Personalisation is for sure a buzz-word and one of the strongest trends in marketing and communication today since we started with Marketing Automation. With modern technlogogy that is cheaper and more accessable for more, the term Hyper-Personalisation has emerged. So what is the difference between Personalisation vs Hyper-Personalisation. Let’s explore in this blog post. It’s time to get down on the difference between Personalisation vs Hyper-Personalisation.
Why Personalise?
Competition is harder than ever and it is getting more difficult to cut through the noise. Marketing is expensive and inefficient, and many marketeers have difficulties demonstrating the ROI marketing brings. Consumers leave huge amounts of data behind and expect brands not only to handle it with care, but also understand their needs and deliver relevant communication, offers and experiences. Personalisation and Hyper-Personalisation are two approaches businesses use to achieve this, but they are not the same. Understanding the difference is key to leveraging the right strategy for your brand.
If you need research to back the statements, look no further:
- Companies excelling in personalization generate 40% more revenue than average players. mckinsey.com
- 77% of companies utilizing personalized experiences have reported an increase in market share. revgenius.com
- Companies that excel at personalization can achieve revenue growth rates of 6-10% on average. cxuniversity.com
- 44% of companies state that offering a personalised experience increases sales significantly. hubspot.com
What is Personalisation?
I have met many organizations that say “yeah, we already do Personalisation, we have been doing it since the 90’s”. Sure. Personalisation refers to the practice of tailoring marketing messages, product recommendations, and content based on basic customer data. Like populating static templets with “Hi ‘first name’”, or other demographic details, past purchase behavior, and general preferences.
Examples of Personalisation:
- A company sending email campaigns addressing recipients by their first name and recommending relevant case studies based on their industry.
- A website displaying content based on a visitor’s company size or previous interactions.
- An e-commerce site recommending products based on a customer’s previous purchases.
- A streaming service recommending movies based on a user’s viewing history.
While Personalisation improves customer engagement, it is often rule-based and does not fully capture real-time behaviors or evolving preferences.
What is Hyper-Personalisation?
With new technology comes new possibilities, and with AI we can achieve Hyper-Personalisation. That takes Personalisation a step further by leveraging dynamic content that is truly tailored for each target group, persona or person. We can leverage real-time data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to deliver highly relevant and context-aware experiences. The right message, to the right person, in the right channel at the right time delivering i.e. the Next Best Offer. It can considers factors like browsing behavior, time of day, location, device usage, and even sentiment analysis to create a more tailored experience.
Examples of Hyper-Personalisation:
- An account-based marketing strategy that delivers dynamic content tailored to a prospect’s stage in the buying journey.
- AI-powered chatbots offering real-time support based on a visitor’s on-site behavior and previous interactions.
- AI-driven recommendations to suggest relevant product features or integrations based on a company’s tech stack and data usage.
- A retail app sending a push notification with a discount on a product a customer has repeatedly viewed but not purchased.
- A financial services company using AI to recommend personalised investment plans based on real-time market trends and an individual’s spending habits.
- A travel website suggesting hotel deals based on a user’s recent searches, preferred destinations, weather conditions, and past booking history.
Personalisation vs Hyper-Personalisation
| Personalisation | Hyper-Personalisation | |
| Data used | Basic data often from CRM, like name, industry, purchase history, and preferences | Multiple sources, often real-time behavioral data, AI-driven insights, and contextual factors |
| Technology | Rule-based | AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and big data |
| Segmentation | Static | Dynamic |
| Customer Experience | Tailored but static, based on a pre designed process, and template based | Dynamic, real-time, and highly individualized |
| Content Creation | Manual, or semi automated | Automated, at scale and on brand |
| Example | A clothing brand recommending jackets because a customer bought one last year | The brand recommending a jacket based on the customer’s location, current weather, and recent searches |
| Example | A marketing automation tool recommending content based on industry | Recommending content based on the prospect’s live engagement and intent signals |
Why Hyper-Personalisation matters today?
As buyers conduct extensive research before making decisions, they expect brands to anticipate their needs rather than just react to past behaviors. Hyper-Personalisation helps companies:
- Increase engagement and lead conversion rates by providing relevant content at the right moment.
- Improve customer relationships by offering individualized experiences that address specific pain points.
- Optimize marketing spend by ensuring highly targeted outreach rather than broad, generalized campaigns.
Start where you are and use what you got
There is no better time than now. Personalisation is no longer for a select few and it is a great starting point that should be on every businesses and marketeers agenda. Businesses that want to stay ahead of the competition should start explore Hyper-Personalisation. With AI and real-time data, companies can create marketing experiences that not only attract but also retain customers by offering truly relevant and timely interactions.
Are you leveraging Personalisation or Hyper-Personalisation in your marketing strategy? If not, now is the time to explore its potential and see how it can drive better engagement and business results.
