In e-commerce, the customer persona has always been essential to effective strategy. Yet, according to Kattis Åström, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at CDON, the traditional reliance on e-commerce personas has reached its limit. “The persona is dead,” Kattis declares, signaling a departure from the industry’s standard approach.
Traditional customer personas often include details like demographics, behaviors, motivations, and preferred communication channels. This approach can foster empathy by helping teams envision customers as real people with specific needs rather than as abstract data points.
However, Kattis Åström and her team at CDON believe this typical e-commerce persona model oversimplifies today’s increasingly dynamic customer journeys, as it may not fully capture the complexities of modern customer behaviours and evolving expectations.
Moving beyond stereotypes and the e-commerce persona
“The biggest mistake is assuming that all 45-year-old women, or any group for that matter, want the same things,” Kattis Åström notes.
She recalls a vivid moment during research when a woman pushed back against the stereotype, saying, “I don’t want books about self-help or more fitness tips!” This revelation led her to reconsider their customer approach. Rather than categorizing customers into rigid e-commerce personas, the team focuses on unique, moment-driven needs to better meet each visitor where they are.
From the e-commerce persona to purpose-driven experiences
Now, CDON’s strategy zeroes in on understanding the purpose behind each visit. “A customer might come in knowing exactly what they want—a white coffee cup, for instance. But they may also be shopping for a gift without a clear idea of what to get,” Kattis explains. These represent two distinct needs, and addressing them requires a flexible approach.
“It’s not about segmenting by who they are, but by why they’re here. What’s their need in this moment?” Kattis Åström says. By embracing a purpose-driven model instead of the personas, CDON meets customers in the moment, adapting to both the determined buyer and the casual browser.
Embracing fluid customer journeys
E-commerce isn’t always about fulfilling known needs. Often, it’s about sparking new ones. CDON embraces this by crafting experiences that captivate both focused shoppers and casual browsers. As one customer put it, “I didn’t even know I needed this until I saw it”—a perfect example of how a needs-based approach can reveal unexpected desires and go beyond the traditional e-commerce persona.
The future of customer experience
Looking ahead, Kattis Åström envisions a future in e-commerce that is more intelligent and adaptive. Meeting customers as individuals with evolving needs. “It’s about understanding why they’re here, not just who they are,” she explains, seeing this shift as essential to delivering a more personalized and engaging experience.
For CDON, this approach marks the beginning of a new era. No longer defined by persona-based marketing, their strategy embraces the complexity of real customer motivations. Moving toward a future that prioritizes purpose, context, and genuine connection, they pave the way for a post e-commerce persona world.
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By Tove Lundell
