Headless personalization: Get it right, get it real

Personalization has become a pressing priority for many companies, something they feel compelled to tackle. Yet efforts often stumble when organizations leap ahead without first understanding their starting point.

Solteq, a leading digital agency, has seen this challenge play out countless times. With years of experience guiding clients through their personalization journeys, they bring valuable lessons to the table. Today, we’re excited to share insights from Pia Pekkala, who explains how to approach personalization the right way, and, for those considering headless personalization, how to make it both effective and achievable.

#Why personalization failed you?

Personalization has been the buzzword in digital experience for years. Yet, I’ve seen many enterprises struggle to make it work. In my experience, the core issue is often a lack of planning. Companies jump in because of the hype but fail to define clear objectives or success metrics. As a result, personalization efforts become fragmented and underwhelming.

Too much data

One common challenge I’ve seen is data overload. In one case, a client launched personalization with product and content recommendations, backed by the right technologies. What held them back wasn’t the tools, but the data feeding into them. They fed an enormous amount of information into the personalization engine without first deciding what was actually valuable. Only a small fraction was ever used, and they eventually realized much of it wasn’t even relevant. In the end, they had to redo the entire data feed, doubling their costs. The takeaway is that it’s better to begin with a clear idea of which data is truly valuable, use that as your starting point, and only expand once you’ve proven its impact.

Operational silos

Another stumbling block is organizational silos. Personalization isn’t just a marketing project. It requires alignment across the company. In many cases, retailers run personalization in search tools, product recommendation engines, marketing automation systems, and loyalty apps separately. Each operates in isolation, without a shared strategy. Without cross-functional collaboration, personalization remains patchy and fails to deliver meaningful results.

Not seeing ROI

Finally, there’s the question of ROI. Too often, companies expect immediate financial returns without asking whether their ROI expectations were realistic. When personalization strategies are poorly planned, results fall short, and teams grow skeptical. I believe ROI needs to be framed realistically, grounded in long-term goals rather than quick wins.

#Introducing the personalization maturity model, and why it matters

To help businesses navigate these challenges, I often use the personalization maturity model we developed at Solteq. It helps organizations understand where they currently stand and where they realistically want to go.

Stages of maturity

First things first: you don’t need to start with hyperpersonalization—and in most cases, you won’t even need to get there at all. More on this later.

The maturity model outlines five stages, from manual personalization to AI-driven hyperpersonalization. In reality, many companies are already practicing some form of personalization, such as adding a first name in marketing emails, which falls into the earlier stages of maturity. The key isn’t to climb the ladder as quickly as possible, but to identify the stage that best matches your business goals and resources.

• Manual: Personalization is manual and one-to-one, relying on direct communication without scale.
• Static: Everyone gets the same message, with only limited segmentation and basic customer ID.
• Rule-Based: Segments are created manually using simple rules, with basic automation applied to customer journeys.
• Model-Based: AI comes into play, dynamically adjusting segments and uncovering customer intent behind behaviors.
• Hyperpersonalization: AI/ML drive real-time, predictive personalization across the entire organization.

From my perspective, the most realistic sweet spot for most companies lies somewhere between rule-based and model-based personalization. This is where you can balance investment and outcomes most effectively. At this stage, success depends on a few core practices:

• Know your customers deeply. Rule-based personalization requires clear segmentation and a solid understanding of who you want to reach. Model-based moves further, uncovering intent and behaviors with the help of AI.
• Match your technology to the stage. At the rule-based level, segmentation tools (like a CRM or marketing automation) paired with a CMS are often enough. As you move toward model-based, AI capabilities and analytics become critical, and a headless CMS plays a key role in tying it all together.
• Use AI as support, not replacement. Between rule-based and model-based, AI can help suggest segments, interpret behavior, and scale personalization, but the strategic decisions still come from humans.

Even at earlier stages of maturity, you shouldn’t shy away from recognizing what you are already doing. Small touches like “Hi, [First Name]” in emails count as personalization. Don’t underestimate these starting points—they form the baseline to build on.

And when it comes to hyperpersonalization, it’s not a destination most companies need to aim for. Enterprises like Netflix or Disney reach that level because they dedicate entire departments and massive resources to it. For most organizations, hyperpersonalization is neither realistic nor desirable—it relies almost entirely on AI, reducing human oversight, and the cost-to-value ratio rarely justifies the effort. The smarter investment is mastering the middle ground between rule-based and model-based personalization.

Most importantly, personalization maturity is about intentional progress. Personalization maturity should be about aligning the level of sophistication with your business objectives and delivering consistent value, rather than racing up the ladder.

How does a headless CMS fit in?

A headless CMS plays a critical role in supporting personalization maturity. Once you move beyond static personalization, you need a flexible content infrastructure that can work seamlessly with CDPs, personalization engines, and analytics tools. A headless CMS enables:

• Centralized content management across channels.
• Flexibility to integrate best-of-breed tools.
• Easier scaling as personalization strategies evolve.

By providing a content layer that connects data and delivery, a headless CMS helps break down silos and supports omnichannel personalization.

#Personalization ≠ ROI machines

When companies invest in personalization, they often expect immediate ROI, especially with reports like Forrester citing conversion rate boosts of up to 67%. But these numbers shouldn’t be taken at face value without context. Tying personalization directly to ROI is misleading. From my point of view, ROI from personalization is a long-term outcome, not an immediate payoff.

Instead, I see personalization as a growth engine that enhances loyalty, relevance, and customer experience. When done right, personalization delivers a positive, sustainable impact on these metrics:

• Basket size
• Time spent on product pages
• Number of pages per session
• Retention and repeat visits
• Customer lifetime value

Ultimately, personalization is about building trust and delivering relevant experiences that keep customers coming back. ROI will follow, but only when strategies are planned, measured, and executed with maturity in mind.

#Conclusion

Getting personalization right requires more than jumping on the hype. It’s about planning carefully, recognizing your maturity stage, and using the right tools—like a headless CMS—to build scalable strategies. Most importantly, it’s about shifting the perspective from short-term ROI to long-term growth and loyalty. From my experience, personalization succeeds when it is realistic, intentional, and grounded in clear business goals.