One thing curiously missing from ChatGPT's first-ever billboard campaign in India: a CTA. Then I looked at the data and understood why these ads don't have a "Download Now" or "Try ChatGPT". Just prompts hanging in the air.
ChatGPT's major engagement metrics peaked in June.
> ChatGPT's Daily stickiness (DAU/MAU) started flatlining in July > Daily average sessions per user dropped 15% from a peak in June > Average session time slipped slipped marginally from June > Lastly, total time per user crashed almost 20% since June
All of this despite robust new install figures. ChatGPT officially now has 700 million weekly active users (10% of global adult population).
This means more users showing up daily, but doing less when they arrive. ChatGPT has an engagement problem. Breadth without depth.
But we must also see this in context. Non-work messages have grown faster and now represent more than 70% of all consumer ChatGPT messages. More importantly, 50% of all ChatGPT usage falls into two broad categories - 'Practical Guidance' and 'Seeking Information', closest substitutes for web search. This is where you can drive purchase decisions.
With reports of potential ad models coming, OpenAI can't afford shallow engagement. They need users who depend.
These CTA-less billboards are habit-formation tools asking us to start thinking in prompts. A "Download Now" button is what you use when people want your product but haven't gotten it yet. These prompts reveal OpenAI's real fear: people have the product but don't know what to do with it.
PS: I caught the above billboard outside the Bangalore airport last week.