# Adthena: 52% of 30 enterprise brands say ChatGPT ads spend isn't paying back

Published: 2026-10-28T15:16:55.253Z · Source: Adthena blog (https://www.adthena.com/resources/blog/chatgpt-ads-performance-adworld-bologna/)
Source date: 2026-10-28
Flags: Adthena data — vendor-published; self-reported by 30 customers
Entities: openai, chatgpt, ai-overviews

Adthena says that of 30 enterprise brands that shared ChatGPT ads results with it between July and September 2026, 52% reported spend outrunning return, 22% mixed results (cheap reach, weak conversion) and 26% results matching or beating Google. The figures come from a talk its CMO gave at AdWorld Experience in Bologna on Oct. 15 and a post published Oct. 28; the results are reported by the brands, and Adthena does the sorting.

Per Adthena, the brands' most common problems were compliance and policy blocks (13 brands), ads on irrelevant prompts (11) and tracking gaps (10). Adthena also says ChatGPT placed ads on relevant prompts about 90% of the time across more than 50,000 UK placements in September, and that its direct prompt indexing sees ads on 20% to 40% of tracked prompts where panel monitoring sees 1% to 2%.

On Google, Adthena reports the share of US searches showing an AI Overview across its client accounts rose from 24% in January to 61% in September (UK: 13% to 50%), calling the figures directional because they are an unweighted average of accounts. Adthena sells ad-monitoring software.

Why it matters: It is one of the first sets of advertiser-reported ChatGPT Ads results, and it points at targeting control rather than the channel as the dividing line, though the sample is 30 self-selected customers of an ad-intelligence vendor.

## What this answers

**Is advertising on ChatGPT paying off for brands?**

Mixed, per Adthena. Of 30 enterprise brands that shared ChatGPT ads results with it between July and September 2026, 52% said spend was outrunning return, 22% reported mixed results and 26% were matching or beating Google.

**How many US searches show a Google AI Overview?**

Across Adthena client accounts, the share of US searches showing an AI Overview rose from 24% in January to 61% in September 2026 (UK: 13% to 50%), by Adthena's directional, unweighted average.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-10-28-adthena-52-of-30-enterprise-brands-say-chatgpt-ads-spend-isn-t-paying/
From Anything Engine Optimization (AEO Wire) — https://anythingengineoptimization.com/ · Standards: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/standards/