Product personalization vs. product customization. What’s the difference?

The development of globalization and modern technologies facilitating mass production has led many companies to view large-scale production of standardized products as one of the most cost-effective solutions. However, modern customers increasingly appreciate unique products, and are able to pay even more for a chance to express their individuality. What is the difference between product personalization and product customization? Read on to find out more.

Product personalization vs. product customization – table of contents:

1. Why personalize?
2. Product customization
3. Product personalization
4. Summary

Why personalize?

With the development of technology and competition in the market, the position of consumers has strengthened, and they significantly influence the decisions of even the biggest brands. More experienced shoppers express their expectations and needs clearly. Also, they treat shopping as a new form of entertainment.

Facing high competition in the market, companies must focus on attracting consumers by offering the most attractive products. Nowadays, business success strongly depends on long-lasting relationships with customers. Creating unique relationships with buyers and a differentiated approach to their expectations strengthens their attachment to the brand and their willingness to pay more for a positive shopping experience.

Understanding individual needs and providing products that perfectly reflect the customers’ desires allow companies to stand out from their competitors. Progressive globalization strongly influences fashion, shaping current trends. However, despite the development of mass culture, customers still remain individuals who want to be treated in a unique way.

Product customization

Striving to meet individual consumers’ needs, companies are choosing to customize their products and services. This involves moving away from mass production of standardized goods and focusing on personalized marketing, which is based on presenting a bespoke offer to the individual customer. As a result, they are able to meet individual consumers’ expectations. providing them with unique products that reflect their needs and desires.

Customization is a tempting solution for shoppers who don’t like mass trends or highly standardized products that are delivered to them from everywhere. A large part of society today is persistently searching for ways to stand out from the crowd and show the world their true self. This is why the vision of customizing clothes, shoes, appliances or even basic household items to suit individual preferences and tastes is becoming such an attractive option for individuals.

Thanks to customization, ordinary products gain a more personal touch, and buyers are able to pay more for them than for boring items that anyone can purchase. Customization can thus be compared to the process of tailor-made sewing. It is buyers who create their own unique products, while specifying key parameters in line with their expectations. As a result, such products give them greater satisfaction, and even the design process itself is fun for them.

Customization is extremely convenient for companies as they no longer have to worry about an in-depth analysis of customers’ desires and the associated costs. The buyers themselves are responsible for providing ideas and, by being proactive, become to some extent the creators of their own products. The company is therefore only responsible for processing and delivering the placed order.

Product personalization

Creating an individual offer looks a bit different when brands decide on personalization. Although, similarly to customization, it is an important aspect of one-to-one marketing that is highly concentrated on building strong relationships with clients, it is based on a different form of interaction with the buyer.

Personalization requires greater involvement of the company in the entire process. This method is about making modifications to the offer and addressing buyers’ expectations, while giving them a chance to choose one of the options already created by the brand.

It is the company that is responsible for conducting thorough research that allows it to learn more about the diverse consumers’ needs. Based on this information, the brand adjusts its offer adequately to the identified preferences. For this purpose, data extracted from online stores are used. Companies use this data to learn which products were frequently searched for or viewed by particular users.

The Internet has become a valuable tool that streamlines the personalization process. Companies are making use of various applications, social media or forums to, based on customers’ interests and previous choices, suggest personalized products that will suit their preferences.

A popular solution used by online stores is a recommendation system. Having information about what a given customer has previously viewed, the brand displays similar products that might interest them and prompt them to make a repeat purchase. It is also helpful to use various search filters that make it easier to find a perfect product.

Product personalization – summary

Personalization and customization matter more than ever for contemporary shoppers. Even though they differ in the form of promoting individuality, they help increase buyers’ satisfaction by providing them with tailored products. At the same time, companies choosing such ways to interact with customers give them a greater sense of uniqueness.

You’ve just learned the difference between product personalization and product customization. Read also: B2C and B2B e-commerce.

If you like our content, join our busy bees community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest.