NEWTOWN, Pa. — Consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers are facing a generational shift in brand loyalty and rising demands for personalized engagement, but the path to sustainable growth lies in better data integration, according to SAP’s latest thought leadership piece by Sunny Neely, Consumer Products Industry Advisor.
The key takeaway: Marketers must move beyond siloed systems and embrace connected data to understand better, engage, and retain consumers in an increasingly complex omnichannel world.
According to The Global Consumer Products Engagement Report, 63% of Gen Z consumers say they don’t care about brands, and more than half of CPG marketers admit they can’t access or use data in real time. 63% of Gen Z consumers say they don’t care about brands, and more than half of CPG marketers admit they can’t access or use data in real time.
“The consumer journey is happening across digital and physical spaces,” Neely writes. “Yet most brands are still unable to connect the dots because their data is disconnected.”
Connected Data Powers Real-Time Personalization
By adopting platforms like SAP S/4HANA and SAP Emarsys, Neely says, brands can unify customer data, develop more accurate profiles, and activate AI-driven personalization at scale. This enables capabilities like:
- Triggered mobile offers that drive in-store purchases
- Progressive profiling to gather valuable customer insights over time
- Real-time product recommendations powered by AI
- Unified customer data across departments from marketing to supply chain
SAP cites candy maker Ferrara—owner of brands like NERDS and Jelly Belly—as a case study in transformation. The company integrated SAP tools to modernize legacy systems, create unified profiles, and turn casual buyers into brand fans.
Strategic Recommendations for Marketers
Neely offers several practical steps for marketers aiming to grow their consumer database and boost engagement:
- Create omnichannel opt-in experiences using progressive profiling to collect data gradually.
- Use personalized incentives to re-engage former subscribers via web forms and email.
- Leverage AI and automation to scale personalized campaigns and free up creative teams.
- Align digital and in-store messaging to close the engagement loop.
Ultimately, the report encourages CPG brands to consider long-term brand equity beyond short-term performance metrics and invest in digital experiences that foster lasting brand value.
