Marketers today are tasked with delivering hyper-personalized messaging at scale. Luckily for them, AI has made it possible to reach individuals with uncanny precision (as we all know: right message, right time, right channel). But as the pendulum swings hard toward 1:1 personalization, a critical question emerges: Just because we can personalize every interaction, does it mean we should?
For marketers immersed in the mechanics of programmatic, identity resolution and customer journey orchestration, this might sound counterintuitive. After all, the evolution of advertising has been about advancing mass messaging to also encompass precision targeting.
But now, we’re arriving at a new inflection point. One that demands marketers reintroduce a sometimes-overlooked concept into the personalization playbook: the shared human experience.
The case for collective experience
Humans are inherently social beings. We bond through shared rituals, cultural moments and emotional truths that transcend individual preferences, like holidays or sporting events.
When personalization goes unchecked, it can begin to fragment audiences. We serve messages so tailored, so niche, that we forget the power of the collective. And yet, some of the most impactful campaigns, those that live on in culture, don’t rely on data segmentation. They tap into emotional universals. They speak to everyone.
Amazon’s “Joy Ride” or Coca-Cola’s iconic holiday campaigns are prime examples. These aren’t built for a segment of one; they’re built to create a sense of belonging. They tap into emotions we all share: nostalgia, pride, perseverance, joy – or even the humor of poking fun at ourselves (think HBO Max’s re-rebrand).
For performance marketers and media strategists focused on return on ad spend and funnel velocity, these campaigns might seem like brand-building anomalies. But, increasingly, brands are recognizing that connection, not just conversion, is what drives lasting value.
Context is the missing metric
Overpersonalization can feel clinical, even isolating. It can segment audiences so finely that we lose the unifying spark. And even the most advanced tech stack can’t create emotional nuance.
Consider two customers buying the same refrigerator. One is moving into a new home. The other is replacing theirs after a natural disaster. Same profile. Same behavioral signals. Completely different emotional context.
This is what effective, necessary and valuable personalization looks like. It’s deeply attuned to human circumstance, not just digital breadcrumbs. But these are specialized cases. The problem arises when brands try to apply this level of hyper-granular targeting universally.
Sometimes, relevance isn’t about precision; it’s about resonance.
When data powers creativity
This isn’t an argument against personalization; it’s a call for smarter, more human use of it. Personalization should enhance humanity, not erase it.
Some of the most effective CRM and loyalty strategies today blend behavioral data with emotionally resonant insights, not necessarily to power hyper-individualized AI-driven 1:1 personalization, but rather to reach groups of consumers in ways that feel personally relevant.
The point isn’t to abandon personalization; it’s to rethink the kind of personalization that truly matters. Programs like Marriott Bonvoy and 7-Eleven’s rewards platform go beyond automated offers. They succeed by aligning real-time behavioral signals with a strong brand identity and an understanding of shared emotional drivers, like the desire for convenience, recognition or spontaneity in the moment.
This kind of resonance can be more impactful than obsessing over perfectly individualized interactions that may miss the bigger picture of what consumers actually want and need.
Crafting for the many – and the one
The future of marketing isn’t about choosing between precision and scale or between data and storytelling. It’s about knowing when to personalize and when to unify. The best campaigns will blend cultural truth with data insight, knowing when to speak directly to one person and when to speak to the room.
As brands continue to explore AI-driven experiences, marketers should remember this: Don’t lose sight of what makes us human. Use AI to understand the behavior, then infuse creativity to evoke an emotional response. The ads that endure aren’t always the ones built for one. They’re the ones that bring people together. Think in nuance, not extremes, and find the balance.
“Data-Driven Thinking” is written by members of the media community and contains fresh ideas on the digital revolution in media.
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