GUIDE

2024 CDP Buyer’s Guide

How to find the right CDP for your business objectives

There are many customer data platforms (CDP) out there, so trying to figure out which solution is right for you can be a daunting task. We put together this CDP Buyer’s Guide to help navigate the complex landscape and find the best tool for your needs.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

  • What a CDP is and how it differs from other martech tools
  • The different types of CDPs and when each is the best fit
  • What business outcomes you can improve by finding the best solution for your company

What are the benefits of a CDP?

While different types of CDPs enable different outcomes, at its very core a CDP creates a unified view of your customer data across various systems into a single view. This unification makes data accessible throughout the entire organization. Still, the real beauty is in helping disparate systems communicate with each other forming a complete picture of the data you have. And, when your CDP integrates with a Cloud Data Warehouse, you'll get access to real-time, first-party data that you can activate within your CDP to create personalized customer marketing experiences.

A  true CDP must:

  • Ingest customer data from multiple sources
  • Unify customer profiles into a single view via identity resolution
  • Create “real-time” customer segments
  • Integrate customer data with other systems, out-of-the-box

Choosing a CDP

The CDP space is vast. They offer a variety of solutions for various problems. However, once you’ve established you need a CDP, how do you go about finding which one best fits your organization’s goals?

Here are the five areas to be sure you hit during the RFP process:

  • Data management
  • Analytics and intelligence
  • Cross-channel orchestration
  • Privacy, security, compliance
  • Platform and services

Each area should align with your business goals and objectives.

The three types of CDPs

There are three different categories of CDP- data streaming, orchestration, and automation. Each type has its own strengths and is best for different business objectives.

  • Data Streaming is the first and most basic category of a CDP. This type of CDP focuses on the fundamentals of what every CDP should do- gathering, ingesting, and centralizing an organization’s customer data.
  • Orchestration specializes in building customer profiles and segments. Later, these segments create more personalized messaging. This platform aims to increase audience engagement via better-targeted and tailored messages and recommendations.
  • Automation focuses on the swift execution of marketing campaigns. These platforms provide data assembly, analytics, and enhanced segmentation, all serving message delivery via email, websites, mobile apps, and more.
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