As a marketer, it excites me to get to know the personal preferences of customers and create personalized marketing plans; creating individual messaging that resonates with customers and produces a personal experience. This is the ultimate goal behind personalized marketing. When we optimize data analysis combined with digital technology we are able to track even the most mundane of consumer activities; and, gather pieces of behavior like a puzzle to compose profiles of our best target segments. Understanding consumer behavior, identifying emerging trends and being able to offer solutions to any number of consumer challenges, is always positive.

Until, enough is enough and it becomes annoying to the consumer and the ultimate goal backfires.

I would argue, that while brands have good intentions, sometimes their personalization marketing tactics can damage the relationship. When does personalization marketing become annoying? Since we are all individuals and unique, I believe the threshold of tolerance is different for each person; but, leveraging the same data analysis and digital technology, we should be able to figure out when enough is enough for different sub-segments of the target audience.

Here are my top 5 brands activities that can become annoying and determine that enough is enough for me:

1. Texting

Texting to Take Action: When you receive a text to take action, you take the action. It can become annoying when the text received provides the wrong information. An example: I once received a text that my prescription was ready and to please pick it up. I drove to the store and the pharmacist didn’t have the prescription and was not aware I received a text. I provided the text and they said “oh”.

2. Online Browsing

Follow-up on the online browsing merchandise you chose not to buy: You receive a reminder that targets digital ads that track your footprint online “reminding” you to purchase. Great idea, but there needs to be a limit. Otherwise, it just becomes annoying.

3. e-Mail Marketing/Blog

Unsubscribe: It is a wonderful tool that email marketing messages have an unsubscribe option. But, finding the button is an adventure, and actually being able to unsubscribe is a huge challenge. Double that sentiment when you are successful with the unsubscribe action, yet, you continue to receive emails/blogs even though you took the time to unsubscribe.

4. Loyalty Rewards and Coupons

Access and Convenience: These assets are only as good as your ability to access them with convenience. I consistently frequent one store and they never have my rewards/discounts attached to my name/account; I then search for my email that I received with the discount (you can click a button and it automatically goes to your card, which I do); and, they scan the email. Very rarely does the “click button” work. It is supposed to be easily accessible and convenient but often times rewards and coupons are inconvenient and not able to be redeemed.

5. Alerts

Opt-in alerts: These are wonderful and are always easy to opt-in. I sign-up for them as needed. But when I am ready to opt-out and Reply STOP, sometimes that does not work. So, it can be frustrating that you cannot opt-out as easily as you opted-in.

All of the above are just a few cumulative experiences that are a direct reaction to personalization marketing that I have experienced. Do not get me wrong, there are many personalized marketing tactics that create and give the consumer creature comforts - all which help to build a loyal relationship. I believe they far outweigh the negatives. Delivering on your brand promises certainly creates brand loyalty. Surely, personalization helps to maintain and grow that relationship, but when engaging in your development of these activities please stop and ask yourself, “when is enough, enough?”

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications. Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes: A Marketer’s Journey Through Business. In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments: 14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. To purchase Sonya’s books go to AMAZON.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit