Cheil UK and AI Startup Spotlight Forge Strategic Partnership

Integrated digital marketing and advertising agency Cheil UK has partnered with Spotlight, an enterprise startup focused on brand visibility and performance in an AI-driven search landscape. The collaboration will see Cheil UK and Spotlight collaborate on a next-generation platform that helps brands navigate the growing influence of large language models (LLMs) on digital discovery.

The partnership is grounded in ongoing collaboration, with Spotlight able to adjust its roadmap inline with Cheil’s insights and client needs. Spotlight will work closely with Cheil’s global development and strategy teams to co-create proprietary tools designed to future-proof brand visibility. The new platform combines Spotlight’s LLM SEO expertise with Cheil’s broader marketing technology capabilities.

The move reflects a shift in how consumers discover and engage with brands. As LLMs increasingly shape what users see and believe, the platform will enable brands to manage how they appear in AI-powered environments. Spotlight is developing new capabilities informed by Cheil’s client priorities, giving them early access and strategic influence, while building solutions applicable to the wider market.

The platform is being developed in close collaboration between the two businesses, with teams from both sides working on areas such as prompt engineering, brand voice optimisation, AI-driven content systems, and integration into Cheil’s wider tech infrastructure. Cheil clients will receive early access to the platform, including onboarding support, beta features up to six weeks before public release, API integrations, and dedicated support channels.

This partnership is part of Cheil’s wider investment in AI innovation across its services, from digital and content to retail and e-commerce. The Cheil x Spotlight platform will sit alongside other AI-powered tools developed by the agency to support connected, scalable marketing solutions.

Cheil UK and Spotlight are also forming a cross-company innovation council to co-develop more products.

​Chris Camacho, CEO of Cheil UK, said, “This is not about bolting AI onto old ways of working. It’s about building the future from the inside out. Our clients need tools designed for the way the world is changing. Spotlight shares our urgency and ambition. This partnership marks a new phase in AI-led marketing development, helping brands take a leading role as search and discovery models continue to evolve.”

Michael Hermon, CEO of Spotlight, added, “Partnering with Cheil means building alongside a global leader that understands what innovation looks like. Together we’re defining what LLM-native marketing means - both for today’s platforms and tomorrow’s consumers.”