Gen Alpha is challenging us all to rethink the balance between people and technology, setting a new bar for more fluid, dynamic, personalised and immersive experiences. Gen Alpha wants products that are an extension of their identity, they want brands to go deep and they crave co-creation and meaningful engagement.

Personalisation may seem like a big story for Gen Alpha, but this extends further than them. The need for personalisation isn’t confined to our youngest generation, in fact quite the opposite. This is also what came back in our 2025 What Matters report, in the trend labeled ‘curated choice’, where people increasingly expect relevance without effort and options that feel made just for them.

People today want brands to know them, anticipate them and evolve with them, people crave empowerment and autonomy. After decades of choice overload or decision fatigue, mindsets have shifted from “more is more” to “only what matters”.

From one-size-fits-all to just-for-me

In our recent study centered around Experience, nearly half of the people we surveyed (45%) said cookie-cutter customer experiences leave them more annoyed than engaged. This extends to 7 in 10 expecting interactions with brands to feel tailored to who they are and what they need and believing brands should actively adapt their communication and offerings accordingly.

Bang & Olufsen’s new ‘Atelier’ service “You dream it. We’ll craft it” paves the way. Moving far beyond simple colour swaps, offering over half a million possible combinations, totally redefining the meaning of personalisation. From aluminium finishes to wood grains and fabric coverings, every feature is adaptable, making speakers and televisions as unique in style as they are in sound.

Of course, it’s not enough to simply say brands should “do more” when it comes to personalisation. By looking at the defining characteristics of Gen Alpha, we’ve uncovered several opportunities and experience principles, or as we call them ‘personalisation codes’. These allow brands to rethink and jump start their approach to building truly personalised journeys that resonate with every generation, from Gen Alpha right through to the Silvers (and beyond). Scroll through our personalisation codes below before we zoom in further:

2. Anticipatory care

Imagine your favourite app reminding you to reorder before you’ve even realised you’re running low, or a streaming service queuing up exactly what you’re in the mood for without you lifting a finger. That’s the power of predictive personalisation aka Anticipatory care. Using behaviour signals, contextual cues and smart intelligence to anticipate people’s needs before they’re even voiced.

Anticipatory care spans beyond being helpful, it’s more about creating seamless, stress-free experiences that feel magical, personal and allowing people to feel seen. In fact, 70% of people in our research study said it was important that brands help them before they even ask for assistance.

A great example is China Ping An Insurance, which has built customer trust by going beyond traditional coverage and offering automated benefits that make travel disruptions less stressful. When flights are delayed or cancelled customers don’t have to chase down assistance – the system automatically grants perks like airport lounge access or even rebooks flights on their behalf. A clear demonstration of how brands and services, along with technology can anticipate needs in real time and turn inconvenient situations into moments of support.

But when is it too much?

We also found that 7 in 10 people find it important that brands predict what they need and act in ways that feel caring, not intrusive. So, there are of course guardrails that ensure brands can find the right balance in anticipation, knowing when support is helpful and when it becomes intrusive.

Too many notifications can rightly overwhelm people, tone-deaf timings can frustrate them and an overreliance on predictions alone can feel presumptuous or controlling. For brands in this sphere, striking the right balance is essential to ensure that interventions feel genuinely supportive rather than crossing the line into overreach.

What does this mean for brands?

Traditional, static, linear approaches to consumer journeys are no longer enough. People don’t just move from touchpoint to touchpoint; they want to be seen, understood and empowered at every step.

Today’s consumers expect interactions that feel real-time, relevant and at times even magical. With AI and data reshaping what personalisation means, the challenge is clear: creating experiences that truly connect on a human level. Tailored experiences won’t just be a ‘nice-to-have’, but they’re becoming a business imperative. A recent report by Boston Consulting Group estimates that brands leading in personalisation achieve compound annual growth rates that are 10% higher than those of laggards. Brands should act now – those that embrace personalisation today will be the ones leading growth tomorrow.

*The numbers in this article are taken from our research with 4000 people across APAC: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore.