The traditional direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing model based on return on ad spend (ROAS) is facing disruption as AI assistants begin influencing consumer purchases without trackable links, according to inc42.com. This shift, already underway in the US, challenges brands' ability to measure advertising effectiveness and customer acquisition costs, signaling a change in how D2C brands approach marketing.
Viren Inaniyan, founder of AI commerce infrastructure startup TruCommerce, explained that consumers increasingly receive product recommendations from AI assistants without visiting brand websites. This breaks the link between clicks and purchases, making it difficult for brands to track what drives sales. The rise of fragmented attention across creators, marketplaces, and quick-commerce apps further complicates traditional marketing measurement.
This change matters because the decade-old D2C playbook relied heavily on buying attention on platforms like Meta and Google and optimizing campaigns using clear performance metrics like ROAS. With AI-generated recommendations bypassing trackable links, simply increasing ad spend no longer guarantees visibility or conversions. Brands will need to focus on credible product information, customer reviews, consistent content, and building consumer trust to secure their place in AI-driven recommendations.
Indian D2C brands have yet to fully adopt AI assistants as an advertising channel, but the trend is expected to grow. The evolving marketing landscape requires brands to rethink their strategies beyond traditional ROAS metrics to remain competitive, as highlighted by Viren Inaniyan in the inc42.com report.