Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI by Mark Abraham and David Edelman provides a valuable framework for companies looking to leverage personalization. For those of us working with small to mid-sized clients, the book is particularly helpful in its practical recommendations for resource-limited businesses. The authors highlight a modular approach that allows smaller companies to integrate affordable AI and personalization tools without incurring the high costs associated with enterprise-level implementations. One compelling example is Sweetgreen, which utilized off-the-shelf solutions to build targeted digital interactions, leveraging its app to engage customers in a way that scaled affordably. For my team, working with data-intensive AI products in retail, this resonates strongly. We’ve seen similar success when helping smaller retail clients develop customer-driven strategies by focusing on manageable, high-impact use cases. The “self-funding” model Abraham and Edelman describe is another valuable tactic. This approach allows small businesses to start with limited-scope personalization projects and scale their efforts by reinvesting revenue gains—a strategy that aligns well with our work on incremental data deployment. However, while the book succeeds in providing a roadmap for small business personalization, it sometimes misses the mark on tactical depth. For example, small companies face real constraints not only in technology budgets but in staffing AI roles. The authors could strengthen their message by including more detailed tactics on low-cost implementations or partnerships that could help smaller firms manage these challenges directly. Overall, Personalized is a forward-looking guide for companies of all sizes but particularly offers strategic value to smaller businesses aiming to develop cost-effective personalization. With a more hands-on approach, it could serve as a more comprehensive playbook for resource-limited companies trying to drive growth through AI-driven customer experiences.

Edelman and Abraham deliver a compelling playbook for revolutionizing customer engagement in the AI era. Through real-world examples, they illuminate how businesses can adopt personalized strategies to not only engage but also deeply connect with their customers, ensuring loyalty and competitive advantage. This book is a must-read for anyone striving to elevate their customer engagement strategy. Edelman and Abraham address critical questions—why personalization matters, how to implement it effectively, and the risks of falling behind if you don’t adapt. I will be bringing this book to our next Board of Directors meeting for us all to review, discuss and learn from.

This is one of the most practical and insightful books I’ve read in a while. With a background in marketing, sales, and consulting, I found the mix of real-world examples and clear strategies both engaging and actionable. The stories from brands like Starbucks and Sephora made complex ideas relatable and showed how personalization can truly drive growth. This book has given me fresh, practical ideas to help clients build smarter strategies in an AI-driven world. Highly recommend it to anyone in the field.

Bright easy read. Abraham and Edelman tell their stories from the trenches of modern marketing warfare. You learn quickly that a systematic approach, research based unlocks customer need. They then unleash how to's on using AI and other practices to earn loyalty, reference, and advocacy. For anyone who wants to understand, serve better, get close to the customer, this is the book. I've been waiting for this for a long time. Thanks for putting it all in one place. Highly recommend.

"Personalized" is a game-changer if you're looking for strategies that take AI use cases beyond efficiency. By using expert research and data-backed insights from the Personalization Index, this book made me re-think how AI can drive growth by improving personalized experiences throughout the customer journey and deepening customer relationships. What I loved most were the actionable next steps at the end of key chapters. The "self-check" questions help you think critically about what to do next and, when paired with real-world examples across industries, they provide a clear path to applying these ideas. The wealth of experience and expertise from the authors in AI, customer strategy, and personalization makes "Personalized" an incredibly valuable playbook—and a must-read.

Achieve a higher level of success in customer service through personalization. A valuable and comprehensive approach. Karen Briscoe, author

Abraham and Edelman provide an eloquent explanation of how personalization, especially as AI continues to revolutionize business, is a critical imperative for leaders to act on. By using illustrative examples, the book does a fantastic job describing how companies can move from a provider of goods and services to one that a consumer can connect with as a part of who they are - helping to generate growth in the short and long run. I believe that personalization will be a winner-take-all, first-past-the-post game of spoils, and this book only confirms the action that business leaders must take, lest lose out on the future of marketing.