Predict Me If You Can: Personalization Raises Customer Expectations

"Personalization is the key to cutting through the noise and making a meaningful connection with customers." 

• Angela Ahrendts, former SVP of Retail at Apple 

Remember when a friendly email with your name in it felt personal? Cute. These days, customers expect brands to not only remember their name, but their last purchase, preferred contact channel, favorite color, and whether they’re a cat person or a dog person. AI and digital technologies have supercharged personalization—transforming it from a marketing gimmick into the heartbeat of modern customer experience. 

According to the State of the AI Connected Customer report, customers expect better personalization when: 

• Technology advances (73%) 

• Customers provide more data (74%) 

• They spend more (64%) 

This shift has changed the rules of engagement. Today’s customers want brands to anticipate their needs, not just respond to them. That means real-time insights, context-aware interactions, and seamless experiences across every touchpoint. To keep up (and ideally, get ahead), companies need to stop playing catch-up and start playing offense. 

 The good news? With the right tools and mindset, personalization at scale isn’t just possible—it’s a competitive advantage waiting to be activated.