2,000 UK adults, suggests traditional advertising could play an important role in building consumer confidence in AI-generated recommendations.

The study found that 55% of consumers would trust an AI-recommended brand more if they had also seen it advertised in public spaces, rising to 68% among 18–34-year-olds. Meanwhile, only 10% completely trust AI recommendations, and 76% would seek additional reassurance before purchasing.

The findings suggest that real-world brand visibility could become increasingly valuable as consumers rely more heavily on AI assistants for product discovery. These are self-reported attitudes rather than measured changes in purchasing behaviour.

Why it matters: As AI increasingly influences which brands consumers discover, traditional media could become more important rather than less. Outdoor advertising may help establish the familiarity and credibility that encourages consumers to trust and act upon AI-generated recommendations.

Further reading at Sign Link:

Real-world ads make consumers trust AI, according to new report

ChatGPT launches business profiles and brand-controlled AI agents

OpenAI has introduced Businesses in ChatGPT, allowing companies to claim verified business profiles, manage product information and access insights into how consumers discover and engage with their brands through ChatGPT.

Through its new Business Hub, companies can monitor brand mentions, website clicks and common discovery topics. Eligible US ecommerce and online service businesses can also create Business Agents that answer customer questions, explain products and guide purchasing decisions directly within ChatGPT.

These agents can appear organically when consumers explore a business or be promoted through sponsored advertising placements. Although businesses provide the information and instructions, the agents themselves are hosted and operated by OpenAI.

Why it matters: ChatGPT is evolving from a discovery tool into a commercial environment where brands can manage their presence, measure visibility and engage directly with potential customers. This creates new opportunities for AI search optimisation, customer engagement and advertising, while potentially reducing reliance on traditional website journeys.

Further reading at Open AI:

Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT