What makes a robust Customer Data Platform?

Customer Data Platforms are becoming more and more popular as businesses become further accustomed to the value they bring.

But are all Customer Data Platforms created equal, or do some conquer others?

A quick Google search of CDPs will land you in a sea of solutions that can often overwhelm and confuse even the more well versed data and marketing experts.

As a result, today we give a few pointers about what we believe makes a robust CDP and why certain CDPs may or may not work for you.

Connection to primary sources of data

CDPs (should) all be built with this primary function. They exist to capture data from primary sources in order for you to generate insightful reports, create campaigns and analyse the performance of marketing and operational efforts. This is a step up from traditional CRM tools as it allows you to incorporate things like behavioural trends, Point of Sale data, website interactions, and sales attribution models, among a number of other powerful elements, into your report stack.

Connection to other, business specific sources of data

Along with your primary data sources, it is often the case that you will need data from other, more niche sources which paint a more wholesome picture of your businesses performance. A common limitation with many 'off-the-shelf' CDPs is that they are built to have quick connections to a pre-determined set of software and related applications. This means that if you don't have a big budget or developer resources on hand, you'll be stuck with the limited number of data sources. This will ultimately decrease your ability to gain a true Single Customer View.

Knowledgeable and experienced customer service

The customer service and training available is different for every CDP provider. A common issue with the use of CDPs is that they are often sold as a catch-all solution to all the data problems a business may face, including management, updates, manipulation, and effective use in campaigns. This is often far from the truth, and even an extremely user-friendly CDP needs a technically-abled employee to take the reins and coordinate the uptake and integration of the platform and its functions into everyday operations.

If you are thinking of buying a CDP which promises to connect to your key data sources at the click of a button, first consider whether the convenience of this process might later end up becoming a 'black box' or more specifically, something that you or your staff don't understand and end up spending tens of hours consulting a customer service chat centre trying to work out.

On a more positive note, if your company does use some of the most widely used and stock standard tools and technologies, then a generic CDP could be fine, given the customer service and success team are likely to have a lot of experience serving the queries your business has.

Some advantages of UniFida Australia and why we chose to partner with this CDP provider

As data analysts who have been around since the inception of the Single Customer View, we have vast experience in understanding the powers of a centralised data repository and how to create them. We also understand that the building blocks to get to this position are often complex and require a high level of collaboration with the respective client in order to provide a data platform that works, and can be used by those who work with it.

By partnering with UniFida, we can deliver a bespoke CDP solution which incorporates any and all the necessary data inputs required by the client. The onboarding process is also aided by our UniFida partners, Friendly, who have extensive professional experience in marketing excellence, meaning the user can ensure they are getting the most out of the solution from the get-go.

Want to learn more about UniFida Australia? Reach out for a demo or visit the website for case studies and more.

For more White Box data stories, look here or get in touch if you’d like to talk about how we might be able to help with your data strategy, reporting, business performance and anything else data related!