{"id":2189,"date":"2025-06-16T08:51:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T04:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/?p=2189"},"modified":"2025-06-16T08:55:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T04:55:56","slug":"the-future-is-personal-and-please-take-this-personally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/16\/the-future-is-personal-and-please-take-this-personally\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future Is Personal: and Brands Please Take This Personally"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Hello Brand: If you don&#8217;t know my name even, don&#8217;t expect my money !<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Netflix<\/em><\/span> knows you better than your therapist. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Amazon<\/em><\/span> predicts your needs before you do. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Spotify<\/em><\/span> curates your mood swings with surgical precision. And yet, 73% of businesses are still sending &#8220;Dear Valued Customer&#8221; emails like it&#8217;s 1995 and we&#8217;re all impressed by a dancing baby GIF.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wake up and smell the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>personalisation revolution<\/em><\/span>, folks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Somewhere between\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>\u201cDear Valued Customer\u201d<\/em><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>\u201cHi User1234\u201d<\/em><\/span>, we lost the plot.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Look, if you still think \u201cHi Suresh, we hope this email finds you well\u201d is <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>personalisation<\/em><\/span>\u2014congrats, you&#8217;re doing\u00a0<em>1998<\/em>\u00a0perfectly in\u00a0<em>2025<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the age where <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Spotify<\/em><\/span> curates your break-up playlist before\u00a0<em>you<\/em>\u00a0even know you\u2019re being dumped, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Netflix<\/em><\/span> knows you&#8217;re into Korean thrillers with one depressed detective and a dog, you\u2014yes you, Brand Manager of Obvious Inc.\u2014have no excuse to serve me ads for wrinkle cream when I\u2019m still clinging to puberty like it\u2019s a discount coupon.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Time to call it what it is. <em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Personalisation is NOT CRM in lipstick.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Its <em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">not<\/span> <\/em>adding &#8221; Dear (First Name)&#8221;\u00a0 to an e-mail blast.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> showing me the same banner ad 17 times because I once searched \u201cnoise-cancelling underwear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a full-on, no-holds-barred commitment to knowing me, understanding me, anticipating me\u2014sometimes better than I know myself.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>AI<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>is your new bloodhound. Use it or lose relevance faster than a Clubhouse invite.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Personalisation<\/em><\/span> screams with a megaphone and says : &#8221; <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Reach Me | Know Me | Show Me | Empower Me | Delight Me<\/em><\/span> &#8220;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We, the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>customers are all narcissists<\/em><\/span>. Thats the truth. So, face it and deal with it. We want the world (and its brands) <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>to revolve around\u00a0us<\/em><\/span>. Know our <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>birthday<\/em><\/span>? Nice. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Recommend<\/em><\/span> us a product we didn\u2019t even know we wanted? Sexy. Give us a \u201cpeople like you also bought this\u201d\u2014minus the creep factor? We\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2190\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ISD-T-Shirt-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1280\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2191\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ISD-T-Shirt-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1280\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2192\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ISD-T-Shirt-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1280\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brandknewmag.com\/brands-asking-us-to-copy-and-paste-messages-without-personalization-say-influencers\/\"><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">personalisation<\/span><\/em> <\/a>is NOT just nice-to-have anymore but sheer survival? Take a look-<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Personalised experiences drive 20% more sales <\/em><\/span>(McKinsey);<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers\u00a0<\/em><\/span>(Accenture);<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Companies using personalisation see revenue increases of 6-10% <\/em><\/span>(Boston Consulting Group).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Still think personalisation is just marketing fluff?<\/em><\/span> Tell that to your bank account.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>AI<\/em><\/span> has become the game and the game changer and has <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>moved the needle from creepy to compelling<\/em><\/span>. AI has transformed personalisation from &#8220;Hey, I noticed you bought dog food, want more dog food?&#8221; to &#8220;Based on your Labrador&#8217;s age, breed characteristics, and seasonal activity patterns, here&#8217;s a customized nutrition plan that&#8217;ll make your furry friend the neighborhood superstar.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some of the real-world winners who get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brandknewmag.com\/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>personalisation<\/em><\/span><\/a> and how:-<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">1. Zomato&#8217;s Location Intelligence<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 &#8211; <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Zomato<\/em><\/span> doesn&#8217;t just deliver food\u2014it 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.