Consumers turning away as marketers overdo the AI

Marketers might think they are being smart by turning to AI-generated content but consumers can spot it a mile off, with three-fifths saying it feels repetitive and fails to genuinely deliver personalised experiences.

So says the Optimize Everything report from Optimizely, which explores how marketers are using AI and why it isn’t always landing with consumers.

Based on a study of 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK, the report reveals a growing disconnect between how AI is used in marketing, and how it is being experienced by customers.

One reason for this is the fact that while 78% of marketers plan to up their AI spend, a third (30%) say their organisation struggles to balance the use of AI with human creativity.

Meanwhile, almost a quarter (24%) admit that AI-generated decisions often lack human oversight, leading to inconsistencies, while 16% say that the output doesn’t match their brand’s tone of voice.

At the same time, expectations are higher than ever. According to 84% of marketers, consumers now demand more personalisation than ever before during major campaigns.

And, while some brands are making progress, with 62% of consumers saying that some website experiences can feel personalised, and 60% saying the same for email (a 6% increase on last year), other touchpoints are falling short.

Less than half rate personalisation in conversational channels as good or excellent, while 16% rate them as ‘poor’ or even ‘terrible’. The same is true for online ads, which one in seven consumers (15%) rate as ‘poor’ or ‘terrible’ for personalisation.

However, despite some AI-generated content falling short, there is a clear opportunity for marketers to optimise how they use the technology, Optimizely reckons.

Nearly half (46%) of consumers say that they are happy for AI to be used if it results in more relevant and personalised content, showing that the issue isn’t AI itself, but with how it’s applied.

Today, only 24% of marketers have a well-integrated system, but encouragingly, one in five are actively consolidating their tech stacks to fix that gap.

On top of that, 41% of marketers say that better integration of AI with their marketing tools is their biggest opportunity for optimisation this year, and over half (53%) want a more unified system that connects AI with content, personalisation, and experimentation.

Given this potential, Optimizely’s report argues that AI can help marketers create more personalised, and even ‘human’ experiences, but only if it is optimised and integrated correctly.

Optimizely SVP of marketing Tara Corey said: “Marketers today are being asked to move faster and do more with less. AI has incredible potential to help, but it’s not a magic wand. It needs to be paired with thoughtful experimentation, creative direction, and constant fine-tuning.

“The brands that are truly standing out are the ones blending AI with personalisation and bold, data-driven experimentation – creating digital experiences that feel fresh, relevant, and unmistakably on-brand.”