Refreshing a Heritage Brand for the AI Era with Consumer Reports CMO

Why It Matters

The campaign proves that trusted, nonprofit data can cut through AI‑driven noise, driving subscription growth and setting a blueprint for legacy brands seeking relevance in the digital age.

Key Takeaways

• $3 million “We Never Stop Questioning” campaign launches nationwide
• Targeting both older online users and Gen Z offline trends
• Emphasis on trust, scientific rigor, and nonprofit independence
• AI chatbot ACR integrates 90‑year archive for unbiased answers
• Subscription intent up 9.5% among viewers versus non‑viewers

Summary

Consumer Reports, the 90‑year‑old nonprofit consumer‑advocacy publisher, unveiled its largest advertising push in five years—a $3 million “We Never Stop Questioning” campaign. Launched to mark its 90th anniversary, the effort aims to reaffirm the brand’s relevance, trustworthiness, and utility for modern shoppers.

The campaign is split between two audiences: long‑time subscribers aged 55 plus who are now hyper‑online, and younger adults 35‑55 who need a reintroduction. It runs across digital displays, social, YouTube, connected TV, linear TV in eight DMAs, and out‑of‑home, reflecting insights that Gen Z is pulling back from traditional social platforms while older consumers are increasingly digital.

Khaled El Katib highlighted concrete examples—testing whether a used car is “cursed” and exposing lead in protein powders—to illustrate the brand’s investigative edge. Early metrics show trust and perceived scientific rigor soaring, and subscription intent rising 9.5 % among viewers versus non‑viewers. The campaign also drives traffic to an AI‑powered chatbot, ACR, which answers pre‑populated questions using the organization’s 90‑year archive.

By marrying legacy credibility with AI‑enabled tools, Consumer Reports demonstrates how heritage brands can compete in an information‑overloaded market. The initiative underscores the commercial value of unbiased, data‑driven content and suggests that other marketers must prioritize transparency and utility to capture both older and younger audiences.

Original Description

Consumer Reports CMO Khalid El Khatib explains how the independent nonprofit brand's 90-year history of testing products is creating trust amid AI slop and misinformation, reflected in its recent $3 million "We Never Stop Questioning" campaign. He also discusses how the membership-based organization is adapting its strategy to reach audiences across generations—from boomers spending more time online to younger consumers encountering the brand for the first time—and what that shift means for building credibility in a rapidly changing media environment.