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CX/CS
Declared data is replacing behavioral signals as the foundation for modern personalization
Lorikeet News Desk
TL;DR
Misreading consumer behavior as intent results in wasted marketing efforts, says Virginia Marsh of Fluent.
Direct consumer feedback, or declared data, is key to bridging the gap between behavior and intent.
Marsh suggests replacing linear marketing funnels with an "influence map" to reflect the complex customer journey.
Personalization, not generic targeting, is essential for effective marketing in today's multi-channel landscape.
Just because I looked at something online doesn't mean I'm going to buy it. That gap is turning consumers off. You're assuming that because I did this, I want that. When consumers tell you directly what they think or want, there's no guesswork.
Virginia Marsh
Head of Data, Agency & Platforms | Fluent
Brands have more data than ever, but much of it is smoke and mirrors. Chasing behavior over intent builds around clicks, not people. That gap between the customer and their data doppelgänger is where marketing dollars go to die.
Virginia Marsh is the Head of Data, Agency & Platforms at Fluent, a marketing platform that connects brands to consumers through real-time, self-reported data. She breaks down why brands keep getting customers wrong and how to start getting it right.
Mistaken identity: "Just because I looked at something online doesn't mean I'm going to buy it," Marsh says. "That gap is turning consumers off. You're assuming that because I did this, I want that." Behavioral signals like receipts or page views can’t always tell the full story, and when brands rely on those alone, they risk misreading intent and pushing the wrong message.
Straight from the source: To close that gap, Marsh says brands need to go straight to the consumer. "When consumers tell you directly what they think or want, there's no guesswork." Declared data—real answers from real people—is most effective when paired with a clear incentive. "You get the gift card right away. You don't have to wait or earn it. That's why our customers keep coming back."
People aren't linear. They go between six and ten channels—you can't put someone in a linear funnel. The customer journey isn't a path; it's a pulse.
Virginia Marsh
Head of Data, Agency & Platforms | Fluent
Look for a pulse: That gulf between inferred signals and actual intent is why the traditional marketing funnel is broken. "People aren't linear," Marsh explains. "They go between six and ten channels—you can't put someone in a linear funnel. The customer journey isn't a path; it's a pulse." Instead of pushing customers down a funnel, she says brands must use an "influence map" to listen to what the consumer is saying and doing at all touchpoints.
A single truth: The natural impulse is to use AI to interpret this new, chaotic customer pulse, but Marsh delivers a sharp warning. "If your data is messy, AI is just faster chaos. You can’t just have AI to have AI," she says. Building that foundation isn't just a technical challenge; it's an organizational one.
The solution, Marsh says, is creating "fusion teams": cross-functional groups that align data, media, marketing, and product around a shared view of the customer. "The only way we're going to have one message across the brand is if there is one source of the truth and one feedback loop that actually drives growth."
People, not pixels: "The more you stop thinking about channels and you start thinking about people, the closer you get to true personalization," Marsh advises. "Ask yourself: Can you recognize and reach the same person across platforms, time, and intent? That’s how you optimize, especially when budgets are shrinking." With pressure mounting to streamline and deliver results, generic targeting won’t cut it. "You have to do more with less by reaching the consumer where they are, instead of just spraying and praying."
