Braze gives brands the tools to turn customer data into messaging that actually matters. With Liquid for personalization, Catalogs for enriched data, and BrazeAI for real-time optimization, brands can ditch the generic and create experiences that feel personal, not programmatic.

But as AI reshapes customer engagement, the real challenge is keeping it human. The latest insights from Braze’s 2025 Customer Engagement Review highlight how to strike that balance. Here’s how to put those insights into play.

1. Listen to what your customers are telling you.

Effective marketing starts with listening — not just to what customers say, but to their behaviors, preferences, and unspoken needs. Here’s how to use Braze to listen to your customers:

• Separate signal from noise: Use Braze’s event tracking to identify behavioral patterns that indicate true intent. A single page visit isn’t enough — look for repeat interactions or sequential actions that show deeper engagement.
• Go beyond basic metrics: Move past clicks and opens to track meaningful moments, like feature adoption, loyalty program interactions, or repeat purchases.
• Use in-app surveys and preference centers: Leverage Braze’s in-app messaging to ask the right questions at the right time. For example, after a second purchase, ask what product categories interest them most.
• Connect cross-channel data: Ensure web, email, SMS, and push data live in a unified view in Braze so you can map complete customer journeys instead of fragmented touchpoints.
• Identify high-value events (and respond accordingly!): Look for signals that suggest a deeper relationship, such as:
  
  • Submitting a support ticket (use Braze to trigger a satisfaction follow-up)
  • Making multiple purchases in a short timeframe (trigger an automated loyalty reward)
  • Leaving a review (send a personalized thank-you and an incentive for future reviews)
  • Repeatedly exploring a new category (nudge them with tailored content or a product recommendation)
  • Making a donation or high-commitment action (acknowledge their contribution and deepen engagement with mission-driven content)

Without well-structured data, these insights become siloed. Ensure event tracking is flexible enough to support evolving business needs rather than being locked into rigid schemas.

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2. Create experiences that meet your customers where they’re at — at the right time, on the right channel, and with the right message.

Once you’ve identified key customer behaviors, use Braze’s Canvas to design personalized engagement journeys:

• First, be upfront about how you’re using customer data. Have privacy and security policies written in plain language, give customers ample moments to review, and use the data to their advantage through (non-creepy) personalized experiences.
• Map out decision points based on real behavior: If a customer frequently abandons their cart but engages with promotions, test whether a discount nudge outperforms a reminder email.
• Anticipate sentiment before sending: Use Braze’s Intelligent Timing to predict when customers are most receptive, avoiding unnecessary messages when engagement likelihood is low.
• Apply progressive profiling: Don’t overwhelm customers with long forms. Instead, use Braze to collect small data points over time via in-app messaging or surveys.
• Build dynamic messaging sequences: Instead of a static drip campaign, use behavior-driven triggers to adapt messaging flows. For instance, if a customer engages with content about sustainability, pivot messaging toward eco-friendly product recommendations.
• Implement off-ramps and re-engagement strategies: If a customer pauses activity, use Braze’s Retargeting API to serve them relevant messages on other channels or introduce a ‘win-back’ sequence with a compelling reason to return.

The goal isn’t to force customers into a rigid funnel but to create seamless, intuitive interactions that feel personal rather than programmatic.

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3. Let AI handle the heavy lifting — but keep the human touch.

The challenge isn’t just creating meaningful interactions — it’s doing it at scale while keeping a human touch. BrazeAI enables brands to work smarter:

From Manual to Augmented Intelligence

• Uncover hidden behavioral patterns: BrazeAI analyzes engagement trends that human teams might miss, revealing new audience insights.
• Create dynamic content variations: Use AI-generated subject lines and messaging to test emotional appeal while maintaining brand consistency.
• Optimize send time and channel mix: Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, let BrazeAI determine the best time and medium for each customer.
• Adjust campaigns in real time: If engagement drops, AI can automatically tweak parameters to boost performance.
• Surface unexpected segment opportunities: AI can identify micro-audiences that respond to different messaging strategies, allowing for hyper-personalization at scale.

The BrazeAI Experimentation Flywheel

AI’s impact compounds over time when integrated with continuous learning:

1. Run AI-driven tests: Go beyond A/B testing by introducing a dynamic “C” variant that lets AI optimize in real-time.
2. Analyze granular data: Use AI to detect patterns in engagement and sentiment shifts across different segments.
3. Refine audience understanding: Let AI highlight which creative elements and content structures drive the best response.
4. Evolve personalization strategies: Continuously update content and segmentation models based on fresh AI insights.

Keeping the Human Element Intact

AI should enhance, not replace, human creativity and judgment. Ensure:

• Context remains king: AI-driven personalization should still align with customer expectations and brand tone.
• Ethical guardrails are in place: Maintain transparency on how data is used and give customers control over personalization preferences.
• Governance frameworks ensure alignment: Regularly audit AI-generated content to uphold brand standards.

Human oversight remains for key moments: AI can flag when human intervention is necessary — like resolving a complaint or handling a sensitive customer issue.

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Bringing It All Together

When deep listening, smart journey design, and AI-powered scale come together, marketing becomes more than just messaging — it becomes a true conversation. Braze isn’t just about sending campaigns; it’s about helping brands build relationships that feel personal at every touchpoint.

As Braze’s 2025 Customer Engagement Review shows, winning in an AI-driven world isn’t about automation alone. It’s about using technology to make interactions feel more human, not less. When done right, this approach doesn’t just reach customers—it resonates with them.