In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Zsuzsa Kecsmar, Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of Antavo, one of the most powerful loyalty management platforms. Together, we unpacked how loyalty programs can act as the glue between content, data and personalization, and how they’re helping brands build emotional connections with their customers.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

1️⃣ The Role of Loyalty Programs in the Content Layer: It’s clear that loyalty programs generate valuable transactional and preference data to the data layer, but they also contribute to the content layer by providing unique, loyalty-specific content – from tier communications to personalized reward messages. Zsuzsa shares how both the data and the content become the foundation for personalized experiences across channels.

2️⃣ Personalized Rewards = More Loyalty: Antavo’s research shows that loyalty members who redeem personalized rewards spend 4x more annually than those who don’t. And customization matters: 8 out of 10 consumers prefer brands that allow them to tailor their rewards to their preferences.

3️⃣ Gamification as a Data Goldmine: Gamified surveys and quizzes are a powerful way to collect zero-party data while keeping customers engaged. Zsuzsa highlights how these tools help brands quickly overcome the “cold start problem” in loyalty programs, making it easier to personalize communication early in the customer journey.

4️⃣ Transactional vs. Emotional Loyalty: While transactional loyalty (points and discounts) attracts customers, it’s emotional loyalty that keeps them coming back. Zsuzsa shares examples from brands like Adidas, which rewards fitness efforts, and Rip Curl, which connects rewards directly to surfing activities – building loyalty tied to lifestyle and identity.

💡 The Generative AI Connection: We also discussed how Generative AI is transforming loyalty programs by:

• Localizing content faster and more efficiently.
• Streamlining customer service to solve complex loyalty queries in seconds.
• Creating unique, scalable loyalty program content that feels personal and timely.

🎧 Don’t miss this insightful episode where loyalty meets personalization! 🎥 You can also watch this on YouTube

📥 Bonus: Download the just-released 2025 Antavo Global Loyalty Report for the latest loyalty trends and strategies.

As always the episode is based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.

The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)

An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!

In this episode of The Hello $Firstname Personalization Podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rasmus Schlosser, AI Manager at Flying Tiger Copenhagen. What really stood out was how Generative AI is solving a massive challenge they face. ✨

This episode is a little different – it doesn’t dwell much on personalization but instead explores the upstream phase of the Content Layer, where Master Content is gathered, created, and cleansed.

Flying Tiger Copenhagen handles thousands of SKUs, many with limited descriptions from suppliers. 🏷️ Crafting meaningful, localized product descriptions at scale is no small task. You need it not only for your customers but also for SEO purposes! That’s where Generative AI steps in, producing core content assets quickly, consistently, and with the right tone for each market. 🌍

💡 As Rasmus Schlosser puts it: "The question we need to ask ourselves is, are we done with translation? Is it time to start crafting content that speaks to each culture individually, with the help of Generative AI?"

This is a big leap forward in tackling the Content Crisis – the gap between having data and insights ready for personalization and actually creating the content to make it work at scale. 🤯

🎯 Tune in to learn: 1️⃣ How Flying Tiger uses Generative AI to create product descriptions at speed. 2️⃣ The challenges of working with incomplete product data. 3️⃣ How AI-driven content creation enables companies to scale without sacrificing quality – even for diverse cultural audiences (localization with GenAI!).

Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.

The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)

An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!

In this episode of The Hello $Firstname Personalization Podcast, Rasmus Houlind sits down with Tom Burrell, founder of Retention Coach, to explore how businesses can turn retention strategies into a powerful growth engine. Drawing on a career spanning roles at Manchester United, DAZN, and TalkTalk, Tom shares actionable insights into why retention is often undervalued—and how personalization can change the game.

💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How personalized onboarding journeys can boost retention by 10% or more
• Why the "content crisis" in retention is holding businesses back—and how to overcome it
• The role of GenAI in creating emotionally engaging, hyper-personalized customer experiences

💬 "Retention isn’t just about keeping customers; it’s about connecting with them emotionally, understanding their motivations, and inspiring loyalty," Tom explains.

Whether you’re in subscriptions, e-commerce, or CRM, this episode is packed with insights to help you rethink retention strategies for 2025 and beyond.

Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.

The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)

An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!

In this latest episode of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I sat down with Nicole France, Chief Evangelist at Contentful, to dig into how brands can truly make personalization work at scale—and the challenges they face in making it happen.

Personalization sounds like a simple concept, right? After all, we all know the importance of getting data sorted and leveraging customer insights in order to speak to our customers in a way that feels personal and relevant. But hey - what about ‘the right message’, I mean the content side of things? What good is the perfect audience if we have nothing relevant and engaging to say? And how do you scale that part of the solution?

Nicole’s insights on content orchestration, headless CMS, and the interplay between data and personalization are invaluable for anyone serious about mastering scalable personalization. But here’s the kicker—some of the hidden gems from our conversation go far beyond what you’ll read here, so I highly recommend listening to the full episode for an even deeper dive into these topics.

Nicole and I discussed one of the biggest pain points for marketers: scaling personalization. As marketers, we all know content is fragmented across various platforms, and reaching the right customer with the right message can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Nicole shared how headless CMS platforms like Contentful help manage content at scale and deliver it seamlessly across touchpoints, which is key to ensuring that personalization doesn't become just another buzzword.

