Personalized Experiences: Why I Love Them (+ Brand Examples)

As consumers, we crave more than just a transaction. We want to feel seen. Heard. Understood. That’s where personalized experiences come in — and why personalized marketing is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

Today’s most successful brands aren’t just selling products; they’re curating moments, messages, and offers that speak directly to their audience. These tailored efforts build trust, nurture customer loyalty, and make people feel like they belong. Let’s dive into how marketing personalization strategies can shape a meaningful customer experience — and which brands are doing it best.

What Is Personalization in Marketing?

If you’ve ever opened your Spotify Unwrapped or received an email suggesting products “just for you,” you’ve experienced personalized marketing. At its core, it’s about delivering content, promotions, and interactions that align with a person’s behavior, preferences, and identity.

Using tools rooted in data-driven marketing, companies can design personalized experiences that reflect what matters most to the individual. Whether it’s a first-name greeting in an email or a loyalty reward based on past purchases, these small touches signal attention and care.

And customers are noticing. According to a Boston Consulting Group survey, more than 80% of consumers not only want but expect personalization from the brands they engage with.

What Are the Benefits of Personalized Marketing?

Let’s break down what marketing personalization strategies can actually do for your brand and why investing in them isn’t just smart — it’s essential.

1. Sales Conversions and Customer Loyalty

Brands that use email personalization, targeted offers, and behavior-based messaging see increased sales and repeat business. In fact, 96% of consumers say they’re more likely to make a purchase when they receive a personalized offer.

That’s because personalization communicates relevance. When a brand remembers your preferences, purchase history, or even your birthday, it builds customer loyalty — customers feel recognized, not just sold to.

2. Organic Engagement and Community Building

Want to build a real connection with your audience? Start by making them feel like they’re part of something. Brand community building thrives when customers are given space to engage — whether through feedback forms, early access to products, or social content sharing.

Gen Z, for example, engages more with behind-the-scenes content and brand missions, while millennials respond to styling tips and initiatives. Personalized marketing meets people where they are and invites them into a shared story.

3. Data Utilization

You can’t create a strong customer experience without data — but it’s about more than just collecting it. Smart brands use data-driven marketing to transform behavior, interests, and location data into actions that guide content, campaigns, and product recommendations.

Interestingly, 99.6% of consumers are willing to share personal data in exchange for better, more personalized experiences. That’s a powerful opportunity to deepen engagement — but only if you use the data ethically and effectively.

Brands With Great Personalization Strategies

1. Topicals

Skincare brand Topicals is redefining what personalized marketing looks like — and it starts from within. One of their marketing specialists, Imañya James, actually appears in campaigns, offering skincare tips, product usage guidance, and behind-the-scenes content.

Through its Try Your Best (TYB) program, Topicals cultivates brand community building with tiered experiences: “Spottie Hotties” for fans, “Insiders” for creators, and “Experts” for skincare professionals. Customers also receive personalized updates, early access to launches, and invites to exclusive events.

Why it works: Topicals understands its audience — and reflects that understanding in every interaction. Their smart use of data-driven marketing allows them to tailor messages that inspire loyalty and spark conversations.

2. HelloFresh

Meal-kit giant HelloFresh gets to know you before you ever place an order. They ask for your cooking skill level, dietary needs, and family size — then use that data to build a customized plan and personalized experiences through their app dashboard.

Customers are regularly recommended meals based on past choices, and offers are tailored to cooking preferences.

Why it works: HelloFresh doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, it focuses on refining the customer experience for each user, one personalized dish at a time.

3. The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar takes beauty personalization seriously. Using virtual try-on tools and a “Complexion Quiz,” customers can match shades to their skin tone and explore curated product suggestions.

Why it works: By removing guesswork, The Lip Bar empowers customers to shop with confidence. Their thoughtful approach to email personalization and product design builds trust and boosts customer loyalty.

Expert Tips for Personalized Marketing

1. Know Your Customer — and Your Product

Delivering the perfect message means knowing who you’re speaking to and what you’re offering. Don’t just push content — know your product inside out. Authenticity matters. When marketers believe in what they’re promoting, the audience feels it too.

Understanding both the customer journey and product capabilities forms the foundation of effective marketing personalization strategies.

2. Make the Customer Feel Special

Sometimes, it’s the little things. A birthday note. A discount “just because.” Personalized product suggestions. These gestures show that a brand values its customers as individuals, not just data points.

One tactic that often works: offering a gift or discount without asking for anything in return. This approach fosters customer loyalty by creating emotional goodwill.

3. Don’t Be Creepy

Personalization is great — until it crosses the line. Using too much data in intrusive ways can feel invasive. According to BCG, two-thirds of customers have had a personalized marketing experience that felt “off” or “creepy.” The result? Many unsubscribed or disengaged completely.

The key is transparency and subtlety. Let data guide your strategy, not overpower it.

4. Don’t Forget to Entertain

Amid the seriousness of modern life, people still want to smile. Brands that entertain while they inform stand out. Whether it’s a playful email campaign, lighthearted video, or gamified quiz, adding an element of joy can transform the customer experience into something memorable.

Humanizing the Shopping Experience

In the end, personalized experiences are about making shopping feel human again. What do customers want? To feel like more than a number. Like they’re part of a tribe that shares values, passions, and language.

Brands like BÉIS have embraced this idea, even offering opt-outs from Mother’s Day emails to support customers’ emotional wellbeing. These thoughtful moments — quiet but powerful — foster lasting brand community building.

Final Thoughts

The most effective personalized marketing isn’t loud. It’s intentional. It listens. It anticipates. It says, We see you — and that message resonates far beyond the checkout screen.

By leveraging data-driven marketing, optimizing for email personalization, and building real relationships, brands can create a deeper, more meaningful customer experience. And as we’ve seen from leaders like Topicals, HelloFresh, and The Lip Bar, the results aren’t just personal — they’re powerful.

Ready to turn every click into a connection? At Engage Coders, we help you harness the power of personalized marketing to drive real customer loyalty and community growth.

Request your free quote today!