What is “creepy” personalization and how to avoid it?

Creepy personalization occurs when your email reveals more about your surveillance of the recipient than feels comfortable. \"We noticed you looked at the blue dress at 2:47 PM yesterday but didn't buy it\"-technically accurate, genuinely unsettling. The line between helpful and creepy is subjective but real: personalization should feel like a helpful assistant remembering your preferences, not a stalker documenting your movements.

The principles for avoiding creepiness: use implied rather than explicit knowledge. \"Based on your interest in summer dresses\" is fine; \"Based on the 7 minutes you spent viewing product #4521\" is not. Don't reveal precise timestamps, exact page counts, or detailed behavioral tracking. Aggregate interests rather than itemizing actions. And be especially careful with location data-\"We have stores near you\" is acceptable; \"We saw you were at 123 Main Street yesterday\" crosses lines.

Context also matters. Returning visitors expect some recognition from e-commerce sites; they'd be surprised if a healthcare provider exhibited the same behavior tracking. Match personalization intensity to relationship depth and industry norms. When in doubt, ask: would this feel helpful if a human sales associate said it in person? The goal of personalization is relevance that feels natural. If uyou have to explain why you know something, you've probably revealed too much.