How brands can win authority in LLMs - with Havas, Heineken and Publicis

With the advent and adoption of AI search, consumers’ online research and discovery behaviours are shifting. How can brands win authority in this new space?Last month at our annual Future of Brands conference, industry leaders convened in London to unpack the challenges facing brand marketers in a rapidly changing media ecosystem. One such nascent problem for marketers and their agencies: how brands are showing up in large-language models (or LLMs).Laura Kell is chief data and product officer at Havas Media Network. Marcos Angelides is MD of L’Oreal Lab and head of AI operations at Publicis Media. Olya Dyachuk is global media and data director at Heineken.The trio sat down with host Jack Benjamin to discuss early efforts in generative engine optimisation, how AI search is forcing agencies to reconsider team organisation, the importance of benchmarking how your brand shows up in LLMs, and what marketers need from AI companies as the likes of OpenAI embrace advertising.Highlights:2:05: Where brands and agencies are in their GEO journey: Benchmarking and auditing, testing and learning11:58: Does GEO require bringing search, social and PR teams together? How agencies should reorganise15:29: The value of LLMs for audience insights17:17: The consumer trust issue when manipulating LLM results or placing ads in chatbots24:17: Brands' relationships with AI companies like OpenAI vis-à-vis GoogleRelated articles:Takeaways from the Future of Brands 2026: AI, culture and measurement take centre stageAI optimisation: The new channel brands can’t afford to overlookHavas Media Network launches ‘generative engine optimisation’ toolAgency groups’ AI platforms, explained