AI marketing expert puts DeepSeek through its brand paces

After watching DeepSeek send Wall Street into a frenzy, the burning question emerged: Did investors overreact to yet another AI launch, or are we witnessing a legitimate challenger to Silicon Valley's still-fresh incumbents? When this High-Flyer-backed newcomer emerged, I did a deep dive into its capabilities, pondering the implications for brands. Honestly, I'm impressed, and surprisingly so. After extensive testing, DeepSeek stands out with blazing speed, exceptional data visualization and remarkably nuanced brand analysis capabilities. AI marketing blog How brands are using ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and other tools Read more here Its ability to synthesize information across sources compares favorably with other LLMs, and its elegant interface makes complex analysis feel effortless. Yes, there's the obvious elephant in the room: It's Chinese-developed, raising familiar questions about data privacy and government influence. But like TikTok before it, DeepSeek's emergence reminds us that the race to dominate the “answer economy” is global. Brands can't afford to ignore these tools based on origin alone. Also read: What the DeepSeek AI frenzy means for marketers I put the tool through my usual litany of tests—from searching myself and my company to a long list of brand queries including the platform's estimate of the best forthcoming Super Bowl ads. I asked it to calculate the carbon footprints of brands and outline their supply chains. I even put it through its paces with a comprehensive analysis of top 50 brands, examining everything from trust metrics to commitment to privacy. The results were, well ... revelatory. The system parses complex brand relationships and market positioning with remarkable clarity, offering insights that typically require multiple specialized platforms to achieve. DeepSeek's data visualization capabilities are exceptional, transforming complex datasets into presentation-ready tables with minimal friction. Its interface is remarkably elegant and user-friendly, continuing the high design standards we've come to expect from leading AI tools. While DeepSeek is not hallucination-free, it's still remarkably good compared to other LLMs. What else sets DeepSeek apart? First, its ability to draw from international sources while delivering locally relevant insights. In an increasingly global market, this kind of nuanced understanding is crucial. I was also impressed with the sheer number of sources it blends into answers, far more on average than my experience with other LLMs. The technical achievement itself is remarkable: DeepSeek is a competitive system with just 2,000 specialized chips—versus the typical 16,000—at one-tenth the computing cost of Meta's latest effort. This efficiency hints at a future where sophisticated AI analysis becomes more accessible to companies of all sizes. Implications for brands Here's what matters most for brands: Like most LLMs, DeepSeek heavily relies on brand-owned content. I feel confident in saying this after running dozens of brands through its search tool and analyzing sources. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today This means your website, press releases and digital assets directly influence how AI tools represent your brand. If your owned media isn't robust, you leave your narrative to chance in the new answer economy. Brands can't afford to miss this shift. This week I analyzed about half of the major Super Bowl advertisers and found that none of them even mention their ad on their website. DeepSeek's launch is yet another reminder of the rising stakes. DeepSeek isn't just another AI tool—it's a glimpse into how the battle for attention and “answers” is evolving, and perhaps more importantly, a sign that the AI playing field is leveling. By achieving comparable results at a fraction of the cost of tech giants, DeepSeek challenges the assumption that only billion-dollar companies can build leading AI tools. Success in this new era requires curiosity, caution and unwavering focus on consumer needs. Whether your brand is ready or not, the race to provide instant, comprehensive answers is accelerating—and the barriers to entry are dropping fast. Ad Age Best Places to Work 2025 50 companies doing a standout job See the full list here

AI marketing expert puts DeepSeek through its brand paces

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