Email personalization has an overuse problem

We’ve got AI-driven data reporting, we’ve got personalized greetings, personalized subject lines, user-based product recommendations and a whole range of other tools to help us better connect with email subscribers. 

While personalization can drive conversions, retention and growth, ultra-personalized campaigns can also feel creepy or intrusive to consumers. Do we need to scale back on our approach of tailoring every section of every email just to that specific subscriber? Do we need to give audiences a bit more breathing room and consider more carefully where and when we use personalization?

Perhaps the answer to building greater trust between brands and consumers is not to quit personalization, but to use it less (or differently) than most of us do now. 

Personalization is great, until it’s not

Remember the personalized ringtones that dominated the early 2000s? Chart-topping songs, iconic TV theme tunes — if you had a cellphone, you could purchase pretty much whatever ringtone you wanted. Then, you would wait in anticipation for your phone to ring in public and hopefully turn heads with your excellent taste.

Fast forward to 2026, and mobile phones are either permanently on silent or have one of three generic ringtones that no one’s ever bothered to change. Just like these ringtones, hyper-personalized emails may be suffering from overkill. Too much, too often. 

Most subscribers are aware of the tools marketers use to personalize content and they know that it doesn’t take much extra effort. Therefore, we may be better off focusing less on what we’re personalizing and more on how we’re using personalization.

Flooding the market with something leads consumers to become very jaded, very quickly. That’s as true for inboxes as it is for ringtones. The more personalized content and imagery a subscriber sees in a brand’s emails, the more fatigue it’s likely to create. 

Recipients know most brands have access to some of their personal data. They aren’t impressed when you remind them of what they’ve browsed or what’s in their cart, because thousands of other companies are doing the same.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use personalization in your emails and flows — you definitely should. But your approach should be more strategic to ensure that when you do send something personalized, it has a tangible impact on engagement, growth and revenue.

A better way to approach personalized emails

Personalizing email campaigns based on browse and purchase history or engagement is a must if you want to create truly relevant (and effective) content. Campaigns where personalization matters most would include order updates, review requests and perhaps even re-engagement sends. 

Not all campaigns require personalization, though. The launch of a new product or service, for example, could (and should) be more overarching and sent to broader audiences. If you did want to personalize this type of campaign, go beyond adding a name to the subject line and personalize the journey itself for different customer segments. 

For example, send highly engaged previous purchasers an email a couple of days before the launch, allowing them to preorder. That is the kind of personalization subscribers genuinely appreciate. 

Another approach is to create content that’s relevant to your subscribers at a specific moment. You could even send a note about umbrellas for sale to customers in areas where it’s currently raining (only if you have permission to use their geo-location data, of course). 

A smarter way to use personalization is to be more, well, personalized. Create messaging that meets subscribers where they are, rather than implementing a series of blanket, automated practices and hoping for the best.

What about browse and cart abandonment automations?

Browse and cart abandonment automations pose a unique challenge. Personalization in these flows is unavoidable if you want to bring subscribers back to your site and recover lost carts.

There is an opportunity for deeper personalization beyond the usual ‘this is what’s in your cart’ reminders. Start with why the recipient may have abandoned their cart and see how this could be relevant to your brand.

For example, if you sell children’s products, your subscribers are probably busy parents. Maybe they got distracted by homework or snack time. These insights will help your subscribers feel like your brand really gets them.

The right kind of personalization should make subscribers feel understood, not like you know way too much about them.

It’s the difference between your neighborhood barista greeting you warmly by name and remembering your order vs. the guy at a chain outlet writing your name on a cup and yelling it out for everyone to hear. One is personal. The other is just a personalization tactic.

Always consider your brand and audience

While personalization can be incredibly effective, the standard approach doesn’t work for every brand or subscriber type. Consider this: if your company is retail-focused and you offer frequent promotions, that’s what your audience signed up for — discounts, not a personally addressed email. There are caveats, like including recommended reels alongside said discounts, but in cases like these, personalization wouldn’t be a make-or-break.

Subscribers of a luxury or boutique brand, on the other hand, would likely place great value on loyalty and exclusivity. Therefore, your campaigns could include personalized style picks and sneak peeks of new collections for VIPs.

Another key factor is your audience’s unique preferences. They can inform the kind of personalization you build into your email marketing program. For example, if certain content topics have previously increased engagement with your subscribers, you can try weaving these into your subject lines and headers.

Personalize with restraint

We can’t get away from personalization. It’s an essential tool in so many channels, especially email marketing. That said, it’s also been used to death, which has led to a significant breakdown in interest and trust between consumers and brands.

Personalization is just going to become more prevalent — especially with the speed at which digital marketing tools are evolving. Marketers must take a step back and use personalization only where and when it’s most impactful (and respectful to consumers), in ways that support a better customer journey rather than detract from it.