While we understand the Customer Data Platform (CDP), it is also essential to understand what a CDP isn’t. This is because many other vendors have emerged or have repositioned themselves to be intentionally (due to opportunistic repackaging) or unintendedly (due to feature overlaps) projecting as if they are a CDP service provider. While such intentional attempts are easier to identify, especially for seasoned business leaders, they must also understand the basic feature overlaps between CDP and other related technologies.

The basic features fully supported by CDP are Data collection, Profile unification, Segmentation, and being Marketer managed. Also, there are limited capabilities existing in CDP with regard to Activation and Real-time decisions. Many of these features coexist in other technologies. While all the technologies support Data collection, very similar to CDPs, the Enterprise data warehouses exhaustively support the data collection aspects. Data management platforms, Marketing dashboards, and Multichannel marketing hubs are other technologies that comprehensively support data collection.

Personalization Engines are usually a preferred tech choice when opting for Real-time decisions. They also have extensive support for exclusive CDP features like Profile Unification and Segmentation. Similarly, the Multichannel Marketing Hub (MMH) is a brilliantly packed feature-rich tech, providing good support to Segmentation and is Marketer-managed very similar to the CDPs. However, unlike a CDP, they have excellent Native marketing execution capabilities, a clear differentiator between a CDP and MMH.

Data management platforms and Identity resolution are other technologies that have confusing overlaps with CDP. While the Data management platform has average support for all features, they are primarily known for being a Marketer-managed Real-time decisioning technology. Similarly, Identity resolution technologies have dominating capabilities on Profile unification and are Marketer-managed, very similar to the CDP. However, they have minimal capabilities concerning Data collection and Segmentation, which clearly differentiates them from a CDP.

Other than the technologies described above, there are a few more technologies, like Consent and performance management platform, Customer identity and access management, Customer relationship management, Tag management system, Master data management, Digital experience platform, and Voice of the customer that weakly identify with CDP, hence are easier to differentiate. The decision-makers and the Managers in the organization must understand the primary differentiating features of CDP and these technologies, thus clearly recognizing what is not a CDP.