? Not this time. But sometimes, I do give in to its recommendation algorithm. Like Bernazzani and Brudner, I can’t resist the urge when Amazon hits me with accurate suggestions. 8. Netflix Netflix books its personalized marketing on the knowledge of your viewing history. Your homepage displays carousels containing shows and movies the company thinks you’ll enjoy. Taking this to the next level, Netflix uses sophisticated algorithms to not only predict what you like, but to also create customized thumbnails. These thumbnails showcase the characters, scenes, and as much of the content as possible that they think will resonate with you. The image on the left is centered around political intrigue, conspiracies, and the people who govern them. Image Source The Takeaway If your website visitors and customers are showing you data that they’re all about personalized experiences, it might be time to turn to your design and personalize it according to their Web experience. They’ll thank you for it with more purchases and longer website visits, and they will let you see how they really feel about what you’re showing them with their purchasing behavior. Analysis makes sales feel personal which, in turn, increases customer satisfaction and loyalty. Consider these elements when reviewing your website. 9. Spotify Every December, Spotify compiles a playlist of songs you listened to throughout the year. It includes top songs, artists, and genres, and shows how many minutes you’ve spent listening to each. The campaign always dominates social media for a solid week. Everyone and their mother posts the awkwardly accurate Spotify Wrapped playlist on their Instagram stories. It’s become a time-honored tradition enjoyed by seemingly everyone on the platform. Image source The Takeaway If you have a way to track interactions with your brand, consider putting together a personalized end-of-year recap. It’s a light-hearted way to connect emotionally with your customers and audience. Plus, it can start conversations on social media. All that buzz, plus your audience gets to take a walk down memory lane. Use this information to generate unique, interactive content for your brand. 10. Fitbit For Fitbit wearables, personalized marketing is about more than targeted advertising. It’s about personalized fitness goals, health advice, and encouragement tailored to individual users. Take the Fitbit Charge 3, for example. Users get personalized activity goals based on their typical exercise regimen before the device arrives. Image Source The Tracker also gives users reminders to get up and move if they’ve been sedentary for a while. Breaking up long periods of sitting can help improve your health, and receiving a buzzing nudge to do so is incredibly helpful. The Takeaway Not everything needs to be about driving sales. Truly personalized branded products that improve your customers’ lives will earn you long-term loyalty. 11. Nike Built from the ground up, Nike’s personalized running shoes feature personal IDs — marathon times, nicknames — or just your general direction of not needing to provide any personal data and they automatically personalize your shoes based on who else is shopping on Nike.com. Users can select from a dizzying cache of fabric colors, decals, and cushioning on a blank canvas of a shoe. Whether it’s black-and-white geometric designs or a your-pick neon shade, few styles will repeat themselves at the starting line. The Takeaway Your customers want sexy sneakers, and these look different from the sexiest sneakers someone else wants. Can you find a way to personalize your product without putting in any work on your end? Engage your audience, and see if they’re willing to create a product that’s perfect for them. 12. ASOS ASOS uses personalization extensively to ensure its lookbook showcases different body types and skin tones. Using a feature called Fit Assistant, the brand offers size recommendations for an individual based on their sizing information and purchase history. The Takeaway If your brand sells clothes, make size recommendations and give a friendly face to the process. You may think that only total customization counts, but think about the purchase path from your typical user and try to speed up wherever you can. An easier process means more trust in your brand. 13. Barkbox Barkbox sends unique toys and all-natural treats to dogs every month. Each box has a theme filled with delightful goodies and personalized items. Take the customer, Adam, who tweeted about his dog Cooper. He received a personalized card urging him to tag @Barkbox when Cooper receives his Barkbox. Image source The Takeaway Personalized marketing isn’t limited to humans. If you sell pet products, don’t shy away from making the experience fun for pet owners. Create an experience that users can share on their social media platforms. 14. Domino’s Domino’s has long let customers create and save a “Go-To Order.” With a personalized pizza profile, users can reorder the pizzas they most frequently buy with ease. Additionally, the pizza chain created a voice-ordering option for its app. By linking a Domino’s account to Voice-Order, users only have to ask for their most frequent order to be delivered. The Takeaway Make it easy for your customer to order what they want again and again. The pizza giant makes pizza munching a little easier with an experience that makes it fun to keep eating pizza. Charles Duhigg’s Target anecdote is a clear example of the line brands straddle when using personalized data to market to customers. Personalized marketing is a delicate balance between offering customers what they might love and coming off as invasive. While some personalized marketing techniques love in on that balance, it’s not impossible to hit the mark. Whether it’s personalized recommendations, your product offering, or tiered services based on the data you collect, this list shows that many brands have mastered how to target customers without tipping the untrustworthy scale. The last thing a customer wants is to feel like a brand knows too much about them. But once you get the personalization aspect right, your customers just might end up feeling like a brand gets them. How can personalization grow your business? Infinite ways. However, these 14 examples don’t just show off smart personal marketing efforts. They also demonstrate innovative ways to up your game — by taking the work out of personal branding. You can follow several of these examples to create experiences that hook, surprise, and make your audience feel like you really get them.
Charles Duhigg, in his New York Times article “How Companies Learn Your Secrets,” points out that retailers are using customer data to predict consumer behavior and personalize promotions. While some find this type of data collection invasive, many brands have mastered personalized marketing techniques. Shutterfly uses photo data from customers to create personalized products, while Funko’s POP! Yourself line allows for unique customization. Penguin Random House uses quizzes to help suggest books, and Vidyard uses personalized videos to speak to customers on an individual level. Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi send personalized appreciation emails, and IPSY sends customized beauty products based on user interest. Amazon has personalized recommendations and Netflix uses customized thumbnails of content. Fitbit provides personalized fitness goals, and Nike and ASOS offer personalized products and recommendations. Barkbox sends pet products with personalized items, and Domino’s allows customers to save frequent orders for easy reordering. These examples of personalized marketing show that brands are walking a delicate line between data collection and customer trust. With innovative personalized marketing techniques, brands can create experiences that hook, surprise, and engage audiences, making them feel understood and valued.
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