Who Owns the Customer When AI Does the Buying? | Tom Critchlow

Today we chat with Tom Critchlow about who owns the customer when AI assistants start doing the buying. Using Airbnb, Intel, Southwest and Visa as examples, we explore how brands can stay visible, keep a relationship with their customers and decide what to build next. 00:00 Brands in the AI age 00:25 Meet Tom Critchlow 01:21 AI assistants that take action 03:23 Should brands build an MCP? 05:11 MCP usage: company growth figures 06:48 Airbnb’s integration dilemma 10:08 Who owns the customer? 13:09 Intel Inside and brand visibility 16:38 Southwest: when to join a platform 18:17 The 2×2: visibility and customer ownership 20:19 Will AI make buying cheaper? 24:57 Designing brands inside AI assistants 27:27 How brands shape AI recommendations 30:48 The next platform wars 34:29 Businesses built for AI assistants 38:18 AI reviews and service feedback 41:04 Marketing around customer tasks 46:36 What should you build now? 50:46 Brand consistency and expanding roles 53:51 Should Airbnb build an MCP?