Personalization
Personalization is about creating communications and experiences that truly resonate with the individual customer by matching insights with the right content. It’s much more than using a first name in an email – it’s about delivering relevance at the right time and with the right message. When successful, personalization creates value for both the customer and the business.
The Bowtie of Personalization
In Hello $Firstname – AI Edition, personalization is defined as a distinct communication tactic: showing or hiding content in ways that match people's preferences – explicit or inferred – to create both immediate and future business value.
To do this concretely, the book introduces The Bowtie of Personalization. The bowtie is tied from two sides: on the left side are your insights – who the customer is, what they need, and when they are open to interaction. On the right side is your content – messages and content feeds. In the knot in the middle, insights and content meet and become a coherent customer experience.
The bowtie has four corners that marketing teams can work with:
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Segments – define groups of customers based on data and behavior.
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Messages – create communication that speaks directly to the segments.
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Moments of Truth – find the critical moments in the customer journey where personalization makes the biggest difference.
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Content Feeds – organize and structure recommendations (e.g. products or articles) so that they are dynamically matched with insights and fit the Message.
Just as tying a real bow tie takes practice, personalization requires coordination, discipline, and creativity. When done right, the result is a seamless and memorable customer experience—one that builds loyalty and creates measurable results.
