Reading Time: 11 minutes Nowadays, customer engagement isn’t what it used to be. For years, brands have been throwing money at marketing, running campaigns on every platform imaginable, and hoping something sticks. But despite all the tools, tech, and data at their disposal, most brands are still missing the mark. Why? They’re playing by outdated rules in a completely changed game. Here’s the truth: Consumers have evolved. Brands haven’t. A McKinsey report makes it painfully clear—71% of consumers expect personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when brands don’t deliver. Think about that. Three out of four customers walk away annoyed when they don’t get the experience they expect. And let’s be honest, in today’s world, one bad experience is all it takes for a customer to switch to a competitor. So, what’s going wrong?   This question sparked our recent panel discussion, which featured industry leaders like Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder of Info Edge, and Raviteja Dodda, CEO of MoEngage. The conversation delved into how brands can fundamentally rethink engagement in a world where customer expectations are evolving quickly. So, what did they dive into? Why brands are struggling to meet modern customer expectations How AI-driven, real-time engagement is changing the game Why data silos are killing brand-customer relationships And why businesses that don’t optimize their engagement strategy to keep up with the times will fall behind The old way of doing things is dead. If brands want to survive and thrive, they need to adapt fast. So, how do they do it? Let’s examine the biggest takeaways from the discussion and consider the future of customer engagement. The Harsh Reality: Why Most Brands Are Getting It Wrong Since we’re on the same page about evolving consumer expectations, let’s understand why brands struggle to keep up. Where’s the disconnect? Why are so many brands struggling to engage customers in a way that works?    The short answer: They’re stuck in the past. During the panel discussion, Sanjeev and Ravi pointed out a fundamental flaw: most brands still rely on legacy Martech platforms and strategies that don’t meet today’s customers’ expectations. Take the aforementioned McKinsey report, for example. It indicates that consumers expect companies to deliver hyper-personalized interactions, and they get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.  Yet, brands are still blasting out campaigns that only contain first-name personalization, which is simply not enough for today’s consumers. The level of customization consumers require stems from analyzing their behaviors and preferences, i.e., one-to-one personalization at scale. The lack of such customization is one of the main reasons that consumer brand retention rates are plummeting. The Three Big Mistakes Consumer Brands Are Making Here’s where brands are going wrong—and what our panelists had to say about it: 1. Disconnected Data = Disconnected Customers One of the biggest challenges? Data silos. Brands collect massive amounts of customer data, but it’s scattered across different platforms—CRM systems, ad networks, email tools, and more. What does that lack in the context of customer engagement? Brands must prioritize building genuine, data-driven customer relationships, rather than chasing short-term wins. Without a unified customer profile, engagement strategies are fundamentally flawed. Instead of personalizing interactions, companies rely on outdated insights, leading to irrelevant messaging and missed opportunities. 2. Batch-and-Blast Campaigns Just Don’t Work Anymore For years, brands have relied on mass marketing tactics—sending the same message to thousands (or millions) of customers simultaneously, hoping something sticks. But let’s be honest: Consumers are tuning out. They’re bombarded with messages across multiple channels, and if those messages aren’t timely, relevant, and personalized, they get ignored.  The solution? AI-driven, real-time engagement.  Instead of static segmentation, brands must shift toward behavior-based targeting—where real-time customer actions trigger messages. What if: Instead of sending a generic email blast to all customers at 9 AM, brands use AI to analyze customer behavior and deliver messages when customers are most likely to engage. That’s what modern engagement looks like. 3. Ignoring the Offline-Online Gap In markets like India, the offline-to-online journey is still a huge part of consumer behavior. A customer might discover a brand in a physical store, browse products online, and complete the purchase through WhatsApp or an app.  Yet, most brands treat online and offline engagement as separate worlds. That’s a huge mistake.  