The Customer Data Platform Institute launched RealCDP, a program to reduce the confusion plaguing the Customer Data Platform industry. RealCDP has two components:
- RealCDP certification, a five point checklist of core capabilities needed to build a unified, sharable customer database.
- CDPFinder templates and vendor information to help buyers find the right CDP for their needs
“The CDP industry faces two challenges,” said CDP Institute Founder David Raab. “First, many firms offering a CDP or CDP alternative fail to build the complete, shareable customer database that is the heart of the CDP concept. Second, legitimate CDPs vary hugely in the additional features they provide, leaving buyers confused by the range of options. These two programs address each challenge separately and, taken together, we hope they will make it easier for buyers to find the products they truly need – and avoid alternatives that will leave them disappointed.”
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RealCDP Ensures the Systems Deliver a True CDP Database
The RealCDP program provides a checklist of five capabilities:
- ingest data from any source
- capture full detail of ingested data
- store ingested data indefinitely
- create unified profiles of identified individuals
- share data with any system that needs it
“CDPs have become popular because they promise open access to complete customer data,” said Raab. “Buyers understand this to mean all data, with full detail, stored over time, presented in a unified customer view, and available to any system that needs it. Buyers who purchase systems without these features are likely to be disappointed when they discover they don’t get what they expected.”
Common examples of incomplete solutions include systems that build a unified database but don’t allow other systems to read it, systems that create unified profiles in real time but don’t store data outside of the original sources, and systems that summarize data before storing it. Each shortfall limits how the data can be used, often blocking critical applications such as identity resolution, personalization, or experience orchestration.
CDP Institute will certify compliance with the RealCDP checklist and authorize qualified vendors to display the RealCDP badge.
CDPFinder Streamlines the CDP Selection Process
The CDPFinder program provides templates for use case definition, vendor screening, and Request for Proposal documents. The templates are aligned so that use cases build requirement lists that can be compared against vendor screening criteria and used in an RFP. The program also includes reports that show which CDP vendors provide which features, using the same aligned categories. Future reports will include additional information to help buyers screen vendors on other factors such as industry specialization and typical client size.
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