The line between personalised content and relentless spam is blurring at an alarming pace – and it’s about to get worse. Algorithms, once hailed as the future of engagement, are now churning out waves of ‘hyper-personalised’ messages, transforming tailored content into a ceaseless barrage of noise.
A paradox is forming: are our cutting-edge tools of engagement driving consumers to disengage?
Marketing could be on the verge of a transformation, creating an urgent need for authenticity, genuine relationships, and human connection in our marketing strategies.
Just as vinyl’s resurgence demonstrated a yearning for a more authentic music experience, the current marketing landscape signals a similar longing for authenticity and human connection.
The flood of hyper-personalised spam
As the adage goes, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.
AI is transforming personalised marketing into a relentless assault. Emails, social media ads, all screaming your name. Initially intriguing, this ‘hyper-personalisation’ quickly spirals into sensory overload, leading consumers to tune out.
The second-order effect
Hyper-personalised spam will trigger a backlash — consumers won’t just ignore the spam, but all push-marketing.
Over-polished, over-tailored content will, ironically, lead to full disengagement. A form of immunity to “polished bullsh*t” of automated content. This paradox reveals a stark truth: even perfectly engineered content falls flat without authenticity and human connection.
We’re already seeing early signals of how this is affecting search marketing — Google recently announced Perspectives, in what is a clear sign of the shift toward authentic, user-generated content from the search giants.
Meaningful attention, not reach
In this world of perfect noise, brands must champion authenticity, building relationships and human connections.
Trusted sources, personal introductions, and organic referrals will gain newfound importance as consumers seek recommendations over a bombardment of personalised messages.
To survive, brands must ditch invasive tactics: embracing transparency, ethics, and user choice in AI.
It’s about forging genuine relationships, delivering value through relevant content and fostering dialogue. Listen, engage, show your customers they matter.
Lessons from history, and the search for authenticity
To me, this trend is strikingly reminiscent of the resurgence of vinyl in the face of digital music’s overproduction in the 80s and 90s.
Digital music, like AI-driven marketing, promised a revolution. It offered unprecedented access to unimaginable quantities of tracks and albums.
The future was endless. But the saturation and overwhelming nature of this level of abundance led many to long for the tactile, authentic experience of vinyl records.
Just as people are now tuning out the digital noise in music consumption, could people become equally disenchanted with the deluge of hyper-personalised marketing content?
The urgent need for authenticity, genuine relationships, and human connection in our marketing strategies is becoming increasingly apparent. The pull towards the ‘vinyl’ of marketing – authentic brand narratives, trusted referrals, and meaningful customer engagement – is growing stronger every day.
Just as vinyl’s resurgence demonstrated a yearning for a more authentic music experience, the current marketing landscape signals a similar longing for authenticity and human connection.
Ultimately, marketing is about connecting with humans – everything else is just admin.
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