The end of generic experiences with AI?

Personalization is not a new concept. For years, brands have known that understanding and anticipating customer needs is the key to building loyalty and increasing sales. Yet, it’s the topic that keeps coming up in many articles published last week on customer experience.

Why? Because AI is changing the rules of the game. What’s new is the scale and precision with which AI can now personalize customer experiences.

And that’s good news: according to Twilio’s 2025 Customer Engagement Report, 83% of companies claim to know their customers, but only 45% of customers feel understood by brands. The gap is huge… and AI could help close it.

The leaders’ example

The success stories of major brands are inspiring. Here are three recent examples:

• Starbucks, with its Deep Brew program, personalizes customer orders, optimizes inventory, and even guides baristas in real time.

• Ralph Lauren has launched Ask Ralph, an AI assistant that advises customers like an in-store stylist.

• Etsy reports a 30% increase in time spent on its website thanks to hyper-targeted product recommendations.

How scale smaller businesses apply this?

These examples may feel out of reach, but regardless of company size, while the tools and resources may differ, the methodology remains the same:

• Clearly define your objectives and keep them realistic

• Build on your existing strengths and assets

• Identify the moments in the customer journey you want to personalize (focus on what will have the greatest impact)

• Collect the right data (purchase behavior, preferences, feedback)

• Structure your internal systems to leverage and share information

• Select and implement the right solutions

• Support and train your teams

AI as a service

The good news: you don’t need to develop your own AI.

AI as a Service (AIaaS) is becoming democratized and is already integrated into tools you may be using every day. Solutions like Adobe and Hubspot regularly highlight their latest AI-powered personalization features. You can also look for increasingly numerous niche solutions (such as chatbots and virtual assistants) that integrate easily with your existing information systems.

Choosing the right solution in today’s context is not easy. But it’s worth taking time at this stage to test several options. At this point, starting small can be an excellent strategy.

The real challenges ahead

AI, like any other technology, is just a mean.

True success comes from:

• A clear strategic vision: knowing which experiences you want to deliver, to whom, and why

• An adapted company culture: communicating, engaging, and training your teams, who remain fundamental to your commercial success

• Structured and shared information and data : it is just impossible to succeed without it!

Finally, it’s important to keep a balance between personalization and a strong, well-designed generic experience. Not every step of the journey needs to be personalized, and pushing too far could have negative effects.

The real question is no longer if you should use AI to personalize your customer experiences, but how to do it wisely with AI.