Surprise, Delight, and the AI Dilemma: How brands can stay remarkable in a predictable world

Contributing Authors:
Michael B. Snead – Business Advisor @ Metric Centric
George Assimakopoulos – Managing Principal @ Metric Centric

For as long as marketing has existed, “surprise and delight” has been one of its most powerful plays.

A clever twist. An unexpected perk. A personalized touch that makes someone feel truly seen.

These moments spark loyalty, drive word-of-mouth, and deepen emotional ties with customers.

Take Spotify Wrapped. Every December, Spotify hands listeners a personalized “year in review” of their music habits. It’s playful, shareable, and deeply personal — a cultural phenomenon that turns data into delight.

Or think back to Coca-Cola’s Happiness Machines. Fifteen years ago, the brand placed vending machines that dispensed not just Cokes, but also flowers, pizzas, balloons, even enough bottles to share with friends. The stunt went viral and cemented Coca-Cola’s positioning around joy.

Small surprises. Lasting impact.

But in 2025, there’s a problem: AI thrives on the expected.

Large language models (LLMs) are trained on what has already happened. Behavioral engines chase predictable patterns. Off-the-shelf AI agents are tuned for the “average” user — which means average results.

That’s great for efficiency. Not so great for magic.

And it leaves brands facing a new dilemma.

The Risk of the Cookie-Cutter Experience

As more companies lean on prebuilt AI, customer interactions are starting to blur together.

Chatbots sound identical. Recommendations feel like reruns. Interactions are smooth — but forgettable.

If every brand optimizes against the same data points, the same goals, and the same algorithms, where’s the room to surprise?

And more importantly: how do you stand out?

What Smart Brands Can Do Differently

To keep surprise and delight alive in an AI-driven era, brands need to fight the default and inject intentional creativity.

1.  Inject Humanity Into the Machine

• Train AI agents in your brand’s unique voice, tone, and values
• Fold in cultural references, brand lore, and playful responses
• Plant hidden “easter eggs” into chat flows or experiences

2.  Personalize With Purpose, Not Just Patterns

• Move beyond “people like you bought this” logic
• Use deeper insights to recommend something fresh but relevant
• Surprise with proactive gestures, not just reactive prompts

3.  Build Moments, Not Just Journeys

• Design micro-campaigns built to delight: surprise discounts, thank-you notes, in-experience rewards
• Use AI to trigger them at the right — but unexpected — times
• Optimize for emotional connection, not just conversion

4.  Continuously Refresh Inputs

• Keep training data, FAQs, and knowledge bases full of timely, authentic content
• Regularly rotate creative inputs to avoid stale outputs

Where Voice of the Customer Fits

The best defense against blandness? Listening.

Voice of the Customer (VoC) insights help brands:

• Spot when customers feel underwhelmed by AI interactions
• Detect unmet needs generic models miss
• Capture authentic language to feed training sets
• Identify the emotional triggers that matter most

This is how AI moves from predictable to personal and where delight actually happens.

Final Thought: Predictability Is the Enemy of Delight

AI is shaping more interactions every day. Brands now face a choice:

Be efficient. Or be exceptional.

But with the right mix of customer insights, creative intent, and fresh inputs, you can build AI-powered experiences that don’t just respond — they resonate.

Want to explore how your brand can surprise and delight in the AI era? Reach out to us at Metric Centric, and let’s chat!