Hello Brand: If you don’t know my name even, don’t expect my money !
Netflix knows you better than your therapist. Amazon predicts your needs before you do. Spotify curates your mood swings with surgical precision. And yet, 73% of businesses are still sending “Dear Valued Customer” emails like it’s 1995 and we’re all impressed by a dancing baby GIF.
Wake up and smell the personalisation revolution, folks.
Somewhere between “Dear Valued Customer” and “Hi User1234”, we lost the plot.
Look, if you still think “Hi Suresh, we hope this email finds you well” is personalisation—congrats, you’re doing 1998 perfectly in 2025.
In the age where Spotify curates your break-up playlist before you even know you’re being dumped, and Netflix knows you’re into Korean thrillers with one depressed detective and a dog, you—yes you, Brand Manager of Obvious Inc.—have no excuse to serve me ads for wrinkle cream when I’m still clinging to puberty like it’s a discount coupon.
Time to call it what it is. Personalisation is NOT CRM in lipstick.
Its not adding ” Dear (First Name)” to an e-mail blast.
It’s not showing me the same banner ad 17 times because I once searched “noise-cancelling underwear.”
It’s a full-on, no-holds-barred commitment to knowing me, understanding me, anticipating me—sometimes better than I know myself.
And AI is your new bloodhound. Use it or lose relevance faster than a Clubhouse invite.
Personalisation screams with a megaphone and says : ” Reach Me | Know Me | Show Me | Empower Me | Delight Me “.
We, the customers are all narcissists. Thats the truth. So, face it and deal with it. We want the world (and its brands) to revolve around us. Know our birthday? Nice. Recommend us a product we didn’t even know we wanted? Sexy. Give us a “people like you also bought this”—minus the creep factor? We’re in.
Why personalisation is NOT just nice-to-have anymore but sheer survival? Take a look-
Personalised experiences drive 20% more sales (McKinsey);
91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers (Accenture);
Companies using personalisation see revenue increases of 6-10% (Boston Consulting Group).
Still think personalisation is just marketing fluff? Tell that to your bank account.
AI has become the game and the game changer and has moved the needle from creepy to compelling. AI has transformed personalisation from “Hey, I noticed you bought dog food, want more dog food?” to “Based on your Labrador’s age, breed characteristics, and seasonal activity patterns, here’s a customized nutrition plan that’ll make your furry friend the neighborhood superstar.”
Some of the real-world winners who get personalisation and how:-
1. Zomato’s Location Intelligence – Zomato doesn’t just deliver food—it predicts what you want based on weather, time, past orders, and even festival seasons. Ordering rajma-chawal during monsoons? The algorithm saw that coming from Tuesday.
2. Asian Paints’ ColourNext – They don’t just sell paint; they use AI to recommend colors based on your home’s architecture, lighting, and even your personality type. Because apparently, introverts prefer muted blues. Who knew?
3. HDFC Bank’s SmartBuy– Their AI analyzes spending patterns to offer cashback on categories you actually use, not random stuff you’ll never buy. Revolutionary concept: rewards that reward.
4. Starbucks’ Deep Brew – Their AI considers 400+ factors—time of day, weather, purchase history, even local events—to recommend your next drink. It’s like having a barista who remembers everyone’s order, except it’s a machine and it never calls in sick.
5. Netflix’s Recommendation Engine- Generates $1 billion in value annually by keeping you glued to your screen. Their secret? They don’t just track what you watch; they track when you pause, rewind, or abandon shows. Big Brother, but for entertainment.
6. Amazon’s “Customers Who Bought This Also Bought” – Simple. Effective. Worth billions. It’s like having that friend who always gives great shopping advice, except this friend has analyzed the purchasing behavior of 300 million people.
7. Spotify’s Discover Weekly– Creates a unique playlist for each of its 456 million users every week. That’s not personalisation; that’s personalisation on steroids with a PhD in music theory.
8. Nykaa’s Beauty AI- Recommends products based on skin tone, type, and even local climate conditions. Because what works for Delhi’s dry heat won’t work for Mumbai’s humidity. Geography matters, people.
9. Flipkart’s Voice Assistant- Understands regional languages and local contexts. Ordering “dhaniya” instead of “coriander” isn’t just about language—it’s about cultural intelligence.
10. Swiggy’s Order Prediction- Their AI doesn’t wait for you to get hungry. It predicts your cravings and sends notifications at exactly the right moment. It’s mind-reading, with a side of chicken tikka.
The future is personal– whether we like it or not. Personalisation isn’t coming—it’s here. The companies thriving today aren’t the ones with the best products; they’re the ones with the best understanding of their customers.
Let’s call a spade a spade( or probably a shovel): customers are tired of being treated like walking wallets. In an age where AI can finish your sentences (and sometimes your relationships), brands that still send “Dear Valued Customer” emails deserve to be ghosted. Personalisation is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s the difference between being the life of the party and being the guy who brings fruitcake to a potluck
Your customers don’t want to be treated like everyone else because they’re not everyone else. They’re individuals with unique needs, preferences, quirks, and habits. The sooner you embrace this reality, the sooner you’ll stop losing customers to competitors who already have.
The bottom line is that personalisation powered by AI isn’t just a competitive advantage anymore—it’s table stakes. You can either use it to create meaningful connections with your customers, or watch them connect with someone else who does.
The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
Personalisation isn’t just marketing fluff—it’s the difference between being ignored and being irresistible. And in the age of AI, if you’re still sending generic blasts, you might as well be faxing your ads to a cemetery.
AI isn’t coming for your job—it’s coming for your lazy marketing. It is the ultimate wingman for your personalisation strategy.
Personalisation isn’t a strategy—It’s survival. In a world where AI can write poems, mimic voices, and (allegedly) take over humanity, the least you can do is make your marketing feel like it’s for me, NOT at me.
Personalisation isn’t just about slapping a name on an email. It’s about making every touchpoint feel like a private concert, not a public service announcement. Get it right, and you’ve got a customer for life. Get it wrong, and you’re the digital equivalent of that “Hi Ma’am/Sir” telemarketing call at 9 PM.
So, ask yourself: Does your brand feel like a tailored suit or a hand-me-down sack? If it’s the latter, time for a wardrobe upgrade.