AI Takes Hold as Brands Accelerate Investment in Personalisation, new Report Shows

Apr. 14, 2025

A new study from Apply Digital, the digital transformation partner for global brands, reveals the extent to which businesses in North America and the UK are embracing artificial intelligence to personalise customer experience at scale.

Based on a survey of 400 senior business leaders across both markets, the report finds that AI is rapidly becoming a foundation for real-time personalisation. The most used application is personalised email messaging, which is already employed by 61% of brands, with a further 22% planning to introduce  it within 12 months. 

Seasonal promotional offers and discounts are another high growth area, which are currently employed by 52% of respondents with a further third (32%) planning to introduce it. Location-based recommendations are another key area of investment for marketers, half (52%) have deployed AI to enhance their offer to date, and 33% intend to do so in the next 12 months.  

The report’s author, Brian Browning, VP of Enterprise Solutions at Apply Digital, commented:

“Personalisation is being rapidly upgraded with AI as marketers move from the experimentation stages to making this a strategic priority. Brands on both sides of the Atlantic, no matter their size or sector, are increasingly embedding this transformative technology to create smarter, more relevant experiences.”

 

While all sectors — including B2B, retail, media and entertainment, CPG, and sports — are all investing heavily in AI, there is a clear regional difference, with the US leading on current adoption overall. However, British businesses show stronger short-term intent as they look to close the gap. 

The report, 2025 Leadership Priorities in Personalisation, also highlights how this wave of AI adoption is being driven by shifting consumer expectations. Nearly seven in ten consumers — and 80% of those aged 18 to 24 — say they value personalised experiences. But with that comes rising demand for transparency: nearly 40% want more control over how their data is collected and used.

Browning added:

“AI technology now means brands can offer true one-to-one experiences at scale, and it seems almost everyone is looking to leverage this capability. But the winners will be those who personalise with empathy, transparency and trust. AI is an amazing tool, but it must be used wisely.”

 

With further investment planned — over half of all leaders surveyed expect to spend more than $1 million on personalisation in 2025 — the report suggests that it is becoming a defining capability for modern businesses. 

As agentic AI tools such as digital assistants become more widely used - notably, 30% of brands intend to introduce AI-powered chatbots in the next 12 months -  the customer experience will be shaped not just by people, but by the intelligent systems that act on their behalf.

The 2025 Leadership Priorities in Personalisation report is available to download now.