Transforming Customer Data into Insights

Chapter 4. CDP Implementation: Aligning People, Processes, and Tools

Have you ever heard the expression “Everyone is now a marketer”? There’s some truth to this saying, at least as it relates to CDP implementation: to be successful means aligning values and incentives across teams, from the C-suite to frontline staff. CDPs also rely on cutting-edge technologies and business processes, which often deviate from traditional practices.

In Chapter 3, you learned about the new demands for creating customer-centric marketing and the opportunity for brands to do so with a CDP. But no technology implementation is just about technology: it takes an alignment of people, processes, and tools. Organizations overlook this distinction at their peril: a survey of over 1,700 C-suite executives collected by consultancy McKinsey found that integration of advanced technologies stands a 45% chance of delivering less profit than expected, while the likelihood of surpassing profit expectations stands at just 10%. In this chapter, you’ll see how to ensure a successful CDP adoption and how to measure that success.

Aligning the C-Suite

Traditionally, the adoption of a new marketing technology rested with IT and, of course, marketing. A CDP adoption and subsequent shift of marketing to a customer-centric approach, however, needs organization-wide recognition, which even touches the C-suite. If a company has decided it wants to be customer-first, a CDP implementation works best if it’s a top-down directive ...