Bean soup. Not exactly the phrase you’d expect to capture the zeitgeist of personalisation, yet here we are.
The story goes like this: a TikTok user posts a simple bean soup recipe, only to be inundated with comments like, “What if I don’t like beans?” At first glance, it seems amusingly trivial. But it reveals something profound about modern digital behaviour: people now expect hyper-personalised digital experiences.
Why do many personalisation efforts fail to resonate?
According to a 2021 McKinsey report, 76% of consumers demand personalised experiences and interactions with brands, and 71% become frustrated when their expectations aren’t met. With AI and machine learning now better at tracking and mapping our online behaviour — our likes, dislikes and impulses — I wouldn’t be surprised if this percentage was even higher today.
Yet despite the advances in technology, many companies find that their digital personalisation efforts fail to resonate. Why? Because consumers see right through it when brands are just going through the motions.
This year’s Technology for Marketing conference highlighted that while personalisation is everywhere, it’s not inherently impactful. Consumers have become savvy at discerning between genuine engagement and surface-level automation. To move beyond the gimmick of calling users by their first names or offering generic product recommendations, personalisation must evolve to be more than just data-driven — it needs to be authentic. Personalisation without authenticity falls flat, and brands that fail to integrate their values risk being seen as insincere. And while many companies invest in personalised interactions and experiences, there seems to be a disconnect between what they think they’re delivering and how their customers perceive it.
The illusion of personalisation
Twilio’s research found that while 85% of businesses believe they offer personalised interactions, only 60% of customers agree. This gap highlights an essential issue: the illusion of personalisation, where brands rely heavily on automation without understanding what personalisation truly means to their audience – how, when and where they expect to encounter it.
To illustrate, think back to the bean soup story. The knee-jerk response to “What if I don’t like beans?” would be, “Then don’t watch. Keep scrolling.” But the reality is that we’ve trained ourselves to expect every online experience to be tailored specifically for us, thanks to algorithmic feeds that cater to individual preferences. Or, as one commenter aptly puts it, some “people take the ‘for you’ page too literally.”
Screenshot from Digital Native article on hyper-personalisation
However, algorithmic feeds didn’t create the demand for personalisation — they responded to it and, in doing so, intensified it. Society’s movement from communal to individualistic values has been decades in the making, long predating social media. This shift was accelerated by the isolation of the pandemic, when we all retreated further into curated digital experiences that reinforced our personal preferences.
Given all this context, it’s particularly interesting how brands have adapted to this “me”-centric culture, from BMW mimicking real-life showroom interactions across their digital platforms to Revolut’s all-in-one app catering to individual financial needs. However, meeting these expectations comes with a downside. The more brands automate interactions to seem personalised, the more consumers learn to spot inauthenticity.
I myself felt a pang of frustration when I received an email from my local gym promoting a service I’d just bought. “Don’t they know I already paid for this?” I wondered before swiping the message into the abyss of my archive. Of course, I knew, rationally, that an algorithm was behind the message and that the poor marketer who set up the workflow had no clue about my recent purchase, let alone an intimate knowledge of me as an individual. Yet, the moment felt hollow. The thin veneer of personalisation shattered, exposing a system that cared more about blanket outreach than a genuine connection.
Like me, many consumers nowadays have been surrounded by real-time data and highly targeted ads. We can tell when we’re just another segment on a list. This recognition triggers disengagement, which is why customer experiences that prioritise authenticity stand out.
What really is authenticity?
A common misconception is that authenticity simply means appearing human, relatable or purpose-driven.
This assumption has led brands to mimic social media lingo, adopting memes and trendy phrases to appeal to the average netizen. Following the same beat, some brands also hop on purpose marketing bandwagons, promoting causes that, while noble, are entirely unrelated to their core values. And, as CMI noted, brands that jump on these fleeting trends risk appearing inauthentic.
In today’s market, audiences are savvy enough to spot greenwashing and performative DEI efforts, and they can easily tell when a brand’s “purpose” feels like a hollow attempt to gain favour. While these initiatives may build goodwill internally — like strengthening ties with employees or suppliers—they often miss the mark with consumers. For example, BP rebranding itself as “Beyond Petroleum”, while well-meaning, failed to resonate because it didn’t connect meaningfully with the brand or its products. This shows us that there’s a crucial difference between corporate-level purpose (such as sustainability) and brand-level purpose that actually speaks to consumer values. Misjudging this distinction not only risks appearing contrived but can even erode trust, doing more harm than good to a brand’s reputation.