To illustrate this dramatic shift in consumer behavior, Sanjeev Bikhchandani pointed out,  “10 years ago, 93% or 94% of our traffic on Naukri came from laptops or desktops. Today, about 97% of our traffic comes from mobile.” This reinforces the critical need for brands to prioritize mobile-first engagement strategies, especially in markets like India, where mobile penetration is rapidly increasing. Brands that seamlessly integrate offline and online experiences—where a customer’s journey is frictionless, whether in a store, on an app, or talking to a customer support rep—will always stay ahead of the competition. Those that don’t? They’ll lose customers to those brands that can. So, What’s the Solution? If brands want to fix these issues, they need to rethink engagement from the ground up. Break down data silos and build a single customer view. Ditch batch-and-blast marketing and move toward real-time, AI-driven engagement. Unify offline and online experiences to create a seamless customer journey. Most importantly, they must stop treating engagement as just another marketing tactic and make it the core of their business strategy. This is precisely where MoEngage comes in—but more on that in the upcoming sections.  The New Engagement Playbook: What Winning Brands Are Doing Differently The old engagement playbook—mass marketing, disconnected channels, and one-size-fits-all messaging—simply doesn’t work anymore. Customers expect real-time, intelligent, and hyper-personalized engagement across every touchpoint. Winning brands understand that the best way to drive revenue isn’t through aggressive promotions but by delivering seamless, relevant experiences that keep customers returning. But how do they achieve this at scale? Let’s break it down. 1. AI-Driven, Hyper-Personalized Engagement Winning brands aren’t just collecting customer data—they act on it in real time. They’re moving beyond static customer segmentation and using AI to deliver dynamic, behavior-driven engagement. So, what does this look like in action? Instead of sending generic product recommendations, leading brands analyze past behavior and predict what customers are most likely to buy next. Instead of emailing a discount code to all customers, they send personalized offers based on past purchase frequency and engagement. Why it works:  Customers respond to brands that “get them.” AI-driven engagement ensures that every interaction feels relevant and timely—not random and forced.  2. Breaking Down Data Silos with a Unified Customer View Earlier, we discussed how scattered customer data is killing engagement. Top brands solve this by creating a 360-degree customer view—a single source of truth that connects every interaction across channels. How does this change the game? For example, if a customer browses a product on the app but doesn’t buy it, the brand can retarget them with a relevant offer via WhatsApp. For example, if a customer calls customer support, the agent instantly sees past interactions and tailors the conversation. The result: No more disconnected experiences. Customers feel understood, and engagement becomes effortless. 3. Omnichannel Engagement: Meeting Customers Where They Are Today’s consumers don’t stick to one channel—they move between apps, social media, email, WhatsApp, physical stores, and more. Winning brands don’t treat these as separate touchpoints. They create a seamless journey—where every interaction feels connected. Example: Customers add an item to their cart on a website but don’t check it out. An hour later, they get a push notification reminding them. A day later, they receive an email with a limited-time discount. If they visit a physical store, the sales rep knows their preferences and can offer personalized recommendations. The key is consistency. No matter where the customer engages, the experience feels smooth and personalized. So the takeaway here is: Engagement Needs a Complete Mindset Shift  It’s NOT about sending more messages. It’s about sending more brilliant messages at the right moment. It’s NOT about just gathering customer data. It’s about using data intelligently to personalize experiences. It’s NOT about treating every channel separately. It’s about creating a seamless, omnichannel journey. This is precisely how brands drive higher retention, deeper customer loyalty, and long-term growth. So, how can businesses start making this shift? Let’s get to the final piece of the puzzle.  