what is a customer data platform?

A customer data platform (CDP) is a software platform that collects, consolidates, and manages customer data from multiple sources, and makes it available to other systems and applications. CDPs are designed to help organizations get a comprehensive view of their customers by gathering data from various sources, such as websites, mobile apps, customer service systems, and social media, and storing it in a centralized location.

what are key features of customer data platform?

Some of the key features of a CDP include:

• Data collection and consolidation: CDPs collect and consolidate data from multiple sources, including online and offline data, and store it in a centralized location.
• Data management: CDPs provide tools for managing and organizing customer data, including tools for data cleansing, de-duplication, and enrichment.
• Data accessibility: CDPs make customer data available to other systems and applications, enabling organizations to use the data for a wide range of purposes, such as personalization, segmentation, and analytics.
• Real-time data: Many CDPs provide real-time data capabilities, allowing organizations to capture and act on customer data as it is generated.
• Segmentation and personalization: CDPs often include tools for segmenting and targeting customer groups based on various criteria, and for delivering personalized experiences to individual customers.

CDPs are used by a wide range of organizations, including e-commerce companies, banks, insurance companies, and media companies, to help them understand and engage with their customers more effectively.

How to build a customer data platform?

Building a customer data platform (CDP) involves several steps, including the following:

1. Define your goals and requirements: Before you start building your CDP, it’s important to clearly define your goals and requirements. What do you want to achieve with your CDP, and what data do you need to collect and manage in order to achieve those goals?
2. Identify your data sources: Next, you’ll need to identify the data sources that you want to include in your CDP. This might include data from websites, mobile apps, customer service systems, social media, and other sources.
3. Collect and consolidate your data: Once you’ve identified your data sources, you’ll need to set up processes for collecting and consolidating the data. This might involve using APIs, web scraping tools, or other methods to extract the data from the various sources and bring it into your CDP.
4. Clean and organize your data: Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to clean and organize it in order to make it usable. This might involve deduplicating records, correcting errors, and enriching the data with additional information.
5. Make your data accessible: After your data is clean and organized, you’ll need to make it accessible to other systems and applications. This might involve building APIs, creating dashboards, or integrating with other tools and platforms.
6. Monitor and maintain your CDP: Once your CDP is up and running, you’ll need to monitor and maintain it to ensure that it continues to function properly and meet your needs. This might involve adding new data sources, updating data pipelines, and making other changes as needed.

Building a CDP requires a combination of technical expertise, data management skills, and business strategy. It can be a complex and time-consuming process, but a well-designed and implemented CDP can provide significant value to an organization.

customer data platform (CDP) vendors/companies comparison

Here is the list of top vendors/companies providing customer data platform offerings

Keep in mind that this is just a basic comparison, and there are many other factors to consider when choosing a CDP vendor, such as the specific features and capabilities of the platform, the level of support and training offered, and the vendor’s reputation and track record. It’s always a good idea to do thorough research and compare multiple vendors before making a decision.