From First Click to Forever: How AI is Redefining Personalized Marketing

Time of India

5 days ago

Marketers today are under constant pressure to not just reach their audiences but to create relationships that last. With
consumer expectations
evolving rapidly, the role of artificial intelligence in marketing has become more pivotal than ever.
ETBrandEquity, in association with
CleverTap
, convened a dialogue under The Big Leap Collective, exploring how AI can help brands deliver seamless, personalized experiences from the first click to enduring loyalty.
The day began with a keynote by Shivani Tiwari, Head of Growth and Digital Marketing, Ajio, who spotlighted the non-negotiable value of
brand consistency
. 'We are extremely rigid about brand consistency. What we show off-app must match exactly what the customer experiences on-app,' she stated, underscoring how consistency across all digital touchpoints fosters trust.
Tiwari explained how this principle extends to every campaign component, from creative messaging to color palettes, across push notifications, WhatsApp, SMS, and RCS. 'If I'm calling the customer with a tennis-themed push during Wimbledon, they shouldn't land in a cricket stadium. Only then can we truly earn their trust and build a seamless brand journey,' she added, framing consistency as the foundation of credibility.
The session transitioned into a panel discussion 'From First Click to Forever: The AI Advantage for Marketers.' The panel featured industry leaders including Deepak Lamba, Head of Marketing, CleverTap; Nitin Khanna, VP Marketing, Acko; Anand Thakur, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Reliance Retail; Jhoomer Sinha, AI Lead, CleverTap; and Rasika Prasant, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Soulfull.
Lamba emphasized that personalization is now a consumer expectation, not a differentiator. 'Imagine a customer walking into a store. He instantly gets recognized and enjoys a tailored experience. Online, without the right technology, that same customer sees generic, irrelevant content. That disconnect is what CleverTap aims to solve,' he said.
He traced the evolution of personalization from 2015, when it was restricted to demographics and geography, to today's AI-driven precision. 'Our IntelliNode technology understands user behavior, context, and preferences across multiple channels, deciding what message to send, when, how, and where. That's the true AI advantage for marketers,' Lamba concluded, highlighting how millions of unique journeys can now be crafted for individual customers.
Khanna underscored that brands must first assess their readiness before entrusting AI with strategic decisions. 'The magic of AI is only as good as the magician. The maturity of your people, your data, and your organization determines how effectively AI can work,' he noted. Drawing from Acko's experience, he stressed the value of owning complete customer data, free from intermediaries, to unlock AI's full potential.
Thakur elaborated on how Reliance Retail adapts journeys based on customer signals. 'When we classify someone as a 'value customer,' we first show them products within a certain range but strategically introduce premium options. If they engage, we adjust their experience accordingly,' he said. Beyond traditional data, he emphasized the importance of geospatial and socioeconomic insights to refine personalization further.
'You can never say 'I know exactly who this customer is' because customers themselves keep changing,' Thakur added. 'Continuous experimentation and refinement are essential to delivering truly personalized experiences that resonate over time.'
Sinha addressed the limitations of many AI-powered interactions. 'Many AI chatbots feel generic because they're trained on limited, low-quality data, leading to poor experiences,' she observed. At CleverTap, years of high-quality, real-world data collection have enabled their AI to 'learn and evolve like a well-nurtured one-year-old,' ensuring smarter and more meaningful interactions over time.
Prasant reminded brands that staying relevant starts with meeting consumers where they are, especially in fast-digitizing spaces like offline categories. 'At Soulfull, every team member observes customer habits, app usage, and shopping behavior to identify audience cohorts. Using
AI-driven personalization
, we then target these segments across OTT, YouTube, and Instagram,' she explained, noting how this approach builds awareness and cultivates advocacy.
The discussion concluded with the insight that data is the foundation for guiding customers from first click to lifelong engagement. By leveraging AI to interpret and act on this data, brands can deliver experiences that are not just personalized but truly memorable, ensuring relationships endure well beyond the initial interaction.