Summary
In today’s evolving marketing landscape, privacy, personalization, and performance are no longer at odds, they’re interconnected. In this conversation with Rachel Waldstein, VP of Global Strategic Consulting at Wunderkind on The Marketing Millennials podcast we explore how marketers can activate first-party data, build seamless omnichannel experiences, and harness identity-powered AI to drive smarter engagement. “The best way to deliver a personalized experience is knowing who somebody is,” she notes. From adapting to changing metrics to optimizing spend across platforms, this blog breaks down what it takes to market with precision in 2025.
The Marketing Millennials isn’t your typical, drab industry podcast, full of jargon, acronyms and buzzwords. Hosted by Daniel Murray, it’s where top marketers drop the filters and speak candidly about what’s really working, and what’s not. No fluff. Just sharp takes from the people shaping the future of the industry.
In a recent episode, our very own Rachel Waldstein, VP of Global Strategic Consulting at Wunderkind, joined the conversation to break down what it truly means to be audience-first in today’s marketing landscape. With over a decade of experience in retail marketing and MarTech, Rachel shared practical, powerful insights into the future of personalization, privacy, first-party data, omnichannel strategy, and AI.
Privacy and Personalization Must Coexist
In 2025, marketers can’t afford to think of privacy and personalization as either/or. The winning strategy lies in treating them as intertwined, not opposites. Marketers need to respect what customers are willing to share, and use that data responsibly to shape great experiences.
“You need to know what data consumers are making available to you. Consumers are willing to share so much information with us, and it’s about using that to drive their experiences.”
That level of trust becomes even more important as the digital landscape continues to shift. With privacy updates from companies like Apple and Google reshaping what metrics we rely on, marketers need to rethink their approach.
“Open rate is now a directional metric. As marketers, it’s about shifting what you’re looking at and understanding the next best KPI.”
The takeaway? It’s time to stop seeing privacy as a constraint and start viewing it as a foundation for better, more respectful personalization.
First-Party Data Is the Foundation of Modern Marketing
With third-party cookies disappearing, first-party data has never been more valuable. But collecting it is only half the battle, the real advantage comes from how you activate it.
“It’s about consumer behavior on site, their account preferences, their channels. Using that data in a way that aligns with the brand experience that we want.”
The smartest marketers aren’t trying to reinvent consumer behavior, they’re building on what’s already there. Trying to force new habits can backfire.
“Building on an existing behavior is a million times easier than creating a behavior out of your consumer base.”
The message is clear: use your data to enhance what your customers are already doing, not to steer them in unnatural directions.
Omnichannel Isn’t Optional, It’s Essential
Today’s consumer journey is anything but linear. People jump between email, SMS, social, and web, sometimes all in a single day, and they expect the experience to feel seamless.
“You need to do it in a way that is succinct, and cohesive regardless of the order that they choose to engage with us in. That omnichannel experience is such a challenge today.”
The real challenge isn’t just being present on every channel, it’s making the message make sense across all of them. That means moving beyond channel-based messaging to content that’s mapped to the individual, not the medium. One message, one format, one strategy? That’s no longer enough.
AI + Identity = Smarter Marketing
What sets Wunderkind apart is its ability to blend a powerful identity graph with AI, unlocking smarter, more personalized performance across every channel. With new integrations like Meta, marketers can now tailor messages not just by channel, but by individual identity, even within the same platform.
“We no longer need to treat these large groups of people exactly the same, AI can now select for you what that product is.”
This isn’t just about campaign efficiency. It’s about moving from generic segmentation to true personalization, confidently and at scale. In a world where consumers expect relevance, identity-powered AI gives brands the edge they need to deliver experiences that feel personal, not just targeted.
Final Thoughts: Be Audience-First, Or Be Left Behind
Rachel’s closing words tied the episode together perfectly: “You can’t get a consumer to exhibit a behavior that they’re not willing to exhibit.” It’s a reminder that being audience-first isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a strategic imperative.
Whether you’re navigating the shift to first-party data, exploring AI-powered personalization, or building omnichannel journeys, the lesson is clear: know your audience, respect their preferences, and build trust at every step.
Listen to the full episode here