3 Ways to Maximize Dynamic Content for Deeper Customer Loyalty

Dynamic content is the backbone of scalable, personalized messaging. Without it, the majority of today’s staple marketing plays (banners, recommendations, and inventory counters, to name a few) would be an impossible manual task.

But despite the fact that the majority of brands leverage dynamic content, many of them fail to maximize its potential. Throwing in a merge tag to generate a simple “Hello, [NAME]” in the hero image isn’t quite enough to stand out these days. Sure, you personalized the message—somewhat—however, personalization doesn’t equal relevancy. It’s relevancy that gets you opens, engagements, and conversions. 

So, it’s time to move beyond the basics. In this blog, we’ll cover three powerful yet simple ways to make the most of dynamic content, allowing you to get the most out of every send.

Step 1: Transform Multiple Data Points

Dynamic content only works as well as the data behind it. While a single data point or source is a great place to start, marketers risk leaving engagement and revenue on the table when they’re using personalization solutions that can't incorporate multiple real-time data signals into a single creative.

For content that can automatically update in real-time based on any customer situation—whether it’s recent activity, current location, demographics, loyalty information, or more—it’s not enough to simply integrate multiple data sources. Marketers need solutions that can transform all of that data into dynamic content, not just insert it as-is with merge tags.

‍Southwest Airlines recognized this, and proved the efficacy of a data-first approach in their A/B test of non-personalized vs. dynamic imagery.

Southwest activated the PROS airWire API to tap into multiple data points, including the customer’s location, for their Daily Abandon Browse emails. This allowed them to automate live pricing and flight data to display location-relevant, real-time fares that dynamically updated at the moment of open. The addition of these dynamic elements alone led to an increase in shopping visits by 36% and bookings by 22%, along with a 26% lift in passengers booked compared to their previous static sends.

Step 2: Lean on Logic 

If data is the foundation of dynamic content, the hand-in-hand pairing of automation and rules is the rest of the house. Rules, when set up correctly, ensure each customer gets the right content, at the right moment, and in the right channel. 

Ever received a loyalty email for a program you’re not in or a product suggestion that doesn’t match your local weather? Awkward. Business rules and waterfall logic help prevent these misfires by dynamically swapping content using each recipient's data within a single send. For instance, if someone isn’t in your loyalty program, their version of the email can automatically shift to a more relevant offer—like an abandoned cart reminder or weather-based recommendation.

You can take this even further with Contextual Targeting (based on factors like device, location, language, or time of day) and Behavioral Targeting (driven by actions like browsing, cart activity, or past purchases), combining both for a supercharged experience. And if data is missing? No worries—fallback content ensures every customer still gets a relevant experience.

‍Bath & Body Works has mastered this method for their promotional emails.

Using a combination of Contextual and Behavioral Targeting, Bath & Body Works prioritized displaying available loyalty rewards if that customer had an unused offer. If not, other offers like a welcome discount or birthday gift were shown instead. Based on behavioral data, the banner could also highlight key milestones such as current points balance, an abandoned cart, or a reminder to complete account setup. After seeing an impressive 32% lift in demand and a 14% lift in traffic, Bath & Body Works has now made the banner a permanent fixture in their emails.

Step 3: Bring Dynamic Content Across Channels

Dynamic content is powerful, but limiting it to email leaves a lot on the table. To truly maximize engagement, marketers need to extend it across channels—like web, push notifications, in-app messages, SMS, WhatsApp, and even RCS. Without an omnichannel strategy, valuable moments to share dynamic content can slip through the cracks.

The good news? If you’ve already laid the groundwork for dynamic content with multiple connected data sources, creating a mobile-first experience can be just as efficient as email. That’s what allowed Pandora to bring their popular year-in-review campaign to both email and mobile. 

Pandora Radio’s personalized Year-in-Review Summary tapped into a wide range of behavioral data, including users’ favorite artists, stations, genres, decades, and total spins. This dynamic campaign, delivered across both email and mobile, outperformed their previous app-only strategy with a 17x lift in total clicks, a 92% boost in click-through rates, and a 6x increase in reach. It also successfully re-engaged dormant listeners and drove meaningful gains in long-term retention.

Unlock Dynamic Content for Your Marketing Programs

Looking to drive the same success in your own campaigns? Discover the dynamic content engine behind Bath & Body Works, Southwest Airlines, Pandora Radio, and many more by booking a call with us.