A new report from GALE suggests that artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the newest gatekeeper between brands and consumers, forcing marketers to rethink how loyalty is built in an AI-driven marketplace.
The agency’s latest study, The Preference Economy: Earn True Loyalty or Get Filtered Out, surveyed 3,000 consumers across the U.S. and U.K. and found that many are already relying on AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot to help determine which brands deserve their attention.
Among the report’s most striking findings: 56% of consumers said they are comfortable allowing AI to filter brand communications on their behalf, effectively letting algorithms decide what marketing messages are worth seeing.
“We’re seeing a big shift in the loyalty landscape, and yet some brands continue to think of it as a one-off program rather than a holistic strategy,” said Andrew Noel, CEO of GALE. “CMOs need to consider how to build loyalty in this new era, through multiple touch points, or risk falling behind.”
The findings point to a future in which brands are no longer competing solely for consumer attention, but also for algorithmic preference.
According to the report, nearly one-third of respondents have already used AI platforms to prioritize certain brands over others. Another 24% expect to regularly set AI brand preferences within the next year, while 21% anticipate doing so in the years that follow. Combined with a sizable group that remains open to the idea, GALE estimates that more than 70% of consumers could participate in some form of AI-driven brand preference setting within the next three years.
The study also found consumers may be more willing to share information with AI than marketers realize. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they were completely comfortable allowing AI systems to learn their preferences, compared with 20% for cookies and 17% for social media platforms.
For marketers, the implications vary by category.
Quick-service restaurants face growing expectations around convenience and personalization. More than half of respondents said they want faster and easier reward redemption, while 40% want offers tailored to their actual purchasing habits.
Retail brands may face a different challenge. Existing loyal customers already know where to shop, but future customers may increasingly rely on AI recommendations to discover brands, making visibility within AI ecosystems a competitive necessity.
In travel, consumers value recognition over rewards. Personalized experiences and services that remember preferences were found to be more influential in driving loyalty than traditional points-based programs.
Financial services companies may face some of the greatest disruption. While 12% of respondents admitted they remain with providers because switching feels difficult, half said they have already switched, or seriously considered switching, for a better customer experience.
The report argues that the greatest threat facing brands isn’t outright rejection. Instead, it is becoming invisible.
As AI systems increasingly summarize, rank and recommend options for consumers, brands that fail to establish meaningful preference signals risk being deprioritized before customers ever encounter them.
For marketers, the message is clear: loyalty programs alone may no longer be enough. In the emerging “preference economy,” brands will need to create experiences strong enough to earn both consumer loyalty and algorithmic recommendations.
For more information or to access the full report, see here.
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