Nicole of MERGE shares insights on AI-powered personalization, omnichannel strategy, and building trust-driven consumer experiences in a resource-conscious era.
Welcome to MarTech Cube, Nicole. We’re delighted to have you! To begin, could you share a bit about your professional journey and what led you to your current role at MERGE?
I’m based in Kansas City and lead MERGE’s Consumer & Lifestyle division, which spans five key industries: connected living (wearables and consumer electronics), food, financial services), retail and wellness. Over my 10+ years here, I’ve been part of MERGE’s growth journey, from its inception as a small retail and tech marketing company to the distinctive agency we are today. We’ve honed a model that sets us apart by delivering storytelling through technology. Our unique approach blends consumer insights with the precision and rigor required of regulated industries to forge meaningful connections and deliver personalized, understandable experiences. We’re actively becoming an AIgency by integrating AI into our core foundation, using a human-assisted AI model where human creativity and ideas fuel and elevate the work of AI, ultimately enhancing human value. I’ve worked closely with Fortune 500 and challenger brands alike, including T-Mobile, American Express, Meta, Cisco, Adobe, Nationwide, and Subway to deliver connected consumer experiences. My career has always been rooted in creating customer experiences, from in-store or in-app, to integrated, omnichannel journeys where storytelling and technology come together to drive conversion.
In today’s resource-constrained environment, how do you see brands striking the right balance between personalization and efficiency?
In today’s environment, brands don’t have unlimited budgets or bandwidth, so the key is prioritization. Personalization doesn’t mean layering complexity onto every interaction. Instead, it’s about identifying which moments and data points influence decisions and concentrating your resources there, as well as using AI to surface or prioritize those data points. With a clear and impactful customer journey, personalization becomes efficient and impactful. I’ve seen that the simplest gestures often carry the most weight — intuitive engagements that consumers expect, like updated preferences, timely reminders, and saved favorites. Removing friction from the experience is key, and efficiency doesn’t mean cutting back on experience; it means cutting back on noise. When brands focus on clarity and consistency, personalization feels effortless and sustainable.
Many health, wellness, and retail brands are trying to define what “just enough” personalization means. From your perspective, what does that look like in practice?
“Just enough” personalization is about creating relevance without overwhelming the consumer or crossing into territory that feels invasive. For wellness brands, it’s about empowering the consumer with intuitive feedback that helps them achieve their goals across fitness, nutrition and holistic wellness. For retail brands, we’ve found that today’s shoppers are doing more research than ever before, requiring brands to curate an online and in-store experience that validates a shopper’s research and interests to encourage a purchase. AI is also being used to connect the dots between research and purchase more dynamically. The common thread is that personalization should reduce friction, not add complexity.
Too much personalization can quickly backfire, either by demanding more data than a customer is comfortable sharing or by showing up in ways that feel irrelevant to their context. For example, a wellness brand that pushes overly specific health predictions may come across as overstepping, or a retailer that bombards a shopper with daily product emails risks fatigue. “Just enough” finds the middle ground, where personalization enhances the relationship by being thoughtful and useful. Brands that keep the consumer’s comfort and context at the center usually strike the right balance.
Data privacy and consumer trust are top of mind. How can brands use tech-driven insights responsibly while still creating meaningful, human-centric storytelling?
Responsible use of data begins with transparency and a recognition that consent should be more than a box to check. Too often, consumers are asked to agree or disagree to data collection without a clear sense of what it means for them. That waters down impact and decreases both brand and consumer empowerment. The future demands something more strategic — consent framed around shared outcomes, where people understand not only what is being collected, but why it matters, how it benefits them, and how they can adapt those choices as their needs evolve.
When consent is positioned as part of an ongoing partnership rather than a static “yes/no,” trust becomes foundational. People can see that their data creates tangible value and that they maintain agency over how it’s used. For brands, that opens the door to storytelling that feels human and authentic. Brands should demonstrate not just that you know something about your customers, but that you’re using those insights to create experiences that are transparent, dynamic, and mutually beneficial.
Trust your instincts and embrace a growth mindset—together they fuel creativity, spark innovation, and turn ambition into real-world impact.
What are some common pitfalls you’ve seen when companies try to “do more” with personalization, and how can they avoid overstepping or underdelivering?
