Personalization Is All About Perspective
You’ve probably heard the term “personalization” come up at your organization in recent years. More so than any other attribute, every executive is looking for new ways to add it to their product experience. Simply put, there’s no such thing as “too little” personalization – everyone wants more of it.
That said, there are a number of ways to define what it looks like and how it makes an impact. Through the years, personalization has become much more open-ended and adaptable to a variety of scenarios.
For example, let’s say you’re on the way to a conference in a place that you’ve never visited. Imagine that you walk into a bar and the jukebox starts playing an artist that is on one of your most recent Spotify playlists. Furthermore, when you approach the bartender to order a drink, they start making a Manhattan or Old Fashioned because they know you like brown spirits. Furthermore, my phone sends an alert about other people at the bar who are also attending the same conference.
Does this type of personalization sound familiar? If you think it sounds like many of the interactions that you have on Facebook, then you’re correct! This is the perspective of Mark Zuckerberg. When I worked at Facebook, we rolled out the model for “instant personalization” that defines the user experience on the platform.
In the end, this is just one example of how it can work and ultimately connect you with other people or shared interests. There are a number of different examples that illustrate how technology innovations create a personalized experience for product users. Ultimately, there’s no single definition that matches every use case for personalization. Simply put, it’s all about your target audience and the value proposition that your product is delivering.
About the speaker
Chris Maliwat is the Chief Product Officer at artnet, the leading online resource for the international art market, and the destination to buy, sell, and research art online. Chris is the former Head of Product Management at Warby Parker, which was listed on Apple's 10 Best Apps of the Year for 2016. Previously, Chris lead commerce and retail partnerships for the Strategic Partnership Development group at Facebook. He also served as Vice President of Product Management for Gilt Groupe.
About the host
Andrea is the VP of Product and Engineering at One Kings Lane, a digital-first resource for making your home an expression of your personal style. She has spent over fifteen years in Product and Tech, and has led teams at startups and Fortune 500 companies, including Rent the Runway, Zappos, Time Warner, and Verizon. Andrea is passionate about solving hard (seemingly impossible) challenges, developing simple yet delightful products, building teams of entrepreneurial critical thinkers, and creating strategic outcomes with impact. She is a hands-on leader with a player/coach style, diving into the details with her team to partner, advise, and guide them to success.