Mass Customization happens around us on a daily basis, whether we realize it or not! Flip through the slides to see how some common companies customize their products and buying experience for customers.

Amazon is arguably one of the best known (and largest) internet retailers. Through their website and app, Amazon allows customers to search for almost anything they need in a vast variety of departments.

By subscribing to the “Prime” program, customers can quickly and easily make their own personal wish lists, browse through items they “might be interested in,” and purchase books and many other items that come right to their doorstep in approximately two days.

News has evolved dramatically from the daily paper that was delivered to your doorstep. News media have drastically updated their methods of distributing news. Interested consumers can get news updates from their choice of mass media corporations via websites, apps, social media, or traditional newspapers. In addition to the WAY in which news can be accessed, consumers can choose WHAT they want to read about.

Many companies split articles and segments into local topics, world news, and subject areas (Medicine, Sports, Entertainment, Science, Humor, Opinion, etc.). Readers with smart phones can also choose to receive instant alerts from their news apps of choice.

Applications like iTunes and Spotify have allowed music listeners to customize their listening experience. With the ability to quickly find specific songs and artists and create playlists, users have the option to easily customize their music preferences within an app.

In addition to choosing and organizing their own music, users also have the option to listen to playlists that are custom-made for them based on songs or artists they have listened to or added to playlists. These playlists are suggested on the homepage in a “you may like this” fashion, giving listeners the option to explore more within the app.

Sites like Netflix and Hulu have become popular with consumers who want to simplify and customize their media-viewing experience. Netflix has become a common name in over 100 million households. Companies like Netflix allow users to select shows and movies that are suited to their personal tastes. These shows are convenient to find and commercial-free if you pay a monthly-subscription fee. In addition to having a variety of shows readily available, most television networks have followed suit by offering apps that allow the “view anywhere” experience for their network's shows.

Expedia, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, and others have made planning travel quick and easy. By creating a “one-stop shop” for hotels, rental cars, flights, cruises, and amenities, these sites allow users to customize their vacations without the hassle of booking trip plans on multiple websites. Some also provide discount travel packages that allow consumers to create their own vacations out of some pre-planned options.

Customization in food service establishments is commonly experienced by most consumers. At any Starbucks, a patron can order his or her coffee hot or iced, with flavoring, with a certain type of milk...in other words, any way they like it! The same goes for restaurants like Subway where “Made to Order” or “MTO” has become the norm. Visitors can watch as their sandwiches are made right before their eyes. These restaurants customize the eating experience so that patrons are getting exactly what they want when they visit.

Sites like Facebook use a system that allows members to “Like” what they are interested in and will show them more of the same. "Likes" can include events, news articles, videos, and posts from friends.

Users can also create events, start business pages, and find friends they may know based on their connections. The Discover tab gives individual users videos that might interest them, based on their likes. The new Marketplace allows users to shop for specific items being sold near their geographical location.

As these social media platforms have morphed over the years, they have customized more and more to meet the needs, likes, and interests of their account holders. With a focus on the user experience, these sites continue to evolve to meet user expectations and to keep up with the features of competing social media platforms.