Executive Summary

Marketers believe they have a mandate to personalize customer experiences across channels. That’s because most believe consumers have signaled their interest in receiving more tailored communications through their behavior and actions. And in many cases, personalization seems to be the logical next step in achieving the greatest return on marketing investments in a digital, measurable world.

To what extent are marketers providing a cohesive, tailored customer experience across all touchpoints?

Marketers are continuing to improve and extend their capabilities when it comes to delivering tailored messaging and experiences across channels, but, for most, there are still significant gaps.

What data sets, technology and best practices are marketers using to personalize omnichannel experiences?

Marketers are relying more than ever on first-party data to personalize customer experiences, though external data still plays a major role. Customer data platforms (CDPs) and other data solutions are becoming more widespread and important to the deployment of sophisticated data-driven experiences. And some marketers are also looking beyond digital performance metrics to user testing and surveys to make sure they’re addressing customer needs.

What upcoming trends and influences for personalization may affect future practices?

Consumer concerns over data privacy, and government regulation responding to those concerns, are not going away. Industry moves like Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) have hindered some current practices, and marketers will have to continue responding to such changes over the next few years as best practices remain in flux.

At the same time, the ongoing digital transformation among companies may make other aspects of delivering data-driven customer experiences easier. If brands do away with data silos and effectively align incentives around the customer, it may help them deliver more of the right messages at the right times—with consent, of course.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report investigates the latest strategies and practices marketers are using to deliver data-driven experiences to customers across channels.

KEY STAT: According to 2019 Winterberry Group polling, seven in 10 US digital marketers say perceived demand from customers will be an important driver of their data-driven marketing efforts. About half also pointed to the growing emphasis on measurability and accountability.