Data silos are one of the biggest challenges for effective marketing. Personalized content requires an all-round understanding of the customer. To achieve this, data must be brought together and analyzed holistically. CDP software helps companies to achieve exactly that. But which CDP software is right for your company? We compared 17 customer data platform providers based on over 190 criteria. The article summarizes the key results. You can also download a summary of the CDP software comparison.
The right analysis of customer data is essential for companies to offer customers an excellent customer experience. Marketing teams can use the various pieces of information to create customized content and – ideally – deliver it in real time so that customers always receive the right information at the right time for their customer journey. So much for the theory.
In practice, things look a little different. This is because usually data silos form in companies. Customer data can be found in the CRM, in the results of web analytics and in the information obtained from social media monitoring and many other data sources. Due to the data silos, it is estimated that only 50 to 74 percent of customer data is used effectively. In a Statista survey, almost a third of companies even assume that only 25 to 49 percent of existing customer data is being used. A lot of potential that remains untapped. The challenge for companies is therefore to break down the existing data silos and make all generated customer data accessible for comprehensive analytics – so that a 360° image of customers is ultimately created, which can be used to design marketing measures more effectively. But how do you break out of the silo trap? The Customer Data Platform (CDP) is a key development for consolidating and holistically analyzing customer data.
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What characterizes a CDP software? – Definition of CDP
The Customer Data Platform forms a data center. It collects customer data at all possible touchpoints and consolidates it into complex and unique customer profiles using analytics functions. GDPR-compliant, of course. As a data center, the CDP breaks down silos and makes the information available to various relevant stakeholders and customer touchpoints (e.g. the website).
CDP software can have different orientations. On the one hand, there are customer data platforms that focus on data management. On the other hand, other solutions focus on the orchestration of channels through the information obtained about customers. There are also CDP solutions that focus on the personalization of content through analytics.
Categories of the market overview
- General information
- Language of the user interface
- Industry specialization of CDP software providers
- Basic functions of the CDP software
- Data management functions
- Typical use cases
- Possible touchpoints
- Interfaces of the CDP software
- Legal criteria and additional services
- Price approach of CDP providers
- The software providers in the CDP software comparison
Acquia CDP
USP (according to own statement): “Open platform: integration of any 0/1st/3rd party data | Unified 360° customer profile: cross-channel aggregation and cleansing of all customer data | Out-of-the-box machine learning models to understand and predict user behavior | Optimized customer journey across all channels and online/offline touchpoints | Templates for customer experiences & journeys for fast global deployment”
References (according to own statement): J. Crew, Clarks, Lululemon, MCM Worldwide, Godiva, Aydinli, Arclelik
Adobe Real-time Customer Data Platform
USP (according to own statement): “Adobe Realtime CDP, as part of the Adobe Experience Platform, is the only CDP that combines both realtime capabilities for activation with the power of in-depth analytics, omnichannel 1-1 playout, marketing mix modeling based on AI, etc. And thus enables a personalized approach across all touchpoints.”
References (according to own statement): CocaCola, Henkel, Metro, Prada
Bloomreach Engagement
USP (according to own statement): „Bloomreach Engagement offers a CDP with natively integrated Omnichannel marketing execution capabilities enabling marketers to collaborate, design and run campaigns efficiently within one solution. The flexible data structure and analytical capabilities allow marketers to create their own reports, gain insights and personalize the whole customer experience in realtime at scale”
References (according to own statement): Krombacher, Peek & Cloppenburg, Mammut Sports, Pandora
CDP+
USP (according to own statement): “Capillary CDP+ is an advanced consumer data platform that promises to unlock critical data for your business, helping brands to make efficient use of data and create value with their data investments, with seamless data aggregation, predictive insights & hyper-personalization, and the ability to deliver compelling campaigns.”
References (according to own statement): United Colors of Benetton, Adidas, Domino’s, Indian Terrain
CrossEngage customer data and prediction platform
USP (according to own statement): “CrossEngage enables marketers to intelligently identify and activate relevant target groups. The focus on marketing activities with the highest impact and relevance strengthens companies in the platform economy.”
