Changes in Consumer Behavior Ushered in by the Zero-Click Era For modern people living in an age of information overload, the act of choosing is becoming an increasingly complex task. Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a crucial role as a tool to simplify this complexity. The results of the '28th Korea Brand Power Index (K-BPI) for 2026' survey, announced by Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC) on March 19, clearly demonstrate how deeply AI technology has penetrated our lives and economy. It is particularly noteworthy how AI influences consumers' product and service selection processes. In the past, brand power was primarily assessed by traditional metrics such as consumer exposure frequency or mass media advertising effectiveness. However, with the advent of the AI era, new metrics are emerging. The true value of a brand is now transitioning to an era where it is evaluated based on how much AI trusts and recommends it. The survey results revealed a 'Zero-click' phenomenon at the core of consumer behavior, indicating a tendency for consumers to directly accept the optimal choices presented by AI rather than going through complex selection processes. This is a paradigm shift that goes beyond a mere trend, shaking up overall purchasing behavior. This preference for AI-suggested optimal solutions, rather than navigating countless options in an age of information overload, is fundamentally altering companies' strategic directions. Specifically, the total brand score in this survey was 334.2 points on average across all industries, an increase of 1.5 points compared to 2025. The average score for top-ranked brands reached 634.3 points, an increase of 6.8 points year-on-year, continuing an upward trend for five consecutive years. This upward trend suggests that AI technology has significantly transformed how consumers interact with brands. Notably, Kakao T in the mobility sector demonstrated high recognition efficiency at 87.5%, setting an example for branding strategies in the AI era. Furthermore, global generative AI ChatGPT (86.9%), domestic used-goods trading platform Daangn (86.6%), and beauty platform Olive Young (83.3%) have established themselves as top brands, leading new consumer recognition methods in the AI era. It is noteworthy that the 'Purchase Likelihood' index for these brands reached 76.7 points, surpassing the K-BPI top-ranked average of 75.2 points. This clearly demonstrates that new consumer recognition methods in the AI era are directly leading to actual purchases. Conversely, the "winner-take-all" phenomenon is intensifying across all sectors—consumer goods, durable goods, and services—with top-ranked brands significantly widening their lead over second and third-place brands. This is analyzed as a result of the inherent characteristics of AI recommendation algorithms, which tend to concentrate exposure and recommendations on top-ranked brands. AI Trustworthiness as the Core of Brand Strategy Regarding AI-centric brand evaluation, this report emphasizes that companies must move beyond traditional marketing strategies. They must shift their strategies from merely exposure-focused Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to managing "how much AI trusts and cites them." To gain AI's trust, companies should not solely rely on consumer exposure frequency or advertising costs; instead, they must focus on providing optimal decisions to consumers based on data and personalizing the consumer experience. This insight accurately summarizes the fundamental changes in modern marketing and the new era ushered in by AI. In this survey, for the first time, the top 10 'Rising Brands' were selected, characterized by strong fandoms built on 'Cost-Effectiveness' (Gaseongbi), 'Healthy Pleasure,' and 'AI Tech.' This indicates that consumers' value criteria are expanding beyond mere price competitiveness to include healthy enjoyment and technological innovation. Healthy Pleasure is a new consumption trend that pursues health and well-being without sacrificing enjoyment, rapidly spreading among the MZ generation (Millennials and Gen Z). AI Tech has emerged as a new criterion for evaluating how effectively AI technology is integrated into products and services. Of course, AI does not only offer the advantage of simplifying decision-making processes. As consumers' choices become dependent on data and algorithms, the issue of selecting trustworthy sources arises. It needs to be verified whether AI recommendations are always objective and consumer-friendly. In this context, efforts by companies to enhance AI's fairness and transparency will be crucial. While some consumers choose products based on AI recommendations, there is also a psychological need to explore more diverse information, thus requiring a balanced approach. Concerns also exist that issues such as bias in AI recommendation systems or excessive exposure to specific brands could limit consumer choice. So, what implications do these changes hold fo
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