OpenAI Ads in ChatGPT: What B2B Marketers Should Do Now

ChatGPT isn’t just where people ask questions anymore—it’s becoming a place where budgets will move. And for B2B marketers, that matters because the moment ads enter an answer engine, it changes how buyers discover vendors, how brands win consideration, and how measurement gets negotiated.

This is especially urgent because answer engines already compress the funnel: a single response can shortlist (or exclude) you before a buyer ever hits your site. Now, if ads sit inside that experience, you’re looking at a new paid layer on top of an already high-stakes environment.

What happened (and what we know from the reporting)

Two reputable press reports outline the early shape of the product.

TechRadar reports that **“OpenAI is launching ChatGPT ads.”** TechRadar also says the initial ads package is **“offering impression data only.”**

Separately, Adweek reports: **“OpenAI Confirms $200,000 Minimum Commitment for ChatGPT Ads.”** Adweek also notes: **“For some brands, ad testing starts as early as February 6.”**

That’s the confirmed picture right now: ads are coming to ChatGPT, early tests are imminent for some brands, the minimum commitment is $200,000, and reporting is impression-only (at least in the early offering).

What this means for B2B marketers (AEO + media buying reality check)

1) This is the first major “paid” wedge inside a primary answer engine

When TechRadar says OpenAI is launching ads in ChatGPT, the implication for B2B is straightforward: you should treat ChatGPT as a media environment, not just a content environment.

Until now, most teams approached answer engines primarily through organic influence—brand presence, content clarity, and how well your expertise can be summarized. Ads introduce a second path: you can potentially buy placement in the same moment a buyer is asking a high-intent question.

2) The floor price signals “enterprise-only” access (for now)

Adweek’s line—“OpenAI Confirms $200,000 Minimum Commitment for ChatGPT Ads”—sets expectations. This isn’t a self-serve SMB channel out of the gate. It’s positioned like an enterprise media buy.

For B2B media buyers, that changes the internal conversation. You’re not debating whether to test with a small pilot. You’re debating whether the channel is worth a six-figure commitment before the broader market has stable benchmarks.

3) Impression-only reporting is a measurement constraint, not a detail

TechRadar’s “offering impression data only” is the most important operational detail in the entire bundle of news.

Impression-only reporting means you should assume limited visibility into performance—at least initially—and plan accordingly. For B2B, where you’re often defending spend with pipeline impact, impression-only data forces a different approach:

• You’ll need to treat early buys as **learning investments**, not ROI-optimized campaigns.
• You’ll need a **measurement plan outside the platform** to make the spend defensible.
• You’ll need to align stakeholders on what “success” can realistically mean under impression-only constraints.

4) The February 6 testing note implies the window is immediate

Adweek’s note—“For some brands, ad testing starts as early as February 6.”—is a timing signal. Whether or not you’re included in the earliest cohort, you should assume the market will start forming opinions fast: what the ad experience looks like, what categories show up first, and how buyers react.

In other words: you don’t have months to think about this. You have days to get your point of view and readiness in place.

5) This will ripple across the answer engine landscape

Even though the reports are specifically about ChatGPT, you operate in a broader answer engine ecosystem: Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI.

When one major answer engine introduces ads, every marketing leader should ask: how do paid placements reshape buyer trust and behavior across answer-first experiences? You don’t need new facts to act on that question—you just need to recognize that the competitive environment is shifting.

What to do right now (practical action items)

1) Decide if you’re even eligible for the conversation

With Adweek reporting a $200,000 minimum commitment, start by making a go/no-go decision based on your spend profile.

• If you can’t entertain a $200K minimum, your “action” is to focus on organic AEO and monitor the channel.
• If you can, assign an owner (media lead + AEO lead together) to evaluate fit and risk.

2) Set expectations internally: early ChatGPT ads are brand + learning

Because TechRadar reports impression-only reporting, you should brief stakeholders now:

• Early-stage measurement will be limited.
• You’ll need to define success as (a) exposure in a critical environment and (b) learnings you can apply elsewhere.

If your org can’t accept those terms, you should not be the team that spends $200K just to “see what happens.”

3) Build a measurement plan that doesn’t rely on platform reporting

Impression-only reporting means you must bring your own rigor. Before you spend, write down:

• What questions or categories you want to be associated with
• What you want buyers to do after exposure (even if you can’t see clicks in-platform)
• What internal signals you’ll watch to infer lift (for example, changes in branded demand and inbound quality—measured through your own systems)

Keep it simple, but formal. If you can’t explain how you’ll judge impact without platform metrics, you’re not ready.

4) Tighten your AEO fundamentals before paid enters the mix

Ads or not, answer engines reward clarity. Use this moment to clean up:

• Your product positioning (one-sentence clarity)
• Your category language (what you do, who it’s for, and when it’s used)
• Your proof points (case studies and outcomes phrased in plain language)

That work helps you in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Perplexity, Brave, and Meta AI—regardless of how quickly each platform commercializes.

5) Prepare a “test thesis” you can defend

If you pursue ChatGPT ads, don’t start with creative. Start with a thesis:

• Why ChatGPT is a logical environment for your buyers
• What you expect impressions to accomplish
• What you will learn in the first test period

This is how you avoid being the team that spends big and walks away with nothing but a screenshot and a vague sense of “awareness.”

Bottom line

TechRadar reports that OpenAI is launching ads in ChatGPT and that the initial offering includes impression-only reporting, while Adweek reports a $200,000 minimum commitment and that some brands may begin testing as early as February 6. For B2B marketers, this is a fast-moving shift: treat it as a high-cost, low-measurement early channel—and get your AEO and measurement discipline in place before the market sets the rules without you.