References (according to own statement): Peek & Cloppenburg, Deutsche Bahn, Scout24, Manufactum, Shop Apotheke
Custobar Customer Data Platform & Marketing Automation
USP (according to own statement): “Quick implementation for a quick route to results | Future proof – easily extendable data model | Built for omnichannel B2C (combining off- and online channels) | Also functions as a retail CRM | Great connectivity – Agile API’s and ready-made integrations | Not only email, but also SMS, audiences to Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and GoogleAds | Integrated Marketing Automation & Email Marketing solution.”
References (according to own statement): Expert, La mer, Ortlieb, AVA, Ströh, Tackenberg
Dynamics 365 Customer Insights
USP (according to own statement): “Powerful platform to get a 360° customer view of enterprise customer data and create an unparalleled customer experience! Connect all your B2C and B2B customer data to generate insights with AI in real time. Discover customer behavior with digital and cross-channel analytics.”
References (according to own statement): unicef, Campari Group, Tivoli Gardens
ECONDA Personalization
USP (according to own statement): “Personalized recommendations (both content and products) | Individual 1-to-1 customer approach at all touchpoints | Flexible business rules for alignment with own business model | No consent: cookieless and anonymous | With consent: CDP based on first party data | AI-supported personalization in real time | Made and hosted in Germany”
References (according to own statement): CHRIST Jewelers, Dehner Garden Center, Shop Apotheke, bofrost, Rutronik
FirstHive Customer Data Platform
USP (according to own statement): „FirstHive is a end-to-end Customer Data Platform that helps brands to solve the key challenges they face with data-driven growth: Multiple tools & systems that capture their data. No unified view of customer. Manual process of managing data & campaigns in multiple tools. Unable to do real-time, hyper-personalized campaigns. Everything they do has to be privacy compliant.”
References (according to own statement): Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank, Legrand, Pidilite, Gulf
Hightouch Composable CDP
USP (according to own statement): „Hightouch is the only Complete, but Composable Customer Data Platform. Hightouch has all of the functionality of a traditional CDP including Event Collection, Identity Resolution, and Data Activation with 200+ destinations. However, unlike traditional CDPs, Hightouch is centered around the data warehouse so there is no data duplication, security risks, schema limitations, or long implementations.”
References (according to own statement): Warner Music Group, Bol, Chime, Chalhoub Group, Cars.com
Ibexa
USP (according to own statement): “Modular DXP with integrated CDP and personalization.”
References (according to own statement): Swissport, Atlantic, DELABIE, COMECO, Essilor, bott
Mapp Cloud
USP (according to own statement): “The Mapp Cloud customer experience platform stands for insight-based marketing. The intelligence module combines data, analyses and AI to gain insights. At the same time, the engagement module orchestrates and automates personalized, cross-channel campaign management. The integrated Customer Data Platform (CDP) offers a 360-degree view of individual contacts.”
References (according to own statement): Expert, heise.de, MyToys, Westwing, Witt Group
SAS CI 360
USP (according to its own statement): “SAS CI360 provides an end-to-end cloud platform to create exceptional customer experiences in real time. From data collection (on- and offline data) and management (on-premise if desired), data analytics and AI-powered prediction, to planning and managing marketing resources, automation and orchestration, and executing multi-channel campaigns.”
References (according to own statement): Commerzbank, Twint, Migros, Erste Bank, 1&1, Postfinance, dm-drogeriemarkt
Sitecore CDP
USP (according to own statement): „With Sitecore CDP, no more data silos and disjointed customer profiles. A single customer view that consolidates real-time and historical data from all online and offline channels. Roll out marketing campaigns and product releases with pinpoint accuracy using live audiences that track customer behavior that track customer behavior across your digital real estate.”
References (according to own statement): Jetstar, Emirates, Qatar, Honda, Allied Irish Bank
Tealium AudienceStream CDP
USP (according to own statement): “Tealium is vendor agnostic and integrates data with current and future vendors. Tealium is an enterprise-wide solution for customer data. The CDP software works in real time. Tealium ensures that companies unlock the value of customer data (data neutrality). Data security and governance. Tealium provides professional services to ensure customer success.”
