Intelligent Technology |
MORE SPEND, LESS LOYALTY? THE‘ PERSONALISATION GAP’ BURNING THROUGH BUDGETS
rands across the UK
B are pouring hundreds of millions into retail media, but many are failing to turn that investment into lasting customer loyalty. The reason? According to new research from SAP Emarsys, marketers are targeting audiences with the wrong experiences.
The 2025 SAP Emarsys Global Consumer Products Engagement Report shows that 55 % of consumers are put off by brand experiences that still feel impersonal, despite soaring expectations for personalisation. Meanwhile, 68 % say they’ re more likely to stay loyal to brands that tailor experiences to their needs – highlighting a growing personalisation gap that’ s draining both revenue and relevance.
“ Big budgets are only as effective as the marketers that wield them,” said
Daniel Hagos, SVP Revenue & Managing Director at SAP Emarsys.“ If you’ re spending money in a way that doesn’ t reach the consumer on their terms, it’ s easy to waste that advantage – whether that’ s failing to effectively personalise their experience with you or failing to reach them through the channels that they prefer.”
Despite 61 % of consumers actively valuing personalised content, less than half( 44 %) of UK marketers say their campaigns are truly personalised. Fragmented data, outdated tech stacks and lack of access to real-time behavioural insights are blocking progress – resulting in one-size-fitsall experiences that can push younger consumers away.
The research also found that barely one in three marketers( 38 %) have access to real-time customer data across key
“
THE MOST POWERFUL ENGAGEMENT IS BASED ON A SOUND DATA-DRIVEN UNDERSTANDING.
channels. Without a unified view of the customer – from email, to app, to in-store and paid media – brands risk overpaying for underwhelming results.
“ The most powerful engagement is based on a sound data-driven understanding,” Hagos added.“ Rather than taking a scattergun approach with their resources, brands need to base their approach around a genuine understanding of each customer as individuals.”
30 www. intelligentretail. tech