The magic behind the curtain no one wants to see — consumers love personalized CX, but reject AI when it feels too obvious

Indianapolis, June 4, 2025 — As SAP Emarsys Chief Marketing Officer Sara Richter prepares to speak at this year’s Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit in Amsterdam, new research reveals a growing disconnect between how brands use AI for customer experience and how consumers want to experience it.

While 89% of fast-moving consumer goods marketers in the United States say AI is essential for acquiring new customers, and 86% say it’s critical for retention, only 9% of consumers want more AI-led brand interactions. Instead, 41% say they want more personalized deals and offers, not simulated conversations.

“The best personalization should feel invisible,” said Richter. “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, by using AI to scale relevance behind the scenes while keeping the experience human.”

US brands struggle with complexity, and the CEM Index can help

U.S. CPG marketers face a distinct challenge. 29% cite internal complexity, meaning siloed systems, fragmented tools, and disjointed marketing efforts as the biggest barrier to improving engagement.

To address this, the SAP Emarsys report introduces the Customer Engagement Maturity (CEM) Index — a new global benchmark that helps consumer product brands assess their readiness to meet rising expectations. From data strategy to omnichannel execution, the CEM Index maps the journey into what SAP Emarsys calls the Engagement Era.

An excellent example is Versuni, the global home appliances business headquartered in Amsterdam. By integrating SAP Emarsys with a robust SAP ERP and customer identity foundation, Versuni connects consumer data across channels, enabling personalization at scale and delivering a seamless order and service experience across mobile and B2B environments.

“This is what a high-CEM brand looks like in practice,” added Richter. “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.”

The SAP Emarsys Global Consumer Products Engagement Report, launched in partnership with Deloitte, draws on insights from more than 14,000 global consumers and 750 senior marketers. It highlights the AI Engagement Paradox: while consumers rely on AI-powered experiences, trust and loyalty hinge on how that AI is deployed.

With 19% of consumer product brands already operating at this level today, the report warns that many risk falling behind unless they embrace the blend of data-driven automation and human-led storytelling that defines the Engagement Era.

Download the full report https://emarsys.com/consumer-products-engagement-report-2025-us/ or if you are attending the Consumer Goods Forum in Amsterdam you can visit Sara Richter at the SAP Emarsys booth.