By Shruti Menon Seeboo
The future of branding is personal, deeply personal, and at the upcoming Brand Magic Summit 2025 in Balaclava, Mauritius, taking place on May 16th, we are thrilled to welcome an expert at the forefront of this revolution: Casie Lane Millhouse, the visionary Founder of Sashiyu, based in Singapore.
Casie is a dynamic leader operating at the cutting edge of emerging technologies. As the Founder of Sashiyu, she drives innovation in hyper-personalised experiences. Her expertise extends to advising on cutting-edge technologies for space exploration at the ASRI Space Foundation, where she contributes to research on human reproduction and health in space. Furthermore, her experience shaping AR/VR experiences at Meta underscores her deep understanding of immersive technologies. Casie is also a certified professional with NASA Open Science, actively supporting global research collaborations in healthcare and space.
In a recent insightful interview with Platform Africa, Casie shared her groundbreaking perspectives on a critical transformation in brand engagement: BEYOND THE LOGO: HOW AI CREATES HYPER-PERSONALISED BRAND EXPERIENCES. At the Brand Magic Summit, prepare to gain invaluable insights from Casie Lane Millhouse on leveraging AI to build deeper, more meaningful connections with your audience, moving beyond traditional branding to create truly individualised experiences. Excerpts:
- Your session focuses on going “Beyond the Logo” to achieve hyper-personalisation through AI. At Sashiyu, what are some surprising or unconventional brand elements that AI can personalise to create deeper connections with individual customers?
At Sashiyu, we believe hyper-personalisation starts where logos stops in voice, perspective, and presence. Imagine AI glasses that don’t just show you Diplo’s latest tracklist but speak in Diplo’s voice, coach you through a run, or translate street signs in real-time using localised slang. We’re personalising not just UX, but POV (Point of View) literally. From voice assistants with regional intonation to custom audio experience that reflect cultural rituals or wedding aesthetics (like ShaadiLens), we’re helping brands move beyond static design into living, breathing interactions. One surprising element? Vibe. We train AI to recognize mood, context, and even lighting preference making each interaction feel like it was made just for you.
- Delivering hyper-personalised experiences requires the careful and ethical use of customer data. What key principles and best practices should brands follow to build trust while delivering tailored experiences?
Rule #1: Own less, empower more. At Sashiyu, we design AI wearables where the customer/clients own their data. Full Stop. No third-party tracking, no shadow algorithms. Just clean, opt-in insights stored locally or on user-approved clouds. For our Sashiyu BIZ model, each company builds their own models, content and internal AIs. It’s up to them to decide what they need to track with their employees. For brands who launch their own, this is also up to them to share with their customers. But remember, trust is a currency, and brands burn it fast if they don’t respect boundaries. Transparency, consent, and clarity of benefit are non-negotiables. Explain what data is collected, how it’s used, and what the user gets in return. Bonus points if the experience is actually delightful. People are more willing to share if it feels like a gift, not surveillance.
- For businesses that are just beginning to explore AI for personalisation, what 2–3 foundational steps should they take? What common mistakes should they avoid in the early stages?
Start with intent, not tech.
Define what emotion or connection you want your AI to create. Is it joy? Is it trust? Is it curiosity? Then, work backwards from there.
Step 1: Map your customer journey and flag where personalization adds real value (not just novelty).
Step 2: Choose partners who align with your data ethics.
Step 3: Prototype small, iterate fast. Mistake to avoid? Overengineering. Don’t build a creepy omniscient AI when all your customer wanted was a warm greeting and better product suggestions. Also, don’t ignore local nuance because personalisation without cultural context feels robotic, not human.
- The promise of hyper-personalisation is to create more meaningful interactions. How do you measure the success of AI-driven personalised experiences beyond basic metrics such as click-through or conversion rates? What are some more nuanced indicators of engagement and loyalty?
Beyond the clicks, it’s about stickiness. We measure emotional resonance. Are users coming back not just to transact, but to engage? Are they wearing our AI glasses beyond the unboxing moment during weddings, workouts, and everyday life? We will look at replay rates, shareability of POV content, time spent in custom-branded experiences, and qualitative feedback like “this felt like it was made for me.” Net Promoter Scores matter, but so do TikTok duets and WhatsApp forwards. When people integrate your brand into their personal rituals, you’ve succeeded.
- Given the diversity of consumers today, are there specific industries where AI-driven personalisation delivers outsized value? Alternatively, are there scenarios where a broader, less individualised approach may still be more effective?
We see AI-driven personalisation unlocking massive value in wedding planning, sports, accessibility, and entertainment. This is where emotion, timing, and culture collide. Think: bridal POV glasses that capture mehndi memories, or smart glasses that let a blind grandmother “see” her granddaughter’s wedding. On the flip side, in crisis response or healthcare triage, too much personalisation can muddy standardised, life-saving protocols. In these cases, clarity and consistency still reign. The trick is knowing when to listen like a best friend and when to act like a seasoned pro.
