Personalization 
Consumers today expect products, messages, and even time itself to center around their unique desires and needs.
Personalization means medicine customized for my body, television schedules customized with my TiVo, romance novels starring me as the main character. It means that my things should adapt to me, not the other way around.
RECOMMENDED READING »
Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
Martin Lindstrom
Buyology reveals surprising findings from author Martin Lindstrom’s $7 million neuromarketing study— an experiment that provides a look inside the brains of 2,000 volunteers from around the globe as they are exposed to ads, commercials, brands, logos, and products. His shocking results disprove much of what we have typically believed regarding what drives us to buy.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
The Brafman brothers explore the deep-rooted mental drivers that undermine rational action. By using real-world examples, the authors give irrational behavior a real explanation.
The Experience Economy
Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
The authors write that "those businesses that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience."
SUCCESS STORIES »
Curves International
Curves recognized that women of all types need a unique fitness solution, and moved to fulfill that need. They offer a relatively quick workout for busy women who don't have hours to spend at the gym. The premise is easily understood, and even women who haven't broken a sweat in years can quickly learn the routine.
Curves benefits from word-of-mouth marketing and a strong sense of community. It took Curves only 7 years to open 6,000 franchises, while it took Subway 26 years and McDonald's 25 years to do the same.
REI
REI started as cooperative with a goal of helping serious climbers obtain European mountain gear unavailable in the U.S. Although they began as a niche player, REI has grown into a retailer with 2.5 million active co-op members and a 50,000 product line. The secret to the store's success is its high-end clothing and equipment, and its recognition that customers have unique needs and want an experience, not just a product.
REI products are customized to fit particular body types, and stores include a library and information desk to help customers plan their next adventure. The Seattle store offers such features as a mountain bike track, climbing wall, and mini-hiking trail.
The company also offers REI-hosted adventure trips to locations around the world, and has tapped into the growing wedding industry by offering a wedding registry.