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>2. Asian Paints&#8217; ColourNext <\/em><\/span>&#8211; They don&#8217;t just sell paint; they use AI to recommend colors based on your home&#8217;s architecture, lighting, and even your personality type. Because apparently, introverts prefer muted blues. Who knew?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>3. HDFC Bank&#8217;s SmartBuy<\/em><\/span><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>\u00a0Their AI analyzes spending patterns to offer cashback on categories you actually use, not random stuff you&#8217;ll never buy. Revolutionary concept: rewards that reward.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>4. Starbucks&#8217; Deep Brew <\/em><\/span>&#8211; Their AI considers 400+ factors\u2014time of day, weather, purchase history, even local events\u2014to recommend your next drink. It&#8217;s like having a barista who remembers everyone&#8217;s order, except it&#8217;s a machine and it never calls in sick.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>5. Netflix&#8217;s Recommendation Engine-<\/em> <\/span>Generates $1 billion in value annually by keeping you glued to your screen. Their secret? They don&#8217;t just track what you watch; they track when you pause, rewind, or abandon shows. Big Brother, but for entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>6. Amazon&#8217;s &#8220;Customers Who Bought This Also Bought&#8221;<\/em><\/span><strong> &#8211; <\/strong>Simple. Effective. Worth billions. It&#8217;s like having that friend who always gives great shopping advice, except this friend has analyzed the purchasing behavior of 300 million people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>7. Spotify&#8217;s Discover Weekly<\/em><\/span><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>Creates a unique playlist for each of its 456 million users every week. That&#8217;s not personalisation; that&#8217;s personalisation on steroids with a PhD in music theory.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>8. Nykaa&#8217;s Beauty AI-<\/em><\/span> Recommends products based on skin tone, type, and even local climate conditions. Because what works for Delhi&#8217;s dry heat won&#8217;t work for Mumbai&#8217;s humidity. Geography matters, people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>9. Flipkart&#8217;s Voice Assistant-<\/em> <\/span>Understands regional languages and local contexts. Ordering &#8220;dhaniya&#8221; instead of &#8220;coriander&#8221; isn&#8217;t just about language\u2014it&#8217;s about cultural intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>10. Swiggy&#8217;s Order Prediction-<\/em><\/span> Their AI doesn&#8217;t wait for you to get hungry. It predicts your cravings and sends notifications at exactly the right moment. It&#8217;s mind-reading, with a side of chicken tikka.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>The future is personal<\/em><\/span>&#8211; whether we like it or not. Personalisation isn&#8217;t coming\u2014it&#8217;s here. The companies thriving today aren&#8217;t the ones with the best products; they&#8217;re the ones with the best understanding of their customers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s 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 \u201cDear Valued Customer\u201d emails deserve to be ghosted. Personalisation is no longer a \u201cnice-to-have.\u201d It\u2019s the difference between being the life of the party and being the guy who brings fruitcake to a potluck<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Your customers don&#8217;t want to be treated like everyone else because they&#8217;re not everyone else. They&#8217;re individuals with unique needs, preferences, quirks, and habits. The sooner you embrace this reality, the sooner you&#8217;ll stop losing customers to competitors who already have.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>The bottom line <\/em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">is that<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span>personalisation powered by AI isn&#8217;t just a competitive advantage anymore\u2014<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>it&#8217;s table stakes<\/em><\/span>. You can either use it to create meaningful connections with your customers, or watch them connect with someone else who does.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The choice is yours. Choose wisely.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Personalisation<\/em><\/span> isn\u2019t just marketing fluff\u2014it\u2019s the difference between being ignored and being irresistible. And in the age of AI, if you\u2019re still sending generic blasts, you might as well be faxing your ads to a cemetery.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>AI isn\u2019t coming for your job\u2014it\u2019s coming for your lazy marketing. It is the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>ultimate wingman for your personalisation strategy<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Personalisation isn\u2019t a strategy\u2014It\u2019s survival<\/em><\/span>. 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\u2019s <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>for me<\/em><\/span>, NOT <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>at me<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Personalisation<\/em><\/span> isn\u2019t just about slapping a name on an email. It\u2019s about making every touchpoint feel like a private concert, not a public service announcement. Get it right, and you\u2019ve got a customer for life. Get it wrong, and you\u2019re the digital equivalent of that \u201cHi Ma\u2019am\/Sir\u201d telemarketing call at 9 PM.<\/p>\n<p>So, ask yourself: Does your brand feel like a tailored suit or a hand-me-down sack? If it\u2019s the latter, time for a wardrobe upgrade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Hello Brand: If you don&#8217;t know my name even, don&#8217;t expect my money ! &nbsp; 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 &#8220;Dear Valued Customer&#8221; emails like it&#8217;s 1995 and we&#8217;re &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/16\/the-future-is-personal-and-please-take-this-personally\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Future Is Personal: and Brands Please Take This Personally&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2189"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2194,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189\/revisions\/2194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sureshdinakaran.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}