Treble Report: Nearly Half of Enterprise Buyers Now Start Vendor Research with AI, Ahead of Google Search

AUSTIN, Texas & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 25, 2026--

Treble, the preeminent earned media B2B technology public relations agency, today released its Press-to-Pipeline Activation in the Age of AI report, revealing that AI assistants have overtaken Google Search as the No. 1 research tool for enterprise technology buyers.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260225021844/en/

The report found that 47% of buyers now start vendor research with AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, ahead of Google Search (43%), vendor websites (42%) and trade publications (40%). Once in evaluation mode, 93% use AI to summarize or compare vendors.

The implications are significant. AI does not generate credibility; it aggregates it, drawing from earned media, analyst reports and third-party validation. Companies without consistent, recent coverage risk becoming invisible in AI-generated comparisons before a salesperson ever enters the conversation.

“Every press release, media mention, analyst report and byline is now training data for the AI tools buyers use to build their shortlists,” said Matt Grant, executive vice president at Treble. “PR has always been about shaping perception. What’s changed is that the perception is now shaped by an algorithm that draws on earned media. The companies that understand this are the ones showing up when a potential customer asks ChatGPT to compare vendors in their space.”

Furthermore, the findings underscore that recent earned media plays a direct and measurable role in shaping vendor credibility and shortlists:

The report makes clear that AI assistants are no longer just research tools, but credibility filters that summarize third-party consensus when buyers ask for vendor comparisons. Repeated coverage signals authority, while a lack of coverage signals irrelevance.

Click here to view the full report, or request a free AI Visibility & Earned Media Readiness Assessment by contacting newbiz@treblepr.com.

The report was prepared in partnership with Censuswide, based on a survey of 300 CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, VPs and Directors in Retail, Finance, Healthcare, Industrial/Manufacturing and Telecommunications. Fieldwork was conducted December 4-9, 2025.

FAQ

How are enterprise buyers using AI in vendor research?

Nearly half begin with AI assistants instead of search engines, and 93% use AI to summarize and compare vendors during evaluation. ChatGPT and Google Gemini are the dominant platforms at 66% usage each.

Why does earned media matter more in an AI-driven buying process?

AI tools draw from third-party sources, including earned media, analyst reports and customer proof, to generate vendor summaries. Buyers trust these AI-generated summaries more than vendors’ own website claims, making the quality and recency of earned media a direct input to the pipeline.

How recent does media coverage need to be to influence buying decisions?

Over 9 in 10 buyers say coverage from the past 90 days is important. Product reviews, analyst mentions and thought leadership published in the past quarter carry significantly more weight than older coverage in vendor credibility assessments.

About Treble

Treble is the preeminent earned media B2B technology public relations agency, specializing in helping companies at every growth stage—from early-stage startups to enterprise organizations. Working with venture capital firms and their portfolio companies, Treble has helped 31 companies achieve successful exits. Treble provides comprehensive solutions for clients, including earned media, analyst relations and thought leadership programs. Recent industry recognition includes being named a Top PR Agency by Ragan Communications and PR Daily, winning Agency of the Year from the Business Intelligence Group and ranking among the top companies on the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest list. Visit us at treblepr.com or on LinkedIn.

Treble's Press-to-Pipeline Activation in the Age of AI Report

An airstrike killed three children in Yemen and wounded others. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of the attack.

Meanwhile, a journalist underwent surgery after being attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels say that airstrikes from Saudi Arabia killed three children in Yemen's southwestern province of Dhamar.

The Houthi-run health ministry said Saturday that the strikes a day prior hit houses in al-Ar village in the Dawran Aness district, killing one child aged 8 and two children aged 10 and wounding more than a dozen people.

The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike, which comes amid heightened fighting between the group and the kingdom and its Yemeni allies. Saudi Arabia didn’t immediately comment on the strike.

The children are among 124 people the Houthis say have been killed in their territories since fighting resumed in September, according to the ministry.

Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine is undergoing surgery on her finger Saturday, which was nearly detached from her hand after she was beaten by settlers in the West Bank, her daughter said.

Ashley Milner told The Associated Press that the finger on her mother's left hand was cut to the bone and a tendon was visible. She said Levine also has a broken rib and multiple broken vertebrae as well as lacerations across her body.

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages across the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to cars and trees and beating residents as well as Levine in the latest violence to disrupt the territory’s annual olive harvest this month.

Levine said the perpetrators — armed with bottles and slingshots — “were kicking me for like 10 minutes and I was trying to hold onto my cameras and my bag.” She said her helmet and protective vest, which was marked “PRESS,” likely saved her from more serious injuries.

Settler violence against Palestinians has soared this year and spiked further in the weeks leading up to Israel’s Oct. 27 election. Israeli authorities have done little to stop the attacks, residents and rights groups say.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said Saturday that two vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf off of Saudi Arabia were struck.

One tanker was fired upon from a small boat with an RPG that damaged part of its rear and the other was struck by an unknown projectile, it said.

UKMTO, which monitors threats to commercial shipping, did not identify the vessels but said the crews of both were safe. No one claimed the strikes, which happened on Friday.

There has been an uptick in attacks since U.S. President Donald Trump late last month rejected a Tehran proposal to end the war and open the strait, though indirect negotiations have continued.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Palestinians and activists collect olives following an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Abu Falah, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israeli soldiers stand beside a wounded Palestinian man lying on a road after soldiers shot him following a settler attack on Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank village of Abu Falah, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)