In 2026, AI is not just “helping” customer engagement anymore, it is starting to decide it. The real risk is building great experiences in one channel, while the rest of the journey feels like a different company to customers.
To understand where the market is going, we have analyzed findings from five reputable, free-to-access industry reports from Deloitte, McKinsey, Twilio, Salesforce, and Omdia.
What Do These Reports Agree On About AI In Customer Engagement?
Across all five, one theme keeps popping up.
Customers now expect fast, personal, real-time experiences. But most organizations still run customer journeys in pieces. One tool for marketing. Another for service. Another for data. That fragmentation makes AI less effective.
McKinsey puts the direction bluntly: “Personalization is ready for its closeup moment.”
Now let’s break down what each report says is broken, and what to do next.
Read More (Related Articles)
- What Are The Biggest Customer Engagement Trends 2026 Buyers Can’t Ignore If They Want Happier Customers?
- What Is Customer Journey Orchestration? A Buyer-First Guide to Transforming Customer Journeys
What Does Twilio Say Is Breaking Modern Customer Engagement?
The Problem Twilio Identifies
Twilio frames a gap between what brands think they deliver and what customers actually feel. The report even names it: “The customer engagement paradox.”
That paradox shows up when companies invest in more messages, more channels, and more “AI,” but still miss timing, relevance, and trust.
The Solution Twilio Points Toward
Twilio’s direction is clear: build one-to-one engagement with better data, better orchestration, and AI that improves usefulness, not just volume.
The practical takeaway for discovery-stage buyers: start by improving the signal. That means identity, preferences, and context. Then apply automation.
What Does Salesforce Reveal About Trust And Personalization In CX Industry Reports?
The Problem Salesforce Identifies
Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer (Fifth Edition) highlights a trust squeeze. Customers want personalization. They also worry about how their data is used.
One headline statistic from the report is that “88% of customers believe trust becomes more important in times of change.”
That matters because AI in customer engagement depends on data. If customers do not trust you, they share less. If they share less, AI gets weaker.
The Solution Salesforce Points Toward
The report’s message is that “better CX” now requires “trusted CX.” That means:
- Clear value exchange for data
- Transparent personalization
- Consistent experiences across touchpoints
If you are early in your journey orchestration plan, this is a good north star. Do not optimize for clever. Optimize for credible.
What Does McKinsey Say About CX Value In A Journey Orchestration World?
The Problem McKinsey Identifies
McKinsey’s personalization research focuses on a familiar issue: companies want real-time relevance, but they cannot execute at scale.
McKinsey defines personalization as “using data to customize the timing, content, and design of every experience in real time.”
That definition quietly explains why many “personalization” programs stall. Real time is hard without orchestration.