References (according to own statement): TUI, Thomas Sabo, Lufthansa, Görtz Retail GmbH, IBM
Twilio Customer Data Platform
USP (according to own statement): „Domain expertise: We work with 20.000+ customers, and own 8% of the global CDP market schare Pure-play CDP: Segment is focused on developing a best-in-breed CDP, enabling us to devote all R&D (35% of employees) efforts into advancing our CDP capabilities Ease of Implementation & use: Speaking to customers, who evaluated other CDPs, we continuously heard Segment’s ease of use stands out to other CDPs”
References (according to own statement): ABInBev, IBM, FOX, Levi’s, heycar
Zeotap CDP
USP (according to own statement): “Immediate value within a 4+4 framework to realize commercial outcomes in 8 weeks. Easy deployment with turnkey integrations to make existing tools better. Natively built on GCP. Intuitive interface that is built for marketers to achieve quick results with minimal effort. Best-in-class ID stitching. Privacy compliance, developed for stringent EU regulation, adaptive to other data protection protocol.”
References (according to own statement): Virgin Media O2, SKY, TIM, Carwow, Douglas
The basis: SaaS solution, multichannel capability and visualized customer journey
Basic functions are fundamental to any software solution. This is why a CDP should always offer the option of including various channels in the data mining process. After all, customers are now using different channels more than ever before – websites, social media, online stores, etc. Multichannel recognition of customer identity is therefore essential in order to obtain a 360° view of customers. It is at least as important to visualize the customer journey correctly. Which stages do customers go through? Where do they look for what information? When do they drop out of the customer journey? Such information is important information for increasing the customer experience and ultimately the conversion rate through better personalized content. In our CDP software comparison, all providers that provide information on multichannel recognition and visualization of the customer journey make these functions available.
The question of installing the CDP software is also likely to be a not insignificant factor for you. The question of installation on your own server or a SaaS solution is driven by security aspects, but also by costs.The providers in the market overview mainly offer SaaS solutions for a Customer Data Platform. The advantage: the CDP is easier to scale and is generally more cost-effective than installations on an in-house server – especially as data security is a top priority for CDP providers.
Data security is a central component of CDP software
Data security is the topic of the day. For this reason, data scandals make big waves and can put companies in great distress. Data protection is therefore a highly sensitive issue. Caution is required, especially when customer data is to be collected and analyzed in order to offer better personalized content. So it’s no wonder that companies take a very close look at software manufacturers. We have done the same in our comparison and can say: In terms of data security, the majority of providers in our comparison have ISO 27001 and/or SOC2 certifications. Other certifications are also possible and are sometimes very extensive. GDPR-compliant data generation and storage is mandatory, as is the anonymization of personal data. The providers also consistently provide server locations in Germany. Protection against cyber attacks is also extremely important to the software manufacturers.
Versatile interfaces for the best use of data
What characterizes a CDP? – That was our initial question. The answer: breaking down data silos to gain a holistic view of customers. For this to succeed, a lot of interfaces to different systems are of course necessary. In our comparison, we have therefore focused on the almost countless interface options. We also looked at interfaces to common CMS solutions, various ERP systems and CRM systems. Overall, we can state that the CDP providers in our market overview offer extensive interfaces. The majority of the tools and systems considered can therefore be connected. This is a key aspect when setting up a CDP in an existing IT ecosystem. In addition, some tools and systems are already integrated into the CDP solution, such as business intelligence applications.
Conclusion
A CDP is an important building block for better understanding customers across different channels in their customer journey and optimizing content. Data silos continue to inhibit performance and need to be broken down for an all-round understanding. This can be achieved with CDP software that can be adapted to the needs of the company using it. The information in our market overview will provide you with a sound basis for making decisions on how to make your marketing even more effective with the right CDP solution. Use your customer data not only to 50 percent, but to 100 percent!
