EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

What we found

The push and pull of personalization is real. People's confidence in brands to deliver relevant messages has steadily declined since 2024.

It's not that consumers don't want personalized marketing, though. It's the opposite: Consumers want personalization more than ever, but they trust brands to deliver it less and less—and they don't want to be misunderstood in the process.

KEY FINDING 1

The bar is rising faster than brands are meeting it

Personalization is appealing, but fewer people think brands have gotten better at it over the last two years compared to 2024.

77%

find personalized marketing at least somewhat appealing, with 43% finding it "very" or "extremely" appealing.

58%

of consumers say brands have gotten better at personalizing—which is down from 65% in 2024.

KEY FINDING 2

Relevance still wins

People engage because they want or need a product, and view brands more positively when marketing reflects that.

72%

engaged with a brand because they wanted or needed the product.

KEY fINDING 3

Getting it wrong has a price

Consumers see irrelevant, off-target creative every day—and most have done something about it.

69%

of people see irrelevant ads at least once a day.

88%

say they've taken some kind of action (ignored messages, unsubscribed or unfollowed, stopped buying, etc.) because a brand got marketing wrong about them.

KEY fINDING 4

Being wrong costs more than being generic

At the end of the day, people think worse of a brand that gets something wrong about them vs. simply receiving a generic message.

39%

think negatively of a brand that gets something wrong about them.

think negatively of a brand that sends them a generic message.

KEY FINDING 5

Channel mix and frequency is just as important as relevance

Sure, the quality and contents of an ad is important—but if you're showing up in the wrong channels, or showing up too often in those channels, people take notice.

77%

notice when a brand's marketing is personalized across channels.

62%

think more highly of a brand when they personalize across channels.

91%

have pulled back from a brand that has contacted them too often—muting, unsubscribing, opting-out or unfollowing.

Why this matters for marketers

Personalization is no longer a nice-to-have that earns goodwill—it’s a baseline expectation. The winning brands will use their data and creative to be genuinely relevant, at the right frequency and across channels. Most importantly, consumers appreciate brands that know when to let AI help and when to keep it human.

Next: HOW CONSUMERS THINK ABOUT PERSONALIZATION

Are people really all that excited about personalized marketing from brands?

When done right, consumers are open and receptive to receiving personalized marketing from brands—and it might have a bigger impact on brand affinity than you think. Let's explore.

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