5 principles for a smoother, more successful CDP deployment

Setting the right expectations is an important part of deploying any technology. Customer Data Platforms (CDP) they are no exception.

In the fall MarTech conferenceKristina Kalpokaite, head of technology and data strategy at independent consultancy Leap Horizon, talked about setting expectations and setting your team up for success with CDP deployments.

CDPs are all about “data in,” or taking data from various sources and transforming the data within the platform, Kalpokaite said. Over the past 10 years, the CDP sector has grown to more than 200 platforms. A wide variety of new modules and features are available, making choosing the right platform more difficult.

Common drivers behind deploying a CDP in your business can range from leveraging your first-party data to help you ditch third-party cookies to driving personalized and consistent customer journeys, Kalpokaite said.

In this clip, Kalpokaite shares data that demonstrates the success businesses experience when they take steps to set expectations right and successfully deploy CDP.

Dig deeper: The hidden reasons why your CDP project is failing

Where and how do you set CDP expectations?

Kalpokaite said a useful place to start is with five simple principles.

Your CDP is just a piece of software

Your CDP is powerless on its own. It needs to be integrated. Your surrounding martech tools can drive context and help you understand the type of CDP you need.

The need for reliable data

What goes into your CDP is vital. Reliable data requires people and processes, Kalpokaite said. Businesses that plan ahead can cut their ROI time in half.

How will you receive, transform and activate data?

These are important questions.

• How do you process your data?
• What do you do with the data inside the CDP?
• How will you activate the data?
• Who will you need for this?
• Where and where does your data come from?

When we discuss data on the CDP journey, Kalpokaite said, we mean your data readiness and resources. You then choose the exact data points you need and where to find them.

Your broader martech stack

Kalpokaite said other tools in your mart stack will drive your CDP integration. Additional platforms will dictate what CDP modules you need. For example, if you have strong route orchestration, you may not need it in your CDP.

People and processes

• Who will work on your intake?
• Who determines what transformation is done inside your CDP?
• How will you activate your data?

Dig deeper: What the folding revolution means for CDP

Breaking down forces and building flexibly

In this clip, Kolboketian discusses the importance of force reduction, understanding identifiers, and thinking about flexibility in your CDP plans.

Kolboketian said businesses that have successfully deployed and implemented CDP are seeing a phenomenal impact on their business, creating a competitive advantage and changing the way they serve their customers.

The key to their success is often good planning and setting the right expectations for what CDP can do for their business.