CDP Software Comparison: 13 Providers for a Customer Data Platform



We already published a newer version of the CDP software comparison. You can find the market overview here.


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 suitable for your company? We compared 13 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 here.

The correct analysis of customer data is essential for companies to offer customers an excellent customer experience. Using the various pieces of information, marketing teams can create individual content and – ideally – play it out in real time, so that customers always receive the right information at the right time for the station of their customer journey. So much for the theory. In practice, things look a little different. As a rule, companies create data silos. Customer data can be found in the CRM, in the results of web analytics and in the information obtained from social media monitoring as well as many other data sources. Due to the data silos, it is estimated that, for the most part, only 50 to 74 percent of customer data is used effectively. In a Statista survey, almost one-third of companies even assume that only 25 to 49 percent of existing customer data is used. So there’s a lot of potential that has gone unused so far. The challenge for companies is to break down the existing data silos and thus make all generated customer data accessible for extensive analytics – so that in the end a 360° picture of the customers emerges, with which marketing measures can be designed more effectively. But how do you break out of the silo trap? A central development for consolidating customer data and analyzing it holistically is the Customer Data Platform (CDP).

What are the characteristics of CDP software? – Definition 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 with the help of 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).

A 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 gained about customers. There are also CDP solutions that focus on the personalization of content through analytics.

Download CDP Software Comparison

In our CDP software market overview, you will find comprehensive information on the various providers, the functions of the CDP software, legal criteria and other services. Compare the CDPs of today and find the solution with the most suitable features and services for personalized content in your marketing. You can download the CDP software comparison here for free:

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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
  • Pricing approach of CDP providers

The software providers in the CDP software comparison

Acquia CDP

Acquia, a US company with the same name, has been providing its solution to companies worldwide since 2005. Based in Boston, Acquia says it employs more than 1,500 people and serves more than 2,000 customers.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Open platform: integration of any 0-/1st/3rd-party data | Unified 360° customer profile: cross-channel aggregation and cleansing of all a customer’s 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 rapid global deployment.”

References (according to its own statement): J. Crew, Clarks, Lululemon, MCM Worldwide, Godiva, Aydinli, Arclelik

Adobe Real-time Customer Data Platform

Adobe developed the Ream-time Customer Data Platform, which has been on the market since 1982. The global player, headquartered in Mountain Vies (USA), generated revenues of 14 billion euros last year and employs more than 24,000 people.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Built on the Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), Adobe’s real-time customer data platform is the only CDP equipped to handle real-time use cases built not just for marketing, but for every customer-facing touchpoint that enterprise customers have. In addition, AEP can also be used for concurrent data analysis.”

References (according to its own statement): BMW, Lufthansa, Zeiss, VW, CocaCola

Bloomreach Engagement

The German company Bloomreach, headquartered in Munich, has been on the market since 2009 and currently serves over 600 customers and more than 850 brands. Bloomreach has 786 employees.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Bloomreach Engagement provides a CDP with natively integrated omnichannel marketing execution capabilities that enable marketers to efficiently collaborate, design and execute campaigns within one solution. The flexible data structure and analytics capabilities enable marketers to create custom reports, gain insights and personalize the entire customer experience in real-time and at scale.

References (according to its own statement): Krombacher, Peek & Cloppenburg, Mammut Sports, Pandora

CrossEngage Customer Data and Prediction Platform

The CrossEngage Customer Data and Prediction Platform comes from the company of the same name, CrossEngage. CrossEngage has headquarters in Berlin and Hamburg and has been on the market for seven years. CrossEngage serves its customers with 70 employees.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “CrossEngage enables marketers to intelligently identify and activate relevant target groups. Focusing on marketing activities with the highest impact and relevance empowers companies in the platform economy.”

References (according to its own statement): Peek & Cloppenburg, Deutsche Bahn, Scout24, Manufactum, Shop Apotheke

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights is Microsoft’s CDP software solution. Microsoft has been in the market since 1975 and says it has 181,000 customers worldwide for its CDP software.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Powerful platform to get 360° customer view of enterprise customer data and create unparalleled customer experience! Connect all your B2C and B2B customer data to generate insights with real-time AI. Discover customer behavior with digital and cross-channel analytics.”

References (according to its own statement): unicef, Campari Group, Tivoli Gardens

econda Audience Relationship Platform

The German encoda GmbH, headquartered in Karlsruhe, has been operating on the market since 2004 and currently employs 51 people.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Sustainable and responsible handling of data, 100% data privacy compliant solutions, personal customer support, knowledge transfer through webinars, training, …”

References (according to its own statement): FC Bayern München, hessnatur, Shop Apotheke, babywalz, EDEKA

Ibexa DXP

Cologne-based Ibexa GmbH says it serves more than 300 euros and employs 94 people. Last year, Ibexa generated 9.5 million euros in sales and has been on the market for more than 20 years.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “DXP with integrated CDP and AI personalization.”

References (according to its own statement): ABUS, BVB, ADAC, COMECO, Essilor

Mapp Cloud

The Mapp Cloud solution comes from the US company of the same name, Mapp, based in San Diego. According to Mapp, more than 350 employees are currently working on the solution, which is used by more than 3,000 customers. Mapp Cloud has been on the market since 2016.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “The customer experience platform Mapp Cloud stands for insight-based marketing. The Intelligence module combines data, analytics 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) provides a 360-degree view of individual contacts.”

