Nearly eight in 10 UK marketers are now using artificial intelligence in their Christmas campaigns as pressure grows to deliver more personalised festive promotions, according to new research from Optimizely.
The digital experience platform provider surveyed 100 UK marketers about how they use AI and personalisation in seasonal activity. It found that 78% now use AI to plan, test and optimise campaigns around peak shopping periods.
Optimizely said this represents a 42% increase in AI use in seasonal marketing since last year. The figures suggest that many marketing teams now regard AI as a standard element of their campaign toolkit.
The study indicated that reliance on AI-generated content has strengthened in particular. Some 76% of respondents said they had increased their use of AI-created copy, images or other assets in seasonal campaigns over the past year.
Rising customer expectations sit behind much of this shift. The research found that 84% of marketers believe consumers now expect more personalisation than ever during key shopping moments such as Christmas and other major retail events.
Pressure to personalise
Marketers who took part in the survey report that they face demand for tailored messaging, offers and experiences across multiple channels. The findings suggest that they are turning to AI tools to segment audiences, test creative variants and adjust content at speed.
Despite the rapid expansion of AI use, a significant minority of marketing teams report concerns. Three in 10 respondents said their organisations struggle to balance AI with human creativity in major campaigns.
That tension reflects broader industry debate around so-called "AI slop" in digital content. Marketers face scrutiny over generic or detached material that can emerge when teams overuse automated tools without enough editorial control or original creative input.
Optimizely said seasonal marketing activity performs better when customers perceive it as authentic. The company pointed to the reaction that Spotify received in response to last year's AI-generated elements in its Spotify Wrapped feature and the more human-centred approach it adopted this year.
The streaming service's experience has become a reference point in discussions about AI in consumer marketing. It highlights both the opportunities for automation at scale and the brand risk when audiences reject content that feels overly synthetic or impersonal.
Human touch
Tara Corey, SVP of Marketing at Optimizely, said the research shows AI has moved quickly into the mainstream of seasonal planning. "AI has rapidly become essential to how marketers plan, create, and optimise seasonal campaigns, and our findings show just how dramatically adoption has accelerated over the past year. With consumers expecting more personalised experiences in key retail moments, AI helps teams move faster and refine experiences in real-time, making every customer interaction feel seamless and relevant during the holidays," said Corey.
Corey said brands still need human oversight and emotional insight when they use AI tools.
"But AI delivers the best results when it complements, not replaces, human creativity. We've seen what happens when brands lean too heavily on AI without the emotional nuance that human storytellers provide. The best digital experiences this holiday season will come from brands that combine AI's ability to scale and optimise with a genuine human touch. Getting that balance right is what makes personalisation meaningful, and what ultimately elevates customer experiences to the next level."
The findings suggest that marketing teams will continue to expand AI use in testing, optimisation and content production. They also indicate that brands will keep adjusting how they combine machine-generated output with human creative direction during future peak trading periods.