The Missing Piece: AI-Powered Martech Solutions Shifting to real-time, AI-driven engagement isn’t just about changing tactics—it requires the right technology. During our panel discussion, Sanjeev Bikhchandani emphasized a fundamental business principle: “Be frugal. The only thing you’re in control of is your costs. Your revenues are not in your control—that depends on the market, the customer, and the product-market fit. But costs, you’re in control of.” This wisdom applies perfectly to a customer engagement strategy. Many brands need better personalization, smarter engagement, and seamless omnichannel experiences. But there’s one problem: Their Martech stack isn’t built for it. Legacy marketing tools were designed for a different era where mass email blasts and static customer segments were the norm. That approach doesn’t work anymore. Customers expect brands to understand their preferences, predict their needs, and naturally engage with them. So, what’s the fix? An agile Martech platform that connects data automates engagement, and makes AI-powered personalization effortless. How Martech Platforms Solve These Challenges Breaking Down Data Silos Right now, most brands have customer data scattered across multiple tools, including CRM, analytics platforms, customer support systems, ad networks, and more. The best Martech platforms bring all this data together in one place, so brands can see every customer’s complete, unified profile. Personalization That Feels Human, Not Robotic AI-driven platforms go beyond generic customer segmentation. They analyze customer behavior in real time and predict what’s relevant to each person. Instead of blasting the same email to everyone, brands can deliver messages tailored to each individual’s interests, past purchases, and engagement history. Omnichannel Engagement That Feels Seamless Customers don’t think in “channels”—they just interact with brands wherever convenient. The right Martech platform syncs engagement across mobile apps, email, WhatsApp, social media, and even physical stores, ensuring every interaction builds on the last. Smart Automation That Works in the Background No marketing team has the time to craft messages manually for every customer. Automation powered by real-time insights ensures brands engage customers at the perfect moment—whether it’s a personalized product recommendation, a cart abandonment reminder, or a loyalty reward. Why This Matters: The Brands That Adapt, Win During the panel discussion, Sanjeev Bikhchandani made one thing clear: “If you get the investors’ money first, there is no guarantee that the customer’s money will come. Focus on getting the customer’s money first.” And the best way to get customers to spend is to engage them in a natural, relevant, and effortless way. Brands that understand this and adopt the right Martech tools are seeing incredible results. Let’s explore how leading brands are winning with MoEngage. Real-World Success Stories: How Leading Brands Are Winning with MoEngage We’ve discussed the mistakes brands make and why traditional engagement strategies fail. But some companies are getting it right—leveraging AI-driven, data-backed engagement to drive actual results. Here’s how some of the biggest brands are using MoEngage to stay ahead: BigBasket: 38% Higher Push Notification Deliverability with AI-Driven Optimization For an online grocery giant like BigBasket, timely communication is everything. Whether it’s notifying customers about fresh stock, discounts, or delivery updates, ensuring messages reach the right audience is critical. But here’s the issue: Many brands struggle with poor push notification deliverability, leading to wasted efforts and lost revenue. BigBasket tackled this challenge head-on with MoEngage’s Push Amplification, which optimizes message delivery for maximum reach. The impact: Push notification deliverability improved from 65% to 85-90%, a 38% increase Higher customer engagement and real-time updates that drive conversions Want to see how BigBasket improved push notification deliverability by 38%? [Read the entire case study here.   OYO: 44% Higher Push Notification Delivery for Better Engagement As one of the biggest hospitality platforms, OYO depends heavily on mobile engagement to drive bookings. However, like many brands, they faced a significant hurdle—low push notification delivery rates, especially on Xiaomi devices, which limited their ability to reach customers. Using MoEngage’s Push Amplification Plus, OYO was able to bypass device-level restrictions and significantly improve message delivery. The impact: 44% higher push notification delivery on Xiaomi devices 25% overall improvement in campaign notification delivery More customers reached, resulting in higher repeat bookings and engagement Learn how OYO boosted push notification delivery by 44% and increased repeat bookings. Explore the case study here. Ferns N Petals: 40% Higher Conversions with On-Site Messaging For an online gifting platform like Ferns N Petals (FNP), engagement doesn’t stop at bringing customers to the site—it’s about converting them. The challenge? Ensuring visitors don’t drop off before making a purchase. FNP leveraged MoEngage’s On-Site Messaging (OSM) to trigger real-time, personalized pop-ups based on customer behavior—such as discount offers when a customer hesitates at checkout. The