OpenAI has been testing ads in ChatGPT in the UK since June 2026, and job postings spotted in early July suggest it is preparing to bring them to France, Germany and Ireland. Belgium is not on the list yet, but the shift is starting right next door. Worth a first look, without rushing in.
1. What OpenAI is preparing
Ads in ChatGPT are no longer a hypothesis: tested in the US since February 2026, extended to the UK in June, and OpenAI is now hiring a regional sales manager for ads solutions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, plus a dedicated role in Paris. Digiday, the trade site that spotted these postings, reads this as preparation for a launch in France, Germany and Ireland. Together with the UK, these markets represent roughly 62% of the continent's ad spend, a logical choice for a first European wave.
2. A different ad space, at a different price
OpenAI is charging around $60 CPM for its first campaigns, billed per impression rather than per click, well above the €5 to €15 typical on Meta or the roughly $40 on Google Search. Ads are only shown to free accounts and the entry-level "Go" plan at $8/month, never to paying subscribers. Out of ChatGPT's claimed 900 million weekly active users, the large majority use the free tier: real potential reach, even if the price per impression is steep.
3. Why this already matters for Belgian SMEs
OpenAI describes contextual targeting, based on the question being asked, not behavioural tracking: no conversation data is shared with advertisers. It's a different touchpoint than a Google search or a Meta scroll, right at the moment someone expresses a more elaborate purchase intent. Belgium, a French- and Dutch-speaking market bordering France and Germany, stands a good chance of following in a later wave. That's not a reason to rush, but a good reason to start watching.
The AI lens, humans first
Jumping on every new ad channel the moment it's announced isn't a strategy, it's a distraction. An AI assistant can monitor OpenAI's announcements, track pricing changes, and test your visibility in ChatGPT's answers for your key queries. But choosing the right moment to commit a test budget, and weighing it against Google Ads or Meta Ads, remains an expert's call. That's our stance: AI executes, expertise decides and watches.
This week
Check how your business shows up (or doesn't) in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI Mode for your key search queries. Note the findings without touching your current Google Ads or Meta Ads budgets: this channel isn't available in Belgium yet, but the diagnosis can start today.
At Vistalaro, watching new advertising channels (Vistalaro Reach) is part of the groundwork, not a trend to chase. It's the senior marketer steering your strategy (Vistalaro Pilot) who decides when a channel deserves a test budget, and when it's better to stay focused on what already works.
Is your ad strategy ready for the next channels?
Let's review it together, without jargon, and prioritise what actually matters for your SME.
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