The secret? Ensuring a seamless flow of content from the Content Layer to the Personalization Layer—because personalization can’t stand alone. It needs to be backed by solid data and the right content to truly resonate with customers.

Another fascinating point Nicole shared was the importance of distinguishing between master content and execution content. Master content serves as the foundation, but it’s the execution content—tailored, personalized content—that takes the interaction from static messaging to a dynamic, customer-centric experience. This is where the Personalization Layer truly comes into play.

We also touched on the exciting potential of Generative AI (GenAI) in content creation. Nicole discussed how GenAI can assist with everything from content creation to repurposing across channels—helping brands scale personalization without losing the human touch. But how does it all fit together? That’s where it gets really interesting, and you’ll want to hear Nicole’s thoughts on this in the podcast. Hint: It’s something about a rug…!

At the core of everything Nicole and I discussed was the idea that personalization isn’t just about data and content—it’s about emotion. Personalization should make customers feel heard, understood, and valued. It’s about crafting messages that resonate emotionally, even if the message isn’t hyper-individualized.

For a deeper dive into these insights, listen to the full episode where Nicole and I explore how content and personalization work hand in hand to create scalable, meaningful customer experiences.

Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.

The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)

An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!

In this episode of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julie Marie Hermann, Personalization and CX Manager at Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry brand by volume. With over 33,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries, Pandora is leading the way in scaling personalization.

Julie shared some insightful thoughts on the challenges and opportunities Pandora faces when it comes to delivering personalized customer experiences. Here are some key takeaways:

Julie talks about the overwhelming amount of content Pandora manages across markets and platforms. With so many products and customer segments, finding the right content for each touchpoint can feel like looking for a diamond in a sea of options. Julie explains how Pandora is working to streamline content delivery and ensure customers receive relevant, personalized messages.

Julie makes an important distinction between brand-led content (broad, brand- and campaign-driven messages) and customer-led content (personalized messaging that speaks directly to specific customer needs). The key is ensuring the right mix: not every communication needs to be personalized, but as the customer comes closer to a purchase decision, the content must resonate more and more with the individual and their needs.

Julie is particularly excited about how Generative AI can help Pandora scale personalization efforts. From automatically tagging content to adapting it for different channels, AI can enabling Pandora to work more efficiently and deliver highly relevant, personalized experiences for their customers.

Julie offers valuable advice for marketers: balancing short-term tactical wins with long-term strategic goals. At Pandora, her team is focused on laying the foundation for sustainable personalization that delivers long-term value while still generating immediate results.

Based on Rasmus Houlind's book ’Hello $FirstName - Profiting from Personalization’ and in turn the Content Crisis Manifesto.

The Content Crisis Manifesto can be downloaded here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here (or your local amazon in case it doesn't work...)

An written abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

The full audiobook can be downloaded here (courtesy of Agillic).

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

Book me for a presentation, meeting or talk here!

The Content Crisis in Personalization and the Content Layer

In the season premiere of Hello $Firstname Season 2, I had the privilege of sitting down with my co-author, Frans Riemersma, founder of MartechTribe and a global thought leader in marketing technology.

Frans is working closely together with Scott Brinker on the MartechMap.com that most marketers are familiar with (hint: crazy map with an ever increasing list of vendors).

Together, we introduced the theme of this season: how to solve the content crisis for personalization.

The content crisis has become the key bottleneck for scaling personalization. In this episode, Frans sheds light on:

• The Content Layer Vision: Much like the Data Layer revolutionized marketing, Frans predicts the emergence of a Content Layer, enabling seamless content flow from master files to personalized messages. Together - Frans and I - have been putting a lot of work into demystifying this layer and how it works.

• GenAI’s Role: Generative AI isn't just a tool; it’s a game-changer for creativity, localization, and scalability. Frans introduces the idea of Brand LLMs—custom AI models trained on a company’s unique assets, values, and tone.

• Personalization as Dialogue: Frans reframes personalization as a human-like conversation between a brand and its customers. Imagine talking directly to the essence of a brand’s founder—deeply personal and deeply effective.

• Metrics That Matter: Personalization must drive real business value. Frans emphasizes ROI and innovative metrics like return on content to optimize marketing efforts.

We also explored how GenAI and the Content Pipeline can fix common pitfalls, like brands overselling (or over-personalizing!) irrelevant products.

Watch the full Episode with video on Youtube here.

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.

(or your local amazon...)

An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.

This is the last episode of this season of the 'Hello $FirstName' podcast. It consists of an audio book chapter - well two actually - namely...

CHAPTER 22: ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL MATURITY FOR PERSONALIZATION - with the points:

• The glass ceilings and how to break them
• Breaking the glass ceiling between the Hack and Pack levels
• Stabilize the performance of your core platforms
• Transition your team of builders to a team of executors (Makers to Marketers)
• Secure resources for both campaigns and marketing automation
• Secure data quality and format for marketing automation
• Switch from a project-based to a hybrid operating model
• Change from a simple ESP to a real MAP
• Breaking the glass ceiling between the Pack and Stack levels
• Establish cross-functional teams
• Centralize data and insights
• Centralize production and orchestration of content
• Realign your incentives and personalization accountability around customer-centricity

and

CHAPTER 23: CONCLUSION

• Conclusion
• About the authors

The full book is available in print and kindle and can be bought here.

(or your local amazon...)

An abstract of the book can be downloaded here.

All models and illustrations from the book can be downloaded here.