This article was originally posted on CMSWire.com: read the full article there

You have undoubtedly heard about the important role a customer data platform (CDP) plays in creating customer-centric marketing, sales and customer service within your organization. With the continued move away from using third-party cookies and data, these platforms are helping organizations implement a first-party data approach. While the term CDP is used frequently, there are many different definitions and combinations of features that these platforms use.

Rather than a single tool or product, I like to define a CDP as a set of features and functionalities that encompass five key areas:

1. Unified Customer ID.

2. Customer Segmentation.

3. Analysis and Recommendations.

4. Reporting.

5. Activation.

Several CDPs have robust capabilities across all of these areas. Some are more focused on a specific feature set. Therefore, products that call themselves “CDPs” may not cover the full spectrum of the above categories.

As a consultant, I am often brought into organizations to help them assess what type of CDP will work best for them. A method to categorize their features and benefits is a big help here. In this article, I’m going to discuss the five primary components of a customer data platform, so you can better understand which portions you may already have covered, and which you may need to augment.

This article was originally posted on CMSWire.com: read the full article there