Adobe Faces B2B Buying Shift as AI Engines Overtake Websites

ChatGPT and Gemini have become the top source of information for B2B buyers, overtaking vendor websites and product experts, according to a Forrester case study published this week. That shift forced Adobe to overhaul how it reaches customers.

The change alters the economics of digital discovery. When a buyer uses an answer engine, the intermediary works for the buyer, not the vendor. Vendor websites and product experts operate on behalf of the seller. Adobe could not buy a fix because no tool existed. The challenge was not primarily technological; it was about how the organization sensed change, interpreted signals, and adapted.

Adobe responded by creating a learning system. It established ownership for AI-mediated visibility, installed a continuous review cadence, expanded measurement, and embedded human oversight into AI-assisted workflows. The company also built mechanisms for sharing lessons across teams. Adobe.com became a living laboratory. The lessons from that lab fed into products such as LLM Optimizer, a tool that helps marketers optimize content for large language models.

For Adobe shareholders, the adaptation carries a direct implication. The company's ability to maintain its competitive position in digital marketing depends on how well it stays visible when buyers start their research outside Adobe's own channels. If answer engines become the default gateway, Adobe's traditional funnel loses relevance. The Forrester case study argues that Adobe's response – building a cross-functional learning system rather than deploying a single tool – may be the more durable advantage.

The risk is not unique to Adobe. Enterprise software vendors that rely on controlled discovery face the same pressure. Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP all depend on buyers searching their websites or engaging with sales teams early in the process. If answer engines continue to gain share as the first stop for B2B research, those companies will need similar adaptations.

Adobe's experience suggests the adaptation requires more than a chatbot or an SEO tweak. It demands changes in governance, measurement, and team structure. The company's willingness to redesign how it operated – not just what technology it used – is what made the difference, the case study found.

Forrester analyst Joe Cicman wrote that he started the research expecting a story about AI implementation. Instead he found one about operating model adaptation. "What impressed me most was not Adobe's use of AI. It was Adobe's willingness to adapt under consequence," Cicman said.

Adobe did not wait for a playbook. It built one.