One common pitfall is assuming that “more” automatically means “better.” Brands sometimes try to personalize every single touchpoint, which not only strains resources but also leads to an inconsistent or cluttered experience. Another is relying too heavily on AI or automation without human oversight, which can result in awkward or tone-deaf messaging.
It’s crucial to build in checks that ensure personalization aligns with brand voice and customer expectations, including human-led AI and automation from an authentic team that knows and lives the brand. By concentrating on fewer, yet higher-value interactions, companies can deliver personalization that feels intentional and trustworthy rather than overwhelming or misaligned.
As consumer journeys blend in-store, digital, and experiential touchpoints, what makes an omnichannel strategy truly effective in driving conversion?
The most effective omnichannel strategies are the ones that feel seamless to the customer. When someone moves from browsing on their phone to walking into a store, they shouldn’t feel like they’re starting from scratch. Consistency in data, message, and brand cues helps create continuity across touchpoints, which in turn builds trust and drives conversion. Context also matters. It’s not enough to show up everywhere. You need to show up in the right way for the right moment. When omnichannel is executed with precision, the next step in the journey feels natural and low-friction. Conversion isn’t forced; it’s the logical outcome of an experience that has been designed to anticipate and meet customer needs.
Could you share examples of how brands are leveraging behavioral data, creative, and technology together to create seamless paths to purchase?
The ability to deliver storytelling through technology is rooted in data, creative and a strong technology infrastructure. Creative and data are fuel for a smart and intuitive tech stack. When used properly, brands are building relationships with consumers in an authentic voice and engaging in micro-moments along the path to purchase. In turn, brands receive data and analytics that help improve the experience and optimize the expectations of consumers. Together, this creates a path to purchase that feels tailored but not intrusive.
On a personal level, what strategy or mindset has helped you stay effective in navigating the fast-changing world of consumer engagement?
For me, adaptability is everything. Consumer behaviors evolve quickly, and what works one year may not resonate the next. I try to approach change with curiosity rather than resistance, viewing new challenges as opportunities to learn and test. That mindset has been critical in staying effective and resilient in such a dynamic space. At the same time, I always remember and re-focus myself on the fact that I am a consumer myself. Keeping that perspective front and center — whether through research, feedback, observing real journeys, or drawing on my own intuitive experiences as a customer — grounds my thinking in lived experience. Trends and technologies will always shift, but re-centering on the consumer, including my own instincts and reactions to a customer experience, ensures that decision-making stays human and relatable.
What advice would you give to marketers looking to elevate personalization and omnichannel efforts without stretching their resources too thin?
Marketers often feel pressure to “do it all,” but a smarter path is to identify clear, impactful goals with a focused effort on achieving those. There is so much noise — marketers must stay focused on the signals that drive the most impact to the consumer. That means identifying two or three critical moments in the customer journey and investing in those first. Building repeatable processes around those touchpoints creates a strong foundation, making it easier to expand later without overextending resources. It’s also about using data to guide decisions rather than assumptions. By understanding where personalization has the biggest impact, marketers can avoid wasting time on areas with low return. This approach allows teams to elevate both personalization and omnichannel strategy while still operating within realistic limits.
Finally, what are your closing thoughts on where personalization and omnichannel strategy are headed in the next few years?
Over the next few years, advances in AI will transform personalization, moving it beyond one-off campaigns to intelligent ecosystems that continuously learn and adjust in the moment. Brands will increasingly move toward dynamic engagement, where data flows seamlessly across channels and insights are acted on immediately. The goal will be to create experiences that evolve as quickly as consumer needs and preferences do.
At the same time, consumer expectations around privacy and transparency will continue to grow, especially in the rise of AI. Successful brands will be the ones that can pair trust-building practices with meaningful, personalized storytelling. Omnichannel won’t just mean being everywhere; it will mean being cohesive, contextually relevant, and human-centered across every interaction.
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Nicole Turner, Managing Director of Lifestyle Brands at MERGE
Nicole is a dynamic executive leader with 20+ years of expertise in business and marketing strategy, omnichannel innovation, and driving business growth. Using storytelling through technology to craft memorable consumer experiences, she’s collaborated with top brands like T-Mobile, CVS, Oura, American Express and Subway. A 2024 KC Business Journal Women Who Mean Business honoree and Win For KC board member, her ability to inspire, passion for inclusion, and visionary leadership make her a standout in the industry. LinkedIn.
