Google Gemini’s Busy March: What Brand Marketers Need to Know

Decoding Google’s latest AI efforts and what they mean for brands

It has been a busy Pisces season for Google Gemini. Over the past month or so, the Alphabet company has been making strides in updating its wide-sprawling AI products. From new Gemini models and features, to the latest tweaks in AI search results and shopping features, let’s take a look at Google’s latest AI efforts, and unpack what each of them means for brand marketers.

Let’s start with Gemini itself.

Google has announced that Gemini will replace the Google Assistant on most Android phones by the end of 2025, marking a major pivot from traditional voice commands to multimodal AI interactions. To support this new mode of interaction, Google is also giving Gemini a more visual, creative interface. The newly introduced Canvas feature — some would say it’s inspired by ChatGPT”s similarly named feature — helps transform Gemini into a kind of intelligent notepad, allowing users to organize, edit, and iterate on AI-generated content.

In addition, Gemini also added Audio Overview powered by NotebookLM, which can summarize information out loud, turning long-form content into digestible audio overviews. Taken together, these features hint at Google’s vision for a more fluid AI user experience — one that transcends keyboard input and embraces hybrid media formats.

While Gemini is taking over mobile via Android, it’s also creeping into the desktop experience through Chrome. A new beta version of the browser now features native Gemini integration that helps users summarize articles, refine searches, and even generate content — right in the browser window. Google is evidently spreading out Gemini’s distribution channels as it becomes a software layer that sits on top of a wide range of Google products — an omnipresent AI assistant across the entire Google ecosystem.

Adding to this vision of adaptive, AI-powered interaction, Google recently launched the ability for users to create their own “Gems” — personalized versions of Gemini fine-tuned for specific tasks. Unlike traditional chatbots or apps, these require no subscription and no code. For brands, this opens up a new kind of touchpoint: a programmable brand agent embedded directly into a consumer’s digital routine. It’s not hard to imagine branded Gems offering curated experiences — like a wellness brand delivering daily affirmations and supplement reminders, or a fashion label helping users plan outfits from their latest collection.

With all this momentum comes controversy. Gemini 2.0 Flash, the latest version of the model, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to remove watermarks from images. Though the feature is experimental and not widely available, the tool raised concern about copyright and content misuse. Copyright compliance and brand safety need to be re-examined in light of what AI tools can now do. Already, Disney+ show Andor’s showrunner Tony Gilroy refused to publicly release his show’s scripts as planned, due to fears that they could be used as AI training data.

Beyond the Gemini capabilities, Google’s AI search also received some major updates in recent weeks.

First of all, it is important to note that search is still core to Google’s business — Google still dominates search in the U.S. with 87.3% of the total referral traffic, according to February data from StatCounter cited by eMarketer. U.S. search ad spending will grow 12.2% this year to reach $144.1 billion, according to a November 2024 forecast by eMarketer.

Now Google is aiming to leverage Gemini to make search results more personal, tailoring search results based on a user’s search history. For instance, if you ask Gemini about restaurant recommendations, the chatbot will refer to your recent food-related searches to provide a suggestion.

For marketers, this raises important questions around content discoverability. As Gemini reshapes the search landscape with personalized results, traditional SEO tactics alone may no longer ensure visibility — ranking high in generic queries won’t guarantee a spot if AI is favoring content based on a user’s past behavior.

To stay competitive, brands must prioritize authenticity and context, recognizing that content from trusted creators or familiar sources may be elevated if it aligns with a user’s historical interests. This makes partnerships with credible influencers, publishers, and experts more valuable than ever.

Shopping-related search results are also getting a Gemini glow-up. Google’s latest AI shopping capabilities include enhanced virtual try-ons for both fashion and beauty — showing how clothing or makeup might look on a diverse range of body types and skin tones, helping shoppers to discover a group of fashion and beauty products that come together to pull off a popular “look.”

This update continues a broader trend toward inclusive, visual-first retail experiences, enabled by generative AI. Participation in these experiences are now table stakes. Fashion and beauty brands should be ready with high-resolution imagery, 3D models, and comprehensive metadata to ensure their products are compatible with these AI features.

Lastly, Google is finetuning health-related AI search results, which include improved search summaries for health-related queries, medical APIs, and open-access health-focused AI models. This comes in response to widespread misinformation online — up to 85% of health-related content on social media has been found to be misleading or harmful.

For brands in health and wellness industries, this means that credibility is more important than ever. Health misinformation on social media has reached alarming levels, with recent studies indicating up to 85% of such content contains misleading or harmful advice. Therefore, marketers must ensure that all claims are evidence-based, appropriately sourced, and aligned with regulatory guidelines. Branded content may no longer compete on keyword density alone. Again, collaborating with certified expert voices and investing in peer-reviewed content will be key to maintaining visibility and consumer trust.

In summary, Google’s recent updates to Gemini and AI search reflect a steady expansion of its AI capabilities across platforms and use cases. For brand marketers, these developments signal a gradual shift in how consumers discover and interact with brands online. While not everything will change overnight, it’s worth paying attention to how tools like personalized search, visual shopping, and customizable AI assistants might influence brand strategy. Staying flexible and exploring new AI formats and partnerships can help brands stay aligned with evolving user behavior and consumer expectations.