AI personalisation in FMCG must be invisible to earn trust

New research from SAP Emarsys and Deloitte shows a disconnect between how fast-moving consumer goods brands use artificial intelligence and how consumers want to experience it.

The research, based on surveys of more than 2,000 UK consumers and 100 senior marketers, indicates that while 80% of FMCG marketers believe AI is essential for acquiring new customers and 83% regard it as critical for retention, only 8% of consumers actually want more AI-led interactions with brands.

Findings suggest that while direct encounters with AI are not widely desired, a significant proportion of consumers—40%—would like to see better personalisation in the form of tailored offers and deals. This points to a preference for AI-powered personalisation to operate discreetly, enhancing experiences without making the technology itself overtly visible to users.

"The best personalisation should feel invisible. People love it when a brand just 'gets them' — but they don't want to feel like they're in a chatbot loop. Brands like John Frieda and Versuni (formerly Philips Domestic Appliances) are showing how to do it right — using AI to scale relevance behind the scenes while keeping the experience human," Sara Richter, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP Emarsys, said, commenting on these findings.

The research also identifies internal operational challenges within UK FMCG brands. 31% of marketers highlighted internal complexity—including siloed systems, fragmented tools, and disconnected marketing activities—as the biggest impediment to improved customer engagement.

As part of the effort to address these challenges, SAP Emarsys has introduced the Customer Engagement Maturity (CEM) Index. This new global benchmark assists consumer products brands in assessing their readiness to meet evolving customer expectations, encompassing areas such as data strategy and omnichannel execution. The CEM Index is intended to guide companies toward what SAP Emarsys refers to as the "Engagement Era".

Versuni, the Amsterdam-based home appliances business, is cited as an example of this approach. By integrating SAP Emarsys with an SAP enterprise resource planning system and customer identity solutions, Versuni has unified consumer data across multiple channels. This provides the company with the ability to conduct personalisation at scale and deliver a seamless order and service experience across mobile and B2B platforms.

"This is what a high-CEM brand looks like in practice. It's not just about having AI — it's about orchestrating the right data, tools, and teams to deliver relevance without complexity. That's the new gold standard in FMCG," Richter said, adding further insight into the characteristics of a high-CEM brand.

The SAP Emarsys Global Consumer Products Engagement Report, developed in partnership with Deloitte, collected insights from more than 14,000 consumers and 750 senior marketers globally. The report identifies what it calls the AI Engagement Paradox: consumers often benefit from AI-powered experiences, but their trust and loyalty depend on how the technology is implemented by brands.

The report finds that 25% of consumer product brands currently operate at a high level of customer engagement maturity, positioning them to deliver AI-powered experiences that resonate with customers. It also notes that many other brands risk lagging behind unless they adopt a combination of data-driven automation and human-centred storytelling strategies that underpin the Engagement Era.