SECTION 1
How consumers think about personalization
In this section, we explore the nuances to how people receive and perceive personalized marketing from brands—what they want, don't want and how good personalization makes them feel.
You've sent out thousands and thousands of marketing messages with the hopes it will resonate with your audience. But what really makes people click? We asked people about their mindset when engaging with a brand's marketing messages, and found that consumers are curious and open, but have high expectations.
THE APPEAL OF PERSONALIZATION
People still want personalized marketing... they're just not convinced brands are getting better at it.
The appetite for personalization is there, but consumer expectations are climbing faster than brands are meeting them.
Why is the decrease in confidence so important? Because brands continue to collect more and more information about their customers, and yet, according to those same people, the quality of personalization has gone down. Expectations only intensify once people opt in: 62% of loyalty members expect "a lot more" personalization in return, and 82% expect a brand to at least acknowledge them as a returning customer.
58%
of consumers say brands have gotten better at personalizing over the last year—down from 65% in 2024.
How appealing is it to receive personalized marketing?
find personalized marketing at least somewhat appealing, with 43% finding it "very" or "extremely" appealing.
of loyalty members for a brand expect "a lot more" personalization.
Brands know more about their customers than ever before, so why has personalization gotten worse?
Relevance wins
Consumers engage to discover something new—but they ultimately buy what they really need.
When people choose to engage with an ad, curiosity leads the way with 70% wanting to know more about a new brand or product. That's a subtle shift from two years ago, when familiarity with a brand topped the list. Today's consumers are doing their homework and keeping their options open, but discovery only gets your brand in the door.
Top reasons people engage with a marketing message or advertisement in a particular moment:
said they wanted to know more about a new brand or product.
expressed they were familiar with and liked the brand.
72%
engaged with a brand's ad because they wanted or needed the product being advertised.
Curiosity may open the conversation, but relevance and real need are what lead to a purchase.
THE PAYOFF
Get personalization right, and consumers will reward you with more than just their wallets.
Good things come to the marketers that ensure their messages genuinely reflect who someone is and what they need. More than half of consumers (54%) say they’re more likely to buy, while 38% feel understood and valued and 35% become more loyal.
On the flip side, personalization can completely change how people feel about your brand. 39% said when a brand gets something wrong about them, it makes them think badly of that brand—which will likely filter down to purchase behavior.
When a brand's marketing accurately reflects who you are, how does that make you feel about the brand?
The takeaway
Consumers are open, discerning and keeping score.
Consumers are generous when brands get it right, but they're careful about what earns their attention. Curiosity gets a brand in the door, but need is what drives action. When marketing genuinely reflects who someone is, it pays off well beyond the sale and many feel more understood and loyal. Yet, only 58% believe brands have actually gotten better at personalizing, down from 65% two years ago. The appetite is there; the confidence is slipping.
Next: THE COST OF GETTING IT WRONG
What happens when personalization misses the mark?
Our findings illustrate that people feel more positively about a brand that's able to personalize well and provide a true value exchange in their marketing. But when marketing messages get something wrong, does it impact people in the same way? Let's find out.
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