This article is part of a content series that explores some of the most significant technology-driven issues or developments that will shape travel distribution this year and beyond. For more on these hot topics, check out Travel Innovation and Technology Trends 2019.

For laser-targeted, highly personalized marketing campaigns, a fine line of demarcation exists between being considered a work of genius or an unwanted affront to personal privacy. A recent Phocuswright travel research article, Offer Personalization: What Variables Set the Context, found that that line is independently drawn by each individual, and not controlled by the marketer. Intangible (or extremely difficult to measure) factors such as brand perceptions come into play. For the same hypothetical personalization-related transgression, a given consumer that scored two brands similarly from a Net Promoter Score perspective could just as easily turn into a staunch brand defender for the first brand, while advocating for boycotts of the second, based on that individual's perceived relationship with the respective brand at any given instant. Context is everything when it comes to personalization. However, without quality data, reliable system integration and relevant, creative messaging, the prospect of understanding and effectively communicating within a contextual construct is considerably more challenging.

Read the full article at Phocuswright, Inc.