Consumers today expect brands to know them—what they like, how they shop, and how they prefer to engage. When companies get it right, customers respond with loyalty, advocacy and repeat business. When they don’t? They increase their chances of losing them. Adobe research shows that 57% of consumers have walked away from a brand they were once loyal because of bad experiences.

Even more concerning, the research shows that consumers will abandon a brand after 2.4 bad experiences. While it takes 6.5 positive experiences to earn their loyalty back! And let’s be honest – you aren’t getting another 6.5 chances.

With everything just a click away, customers have choices. And their expectations are shaped by their best experiences, regardless of industry. Consumers don’t think in silos, and they don’t differentiate “digital” experience from overall experience—they expect seamless, personalized experiences across every interaction, whether they’re shopping, banking or engaging with healthcare providers. If one brand can deliver a tailored, intuitive experience, customers expect others to follow.

When brands fail to meet these expectations, they risk losing credibility. Trust is built when consumers feel understood and valued through personalization. When brands use customer data to tailor experiences and address individual needs, they create a sense of reliability and alignment that fosters trust. Brands must recognize that personalization isn’t just a feature—it’s a fundamental expectation.  While retail has set the bar, those expectations now apply everywhere, including the industries that have traditionally lagged in customer experience, such as financial services, healthcare, and government.

Customer retention is much more cost-effective than acquisition. In fact, acquiring a new customer can be up to 5 to 7 times more expensive than retaining one. Yet, many brands still focus disproportionately on acquisition instead of strengthening the relationships they already have. The reality is that when brands focus on retention, driving acquisition will follow.

Research shows that increasing retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25–95%, depending on the industry. Loyalty isn’t about keeping customers  active in a program—it’s about keeping them emotionally connected to the brand through consistent, personalized experiences. More than perks and points, it’s about meaningful, ongoing engagement.  The most successful brands design for loyalty as an outcome, not a program. Customers aren’t just looking for discounts—they expect brands to recognize them, anticipate their needs, and provide value at every touchpoint.

Retention-focused brands also benefit from flipping the traditional marketing funnel. Instead of leading with acquisition, they start with retention—ensuring customers stay engaged, return often, and advocate for the brand. By doing so, they not only strengthen relationships but also reduce acquisition costs while increasing profits.

To achieve this, brands must take a multi-faceted approach to retention. This starts with delivering personalized experiences delivering personalized experiences at scale - for every customer on every channel in real time, so customers feel recognized wherever they are in their journey. Instead of relying on static segmentation, brands should engage customers based on real-time behaviors and respond proactively to their needs in the moment. Seamless integration between digital and physical spaces, like in-store experiences, enhances customer satisfaction. And it’s better to anticipate customer needs rather than reacting too late (i.e., one of the bad experiences mentioned earlier). Which is why implementing AI and automation is so important to fostering loyalty in today’s environment.

Shifting the focus from acquisition to retention enables brands to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with customers. When businesses prioritize ongoing engagement and personalized interactions, they reduce churn, strengthen customer advocacy, and ultimately drive higher profitability.

Brands often overestimate their progress toward personalization, only realizing too late that their efforts have been confined to a single channel like email. True personalization at scale isn’t limited to one touchpoint—it’s about delivering relevant and dynamic experiences that span every customer interaction along the omnichannel journey in real time. 

This requires a strategic approach that includes:

• Data & Insights: Integrating customer data from all interactions to build a unified, comprehensive profile.
• Content & Experience: Crafting personalized, contextually relevant content that evolves alongside the customer journey.
• Omnichannel Journey Integration: Ensuring personalization is seamless across web, mobile, in-store, and customer service interactions, meeting customers wherever they are.
• AI & Automation: Embracing AI-driven tools to predict customer needs and adjust dynamically, delivering on the significant content needs to support personalization, and ensuring every interaction is both timely and impactful.

Brands don’t need to overhaul their entire loyalty or customer experience strategy overnight.

Recognizing that successful personalization depends on both technology and empowered teams is a critical first step. The journey to personalization begins with actionable steps that can deliver immediate impact while laying the foundation for long-term success.

Some of these tactics include:

• Leverage Data to Drive Personalization: Use purchase history and interaction data to tailor customer experiences and make every engagement relevant.
• Respond Dynamically to Customer Behavior: React to real-time triggers, like abandoned carts or browsing activity, by providing timely and relevant interactions.
• Create an Onboarding Journey that Resonates: Make the first interactions with your brand personal and welcoming, setting the tone for a long-term relationship.
• Build Emotional Loyalty Beyond Rewards: Focus on recognition and exclusivity, such as early access to products or personalized offers, to create deeper connections.
• Ensure Seamless Omnichannel Journeys: Meet customers wherever they are—in-store, on mobile, or online—by integrating data across channels for a consistent experience.
• Implement Organizational Transformation: Align cross-functional teams, foster collaboration, and drive consistency in executing personalization strategies.
• Leverage AI for personalization at scale: Move beyond basic segmentation to predict customer intent and deliver dynamic, real-time experiences.

Customer-Centric Personalization Drives Growth

Personalization isn’t just about improving customer experience—it’s a business imperative. Brands that excel in personalization report higher revenue growth, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced marketing and service costs.

By prioritizing trust and loyalty through personalized experiences, brands differentiate themselves in a competitive market and build deeper, lasting customer relationships.

Learn more by watching the on-demand webinar featuring Jackie Walker, Retail Experience Strategy Lead, NA, Senior Director, Publicis Sapient and Bruce Richards, Industry Strategy and Marketing Lead, Retail & Consumer Goods, Adobe.