Even so, amidst this digital sea of brands attempting to humanise themselves, a few do manage to strike the right chord. Duolingo is a prime example. The app’s mascot, Duo, has become a character with its own voice, capable of humorous and genuine interactions on social media. Unlike other brands that flounder in forced internet snark, Duolingo’s approach works because it aligns with their brand’s playful, slightly edgy persona. Duo’s blasé comments and replies resonate as authentic because that’s simply how Duo acts.
Screenshot from Zaria Parvez’s article on how the comment section became Duolingo’s new push notification
So, rather than being human, relatable, trendy or even purpose-driven, authenticity means aligning with your brand’s core values in a way that resonates naturally with your audience. When done right, authenticity feels effortless, not forced, performative, or opportunistic. It signals that the brand is confident in who they are and trusts their audience to engage with them on those terms.
What is authentic personalisation?
But what is authenticity in the broader context of personalisation? It goes beyond using names or suggesting products based on browsing history. As CoreMedia points out, technology in personalisation is the vehicle rather than the destination. It delivers the desired outcomes. Yet, many marketers fall into the trap of prioritising tech over having a solid strategy that defines what is authentic to your brand.
Consider Cadbury’s Your Special Moments campaign, where Dairy Milk Silk offered couples the chance to turn their love stories into personalised animated films using gen AI. By scanning a QR code on select packs, couples could answer a few questions to generate a unique mini-movie starring avatars of themselves, capturing their relationship in a way that felt personal and meaningful. What made this campaign resonate wasn’t just a clever AI tool, but the way it reinforced Cadbury’s brand values of generosity and togetherness, a natural fit for celebrating love on Valentine’s Day. By aligning technology with genuine brand purpose, Cadbury showed that authentic personalisation lies in using tech as a way to deepen connections, not merely automate interactions.
Contrast this with the many personalisation slips we see all too often — like the infamous “[fname]” placeholders that sneak into emails or those moments when spouses receive ads for birthday gifts their partners are secretly browsing. Then there are the large-scale blunders: Netflix pushing hyper-targeted tweets that came off as invasive, or Shutterfly accidentally congratulating an entire segment, including those facing infertility, on their “new arrival.” These kinds of mishaps reveal just how easily personalisation can go wrong when it lacks real thoughtfulness.
Screenshot from LXA article on creepy examples of personalisation
The Lesson? Personalisation must reflect genuine understanding and empathy. Brands need to deliver personalised experiences that are consistent not just with user data but with the brand’s core values. Anything less risks coming across as shallow, eroding trust.
The importance of digital trust
This isn’t the first time we’re touching on the significance of brand trust. However, since our last article, rapid technological advances have made digital trust particularly a vital part of modern business strategy. And by digital trust, I mean the confidence consumers have in a company’s use of tech and data.
Now that people are aware that hyper-personalised digital experiences rely on the collection of personal information, companies must prove they can protect user data, maintain effective cybersecurity measures, and be transparent about data use. But beyond these essentials, bridging the trust gap requires a focus on human-centred user and customer experiences (UX and CX). While security and transparency lay the groundwork, it’s the thoughtful, empathetic design of interactions that truly assures customers their needs—not just their data—are being respected. Despite these clear requirements, many organisations still fall short of meeting consumer expectations, leaving a trust gap that can drive customers to competitors.
So, hyper-personalisation sits at a delicate intersection between what consumers expect and what they find intrusive. Brands that rely on automated personalisation without a foundation of digital trust and authenticity may appear invasive, or worse, unsafe. As we move forward, maintaining digital trust is crucial for the survival and growth of businesses navigating the increasing demands for hyper-personalisation.
In conclusion
Personalisation is here to stay, but its success hinges on more than the ability to do it. The essence of impactful personalisation is authenticity, reinforced by a foundation of digital trust. Consumers today expect brands to know them but not overstep, to personalise without breaching their sense of privacy. Companies that misuse data or rely too heavily on surface-level tactics risk alienating their audiences and diminishing their credibility. Yes, the latest MarTech has made personalisation easy to achieve. But without a well-defined strategy, many brands will fail to reap the rewards of their personalisation efforts.
Blending the latest tech with strategic brand insight
At Dusted, we blend the latest MarTech solutions with strategic brand insight, empowering organisations to achieve truly impactful and authentic personalisation. By establishing a clear foundation of who you are and what sets you apart, we help you meet evolving customer expectations while keeping your authentic voice at the forefront.
So reach out today to start your personalisation journey.
