Eight essentials for personalisation success

Personalisation has become a vital strategy for companies looking to enhance customer experience and drive business growth. At the recent Personalisation Summit by IQPC, industry leaders shared practical strategies and insights on making personalisation truly work within organisations.

In this blog, I’ll reveal the eight essentials to personalisation success, offering insights to consider as you navigate the evolving landscape of personalised customer engagement.

1. A cross-functional commitment
   Effective personalisation requires a deep level of cross-functional collaboration across technology, data analytics, marketing, and sales. Succeeding in personalisation demands strong commitments from the leadership team and a willingness to undertake a significant, long-term transformation. Companies with aligned decision-making across departments can more easily overcome common roadblocks, paving the way for a unified approach to developing personalised experiences.
2. Getting the foundations in place
   At the Summit, data emerged as the backbone of all personalisation efforts. As third-party cookies are phased out, retailers are increasingly focused on leveraging their own first-party data. Many companies are still in the early stages of revisiting their tech stacks to build a robust, unified data foundation. However, they can face significant challenges, such as data siloes, inconsistent data formats, duplicated customer records and legacy systems. Overcoming these challenges is critical to ensuring data accuracy and accessibility.
3. Aligning on a clear strategy
   Before diving into solutions or technology, businesses must first define a clear “North Star”, a customer-centric vision and objective for personalisation. This strategic direction helps maintain focus, ensuring that personalisation initiatives align with the desired customer outcomes, rather than just chasing the latest tech and AI trends. A clear strategy is essential for success in the complex and fast-evolving world of personalised customer journeys.
4. Experimentation and agility
   Another theme emerging at the Summit was the value of experimentation in personalisation. Starting small with targeted, measurable tests allows companies to validate the effectiveness of new strategies without significant upfront investment. This ‘progress over perfection’ approach fosters agility and encourages incremental growth, allowing companies to confidently scale up what works.
5. Measuring impact matters
   A well-defined set of key value indicators (KVIs) is crucial for gauging the effectiveness of any personalisation effort. Without measurable outcomes, it’s impossible to discern what’s driving value and what needs improvement. Successful companies invest in robust measurement tools to track the impact of personalisation on progress towards their objectives.
6. The rise of B2B personalisation
   Personalisation is gaining traction in the B2B space. While B2B customers expect tailored experiences as they would in the world of B2C, many companies are still in the early stages of adapting their strategies. Exploring opportunities in this area can offer significant competitive advantages, allowing businesses to deepen relationships and improve engagement with clients.
7. Build vs. buy to fit business needs
   A recurring debate is whether to build personalisation capabilities in-house or partner with vendors. For some, in-house solutions offer greater control, while others see the value in leveraging external expertise to accelerate implementation. Ultimately, the ‘build vs. buy’ decision should be made based on each specific business's needs and resources.
8. The 3 Rs of personalisation
   The ‘3 Rs’—Recognition, Remember, Relevance—were frequently referenced as a guideline for effective personalisation. Successful companies recognise and remember their customers, providing relevant, timely content that seamlessly enhances the customer journey. When executed well, personalisation should feel subtle, adding value without disrupting the experience.

The future of personalisation is exciting and challenging. As the landscape continues to evolve, companies that invest in strong data foundations, define a clear strategy, and remain agile in testing and measurement will be well-positioned to succeed.

The journey may be complex, but the payoff, deeper customer connections and a stronger brand relationship, is well worth it.