Why Personalisation Matters Today

Date:: Sep 17, 2025

Length:: 12 min read

WeFuse - Why Personalisation Matters Today

Beyond Hi [Name]

Personalisation has been a buzzword in marketing for years, but lately it has become the hype. Programmatic platforms and DSPs promised a new era of one-to-one messaging, and for a while, it felt like the silver bullet. Most people still think of it as that classic line in an email. Hi [Name]. But true personalisation goes far beyond that. It is about creating experiences that feel relevant, human, and memorable at every touchpoint. This series explores why personalisation matters, why it is so hard to get right, and what the future holds when data, AI, and human insight come together.

Personalisation Beyond the Hype

We live in a constant state of flux. Innovation moves faster than it ever has and it will only keep accelerating. Brands are trying to keep up in a shaky economy while chasing growth and sustainability. At the same time customers want to feel seen. Heard. Understood. Especially younger generations.

All of these pressures make one thing clear. Personalisation is no longer optional. It is the difference between talking at customers and talking to them. Between treating people as transactions and recognising them as individuals with needs, context and expectations.

And yet so many brands still miss the mark.

Take a simple example. I bought a console not too long ago. Two days later I was served several ads for the exact same console at a lower price. Why would I need two? I asked myself. What did that brand really achieve? They wasted money. I rolled my eyes. And somewhere an agency probably reported proudly. We delivered X impressions and drove Y clicks and Z sales. Great ROI.

That is not personalisation. That is noise. I have seen it again and again. A cycle of spraying messages and hoping someone bites.

When Personalisation Hits the Agenda

We have been in so many meetings where the word personalisation gets thrown around. Sometimes hyper- personalisation (for a whole other article). And the question is always the same. Can we do it? My answer is usually another question. Do what exactly? Send an email with a first name in the subject line? Or build a digital experience where every touchpoint recognises who I am?

And the bigger question. Why are we doing it? Is it only to drive a quick sale or fast ROI? Of course sales matter. But for us at WeFuse, it means more than just the quick win. Businesses thrive on sales, but the true goal is the long term relationship you want to build with the customer.

The experience of personalisation should go beyond sales. It should make the interaction unforgettable. It should make it matter. It should give the brand a purpose, rather than just another feature. When it is done right, it feels so relevant that people remember it and return to it.

But here is the catch. You cannot achieve this by leaving it to IT alone. Personalisation demands more. It needs everyone in the room. The brand team. The marketing team. The design team. Back office. Mid office. Front office. And yes, someone will always ask, where is the PO? Each one plays a role in shaping the kind of operational excellence that creates the best possible customer experience. And when all of that comes together, you do more than close the omni channel loop. WeFuse the omni-channel into one seamless experience, so the customer meets the same brand everywhere. Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun.

At WeFuse we have seen the difference. We have helped brands move from basic tactics to experiences that actually feel human. Even when they are powered by data and technology.

At WeFuse we see five primary stages of personalisation.

Stage One. The Stranger.

We do not know you. You are just another visitor. Everyone gets the same page, the same message, the same ad. Maybe there is a slight variation if we are A/B testing. But for the most part, everyone sees the same thing.

Stage Two. The Acquaintance.

We recognise you. Maybe we remember what you clicked on last time. Maybe we show you what people like you also bought. It is friendly but still vague. Like a barista who knows your face but not your order.

Stage Three. The Friend.

We have identified you. Now it gets more personal. We know your preferences. We remember your history. We start shaping experiences around you.

Stage Four. The Partner.

We know who you are. Every touchpoint feels connected. Email. Website. App. Even in store. It feels built for you. Relevant. Useful. But never creepy. That last part matters. Personalisation should never feel like surveillance. It should feel like service.

Stage Five. The Companion.

We grow with you. The brand does not just know you in this moment. It learns as you change. It adapts when your needs shift. It helps you discover things you did not even know you wanted yet. This is when personalisation stops being a tactic and becomes a relationship. Two-way. Built on trust.

And Then There’s B2B

I know, I know. Up until now I have mainly been talking about B2C personalisation. But when it comes to B2B, the playing field becomes even more interesting. The opportunities are bigger, but so are the expectations.

In B2B we often talk about Stages Four and Five of personalisation. The stage where the relationship moves beyond recognition into real partnership. B2B e-commerce is not just about transactions. It is about service. A fashion retailer ordering stock from a wholesaler does not want to feel like just another buyer in the system. They want the experience to feel tailored, efficient, and supportive. Almost like having a companion who helps them grow their own business.

B2B personalisation means understanding the full context of your buyer. Their order history. Their seasonal trends. Even their pain points. It could be surfacing the right reorder prompts at exactly the right moment. It could be dynamic pricing shaped by their contract and loyalty. It could be sharing insights on what is selling fastest in their market. Or even going a step further and forecasting which products are likely to perform best for their clients, so they feel one step ahead.

Think of a fashion wholesaler working with a retailer. Instead of just taking bulk orders, the wholesaler could flag that oversized jackets are trending in similar markets, recommend quantities that fit the retailer’s past sales pattern, and suggest complementary products that would drive basket size. The retailer does not just get stock, they get guidance. That is the kind of partnership personalisation creates.

Conclusion

The truth is we already live in a world of personalised experiences. Our playlists and shopping feeds are tuned to our behaviour and likes. Recommendations feel predictive. If your brand is not at least trying to meet that bar — whether in B2C or B2B — you risk being ignored. Or worse, replaced by a competitor who is already doing it.

But getting it right is not simple. Data silos. Compliance headaches. Disconnected systems. And sometimes a lack of alignment between stakeholders on what personalisation is really meant to achieve. All of these play a role in why brands struggle.