Remember back when people—including some of us marketers—were concerned that abandoned cart emails might be too creepy or too reminiscent of "Big Brother" tactics?

Hah! That seems laughable now, as brand-to-consumer communications have become ultra-targeted—and customers have even grown to expect that brands know their customers and send relevant communications.

In fact, 79% of customers want brands that "understand and care about" them, according to today's infographic by master data management software company Semarchy.

And knowing who your customers are encourages brand loyalty, multiple purchases, and more referrals, according to the graphic. That loyalty can mean big bucks to brands. The longer a customer's relationship is with a brand, the more that customer tends to spend.

To see how a targeted customer experience can lead to brand loyalty, which can then lead to better returns, check out the infographic. Just tap or click to see a larger version.