impact: A 40% conversion rate on their targeted shipping discount campaign A 12.86% conversion rate on lead generation pop-ups Higher revenue from personalized engagement at critical touchpoints See how Ferns N Petals achieved 40% higher conversions with personalized engagement. Read the success story here. What’s the Common Thread? A Smarter, Data-Driven Engagement Strategy These brands aren’t winning because they’re spending more on marketing. They’re winning because they’re spending smarter—focusing on AI-driven, real-time engagement that resonates with their customers. Better push notification delivery leads to higher engagement Real-time, behavior-based messaging improves conversions Integrated, cross-channel communication creates a seamless customer experience The takeaway is clear: When brands move beyond mass marketing and start engaging customers at the right time, on the right channel, and with the right message, the results speak for themselves. Next, let’s dive into how brands can replicate this success and build a future-ready engagement strategy. The MoEngage Playbook: How Brands Can Replicate This Success We’ve seen how brands like BigBasket, OYO, and Ferns N Petals have transformed customer engagement. But the real question is—how can other businesses achieve the same results? What’s the playbook for success? MoEngage’s approach isn’t about making assumptions. It’s about leveraging real-time customer insights, automation, and AI-driven engagement to create a seamless experience across every touchpoint. Here’s how brands can do it: 1. Unify Customer Data for a 360° View Most brands have a lot of customer data, but it’s scattered across different systems, making it nearly impossible to create a personalized experience. With MoEngage’s Customer 360, businesses can combine data from multiple sources—mobile apps, websites, email, push notifications, WhatsApp, and offline interactions—into a single, unified customer profile. No more fragmented engagement Real-time analyzing of customer preferences and behavior Smarter, more relevant messaging When businesses understand their customers more deeply, they can create highly personalized experiences that drive loyalty and conversions. 2. Move from Batch-and-Blast to Hyper-Personalized Engagement Consumers today ignore generic marketing. They want relevant, timely, and hyper-personalized interactions. With MoEngage’s AI-powered segmentation and predictive analytics, brands can: Identify high-intent customers and send tailored offers Recommend products based on past behavior Automate messaging based on real-time actions For example, instead of sending the same email to all customers, MoEngage helps brands send personalized messages at the right moment—whether it’s a cart abandonment reminder, an exclusive discount, or a re-engagement campaign. 3. Optimize Every Channel—Email, Push, WhatsApp, SMS, and More A customer might open an email but not click. They might visit a website but not convert. The key is meeting customers where they are across multiple channels. MoEngage helps brands create coordinated, cross-channel campaigns that engage customers at the right touchpoints: Email → Personalized product recommendations Push Notifications → Instant engagement with time-sensitive alerts WhatsApp & SMS → Conversational commerce and customer support On-Site & In-App Messaging → Real-time engagement to prevent drop-offs Bridges can significantly increase engagement and retention rates by orchestrating seamless platform interactions. 4. Use AI to Predict and Automate Customer Journeys The future of engagement isn’t just personalization—it’s predicting what customers need before they even ask. MoEngage’s AI-driven capabilities include: Predictive Segmentation: Identifying customers likely to churn and proactively engaging them Best Time to Send (BTS): Sending messages when customers are most likely to engage A/B Testing and Insights: Continuously optimizing campaigns for higher conversions The result? Brands don’t just react to customer behavior—they stay ahead of it. The Bottom Line The brands that win in today’s market don’t have the most enormous budgets or the most aggressive marketing tactics. They understand their customers better, faster, and smarter than their competitors. By following this playbook, brands can cut through the noise, build deeper relationships, and drive sustainable growth, just like BigBasket, OYO, and FNP have done. And with MoEngage’s customer data and engagement platform leading the charge, businesses don’t have to figure it out alone. Want to see how MoEngage can help your brand achieve the same success? Book a demo today and start creating smarter customer experiences.   The post The Future of Customer Engagement: Are Brands Truly Ready?— Insights and Strategies from InfoEdge appeared first on MoEngage.