Your brand is already showing up in AI search results — and you probably didn't write any of it. Brian McHale, CEO of Brandience, has watched brands lose control of their narrative to ChatGPT and Gemini not because they said the wrong thing, but because they said nothing specific enough. In this conversation, he explains why staying silent on a topic is no longer an option and what the first step in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) actually looks like for a small-to-midsize Cincinnati business.

McHale also pulls back the curtain on SMRT Study, Brandience's AI-powered synthetic research platform. Built on 18 months of qualitative research best practices, it simulates focus groups using trained AI respondents — giving clients directional insights without a traditional research budget. It isn't just prompting ChatGPT and hoping for the best. It's a marketer-led process with governance baked in at every stage.

The thread running through all of it: AI forward, human first. McHale shares how Brandience integrated AI internally for 18 months before touching a client project, why they built an internal AI council, and what ”governance” actually means in a creative agency. If you're a Cincinnati business owner wondering how to get your team on board with AI without blowing something up first, this episode gives you a real model to follow.

Links and Resources:

– Connect with Brian McHale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmchale/

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Connect with Brian:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/u/bwerickson

Instagram: instagram.com/cincybizpod/

TikTok: tiktok.com/@cincybizpod

Facebook: facebook.com/people/Cincinnati-Business-Podcast/

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=== TAGS ===

Brian McHale, Brandience, Cincinnati marketing, AI in marketing, generative engine optimization, GEO vs SEO, brand strategy, AI governance, synthetic research, Smart Study, social media discovery, Cincinnati business, marketing agency Cincinnati, decision making marketing, AI forward human first