References (according to its own statement): Expert, heise.de, MyToys, Westwing, Witt Group

SAS CI 360

SAS Insitute GmbH has offices in Heidelberg, Zurich and Vienna (DACH region). The headquarters are in Cary, USA). The company has been on the market since 1976 and, according to its own information, has 82,000 customers and 12,545 employees. In 2020, SAS Institute GmbH generated sales of 2.67 billion euros.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “SAS CI360 provides an end-to-end cloud platform for creating exceptional customer experiences in real time. From data collection (on- and offline data) and management (on-premise if desired), to data analytics and AI-powered prediction, to marketing resource planning and management, automation and orchestration, and multi-channel campaign execution.”

References (according to its own statement): Commerzbank, Twint, Migros, Erste Bank, 1&1, Postfinance, dm-drogeriemarkt

Sitecore CDP

The US company Sitecore from San Francisco has been providing its CDP software since 2001. According to Sitcore, it currently has more than 5,200 customers who use Sitcore CDP.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “With Sitecore CDP, there are no more data silos and disconnected customer profiles. A single customer view that consolidates real-time and historical data from all online and offline channels. Execute marketing campaigns and product releases with pinpoint accuracy using live audiences that track customer behavior across your entire digital estate.”

References (according to its own statement): Jetstar, Emirates, Qatar, Honda, Allied Irish Bank

Tealium AudienceStream CDP

The CDP software of Tealium Inc. (headquartered in San Diego, USA) has been distributed since 2008. According to its own statement, the company currently serves more than 850 customers worldwide and has over 675 employees.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Tealium is vendor agnostic and integrates data with current and future vendors. Tealium is an enterprise-wide solution for customer data. Tealium 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 its own statement): TUI, Thomas Sabo, Lufthansa, Görtz Retail GmbH, IBM

Twilio Customer Data Platform

The Twilio Customer Data Platform comes from Twilio Segment. The company, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, USA, and additional offices in Dublin, Paris, London, Berlin and Munich, has more than 7,000 employees. According to its own information, 20,000 customers currently use the CDP software from Twilio Segment. Last year, the company, which has been in existence since 2011, generated 2.51 million.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Domain expertise: we work with more than 20,000 customers and own 8% of the global CDP market schare Pure-play CDP: Segment is focused on developing a world-class CDP, allowing us to focus all of our research and development efforts (35% of our staff) on advancing our CDP capabilities Ease of implementation and use: in conversations with customers who have evaluated other CDPs, we have heard time and time again that Segment’s ease of use sets it apart from other CDPs.

References (according to its own statement): ABInBev, IBM, FOX, Levi’s, heycar

Zeotap CDP

The German company Zeotap provides the eponymous CDP software Zeotap CDP. The solution has been on the market since 2014. According to its own information, the company employs 200 people:inside.

 

USP (according to its own statement): “Zeotap CDP collects, unifies, segments and activates first-party data to support marketing goals – acquisition, growth, retention and operational efficiency – while putting customer data privacy front-and-center. ”

References (according to its own statement): Virgin Media, DER Touristik, Audi, N26

The basis: SaaS solution, multichannel capability and visualized customer journey

Basic functions are elementary for every software solution. For example, a CDP should always offer the option of including different channels in data mining. After all, customers are on the move on different channels more than ever before – on the website, social media, in the online store, etc. Multichannel recognition of customer identity is essential in order to obtain a 360° view of customers. It is equally important to visualize the customer journey correctly. Which stations do customers pass through? Where do they look for what information? When do they jump off in the customer journey? Such information is important 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 provide these functions.

Another, not insignificant factor for you might be the question about the installation of the CDP software. The question of whether to install it 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: CDP is easier to scale and is generally more cost-effective than installations on a dedicated server – especially since data security is a top priority for CDP providers.

Data Security is a central component of CDP Software

Data security is the topic of today. Data scandals are making waves and can put companies in great distress. Therefore, data protection is a highly sensitive topic. Especially when customer data is to be collected and analyzed in order to offer better personalized content, caution is required. So it’s not surprising that companies look very closely at software manufacturers. We did the same in our comparison and can say: With regard to data security, a majority of the providers in our comparison have certifications according to ISO 27001 and/or SOC2. 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. In addition, the providers consistently provide server locations in Germany. Protection against cyber attacks is also a high priority for the software manufacturers.

Multiple interfaces for the best data utilization

What characterizes a CDP? – that was our initial question. The answer: breaking down data silos to obtain a holistic view of customers. Of course, this requires a lot of interfaces to different systems. In our comparison, we therefore focused on the almost innumerable interface options. Among other things, we asked about interfaces to common CMS solutions, to various ERP systems and CRM systems. Overall, we can state that the CDP providers in our market overview offer extensive interfaces and that the majority of the tools and systems considered can be connected. This is a key aspect for setting up a CDP in an existing IT ecosystem. Some tools and systems are even already integrated into the CDP solution, such as business intelligence applications.

Conclusion

A CDP is an important building block to better understand customers across different channels in their customer journey and to optimize content. Data silos continue to be performance inhibitors and must be broken down for all-round understanding. This can be accomplished with CDP software that can be customized to meet the needs of the deploying organization. The information in our market overview provides you with a sound decision-making basis for making your marketing even more effective with the right CDP solution. Use your customer data no longer just 50 percent, but 100 percent!

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