Customer behaviour and expectations have changed. Tailoring the user experience is part and parcel of today's digital landscape. Personalisation is no longer a tactic reserved for the likes of Netflix and Amazon. It's a feature available in all Digital Experience Platforms and Customer Data Platforms worth their salt.
It can be annoying to see ads in your social feeds and then pop-ups in your browser of products and services you were looking at no more than an hour before somewhere else.
Overkill? Possibly. But love it or loathe it, relevant content is here to stay. But it's not perfect.
How many times have you made an online purchase and then later see ads for whatever you bought? That's annoying. Yet with hyper personalisation, which is the most advanced way brands tailor their marketing efforts, things are changing.
Using real-time data, analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and hyperautomation, brands have the power to create custom, targeted, engaging and non-jarring experiences.
Hyper personalisation will eventually rid us of seeing ads for things we've already bought. But surely it can't stop there.
One of the stand-out, hyper-targeted campaigns is Spotify's Wrapped campaign. Covering 30 markets this is personalisation personified. Spotify collates data like most-streamed artists, songs, and podcasts to deliver a personalised, interactive, user-oriented experience that gives Spotify users a detailed look at their year in music. Very cool, and something we're going to be seeing a lot more of in other industries.
So what else should we expect to see in the coming years? We've put together a short list of how far the art of tailored content can go.
- Digitising spaces
- The empathy experience
- Biometrics / facial
- Biometrics / voice and fingerprint
- Smart homes
- The Metaverse
1. Digitising spaces
Imagine walking into a shop and having a full-on personalised experience. That's exactly what's happening at Covergirl’s flagship store. The store has integrated an AI-powered program which guides customers through the store.
There are also augmented reality 'glam stations'. These enable customers to 'virtually try' products by showing them an image of themselves wearing the product of interest. And if the customer likes what they see, a human salesperson takes over the sale.
2. The empathy experience
Empathy, which is the ability to relate to and understand someone's emotions, is becoming a purchasing influencer.
This is achieved with ML. It's happening right now with Amazon’s Echo/Alexa devices. They can detect whether someone is ill by picking up unusual nasal tones which may be a precursor to a blocked nose. On detection, the device offers a suitable remedy like a hot bath or cough sweets that can be purchased over the device for home delivery.
3. Biometrics / facial
There's a scene in the film GATTACA where Jude Law is in a department store being inundated with personalised messages. In a world where facial recognition is being used more often, it's not so hard to see this happening in the future. That's not to say it won't still be annoying and somewhat intrusive.
4. Biometrics / voice and fingerprint
All new mobile phones and a lot of apps use fingerprint recognition for access. This has become the norm. It's a security feature the majority feel comfortable with.
Fingerprint and voice recognition validation, however, can also be used to personalise and improve customer experience.
Deutsche Telekom, for instance, has rolled this out. Its customers create a voiceprint for instant access to their accounts the next time they call in. This reduces the friction of having to remember lengthy ID numbers. This is proving successful as 75% of those customers (out of 700k) say it’s more convenient.
5. Smart homes
Personalisation goes beyond online ads. It has spilled into our lives on a much more personal level.
Take smart devices. If you deck your home out with loads of them like lights, thermostats, taps, etc. then over time these devices (through AI and ML) will learn your lifestyle. They'll know when to switch the heating and the lights on, when to turn on your alarm, and even when to restock your fridge before you run out of milk. It won't be long before all new builds become smart with every conceivable device connected to the digital grid.
6. The Metaverse
The ultimate personalised experience? It's bubbling away nicely right now. Especially in fashion.
Brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton are already making strides, launching their own non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that can be used in the Metaverse. ‘Metafashion’, as it's called, allows Metaverse users, or rather their avatars, to create and modify their look in the fashion brands' clothes.
Science fiction has become science fact! The Metaverse will become the ultimate digital playground where personalisation could be faultless.
The future of personalisation can be a bit intimidating to some, Yet to others it’s the natural progression of a tactic that’s been used for years. From the humble salesperson tailoring their sales patter based on customer needs, to digital suggestions, personalisation has always been with us. It’s just more apparent today.
Working with Codehouse
We've been delivering robust digital experiences for over 15 years. Our team of experts have helped our customers navigate their digital journeys by using influential technologies like personalisation to drive sales and conversions.
If you have a project you want to talk to us about, get in touch when you can.
