Start with the End in Mind: Adobe Real-Time CDP Success

I’ve witnessed my fair share of Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform (RTCDP) projects, and one truth prevails: a completed implementation isn’t a guarantee of success. The key lies in intentionality: starting with the end in mind.

This isn’t a novel concept. Think of Stephen Covey’s house analogy in “The 7 Habits of…”. Building without a blueprint invites disaster. Boundaries blur, structural integrity buckles, aesthetics suffer, and budgets implode. The same applies to Customer Data Platforms (CDP).

You acquired a CDP to unify profiles and break data silos, but a common pitfall is unthinking data onboarding. Dumping everything in without considering use cases and activation points is like hoarding building materials – useless without a plan.

Understanding the End State

Before delving into the intricacies of activation points, it’s paramount to clarify the end state. What are the objectives driving the adoption of Real-Time CDP? What are the use cases that will move the needle towards your KPIs? Without a clear vision of the desired outcomes, any implementation efforts risk drifting aimlessly, leading to suboptimal results and wasted resources.

Many companies get so fixated on data consolidation that they forget how to use it. Their CDPs become bloated data graveyards which drains management and storage costs.

A Business and People Focus: The Key to Unlocking Value

There are a variety of methodologies or frameworks to describe the system design however in my opinion, whatever is used needs to have a link to the “why”. The business requirements structure below promotes clear and concise descriptions from the end user’s point of view. By emphasising the user’s perspective and measurable KPIs, we ensure that the implementation meets the business goals and that the solution is adopted to its potential.

The tried and tested format of “As a [persona], I [want to], [so that].” has still been relevant since the data management platform (DMP) days.

1. Role:
   1. Identifies the specific person or group interacting with the system.
   2. Example: Marketer, Optimisation Manager, Analyst, CRO.
2. Goal:
   1. Describes the desired outcome or action the user wants to achieve. This normally contains the acceptance criteria.
   2. Example: target users with a high propensity to purchase, excluding leads who have converted.
3. Reason:
   1. Explains the motivation or benefit behind the goal, providing context for its importance.
   2. Provides insight into the measurement requirements and business relevance.
   3. Example: increase revenue by improving conversion rate, improve return on advertising spend.

Without prioritised user stories, key decisions lack direction.

EXAMPLE:

Capability: Lead Management

Use Case: Lead Retargeting

• User Story: As a sales manager, I want to target leads on Instagram based on their propensity to purchase in the next 30 days, so that I can focus the retargeting spend and increase the conversion rate.

Right Message, Right Place, Right Time

Assuming all the user stories have been prioritised and have been assigned a measurement framework. The nuances of activation lie in the detail. Here are some bullet points to consider:

Data Quality and Latency

• Understand the fine balance of data latency and accuracy when it is used on 1-to-1 channels compared to advertising channels or personalisation offers.
• Ingest the level of data richness required based on the total usage and expected return.
• Analyse and consolidate the data usage for all Destinations (outbound systems) to establish the data ingestion required to support the use cases.
  • Identities
    • Review the identities required for each Destination.
    • Consolidate and minimise identities required for activation during the data modelling process.
    • Ensure that these identities are ingested based on the activation frequency usage.
  • Data transfer and usage
    • Understand the supported data integration patterns from the third-party such as format, medium, and frequency.
    • Usage: data transfer aside, how are the Audiences being used?
      • e.g. if the user stories require Audiences to be used every week, there is less impetus to stream the data and utilising a batch method is quite appropriate.

Data Retention & Privacy

• Work with your internal legal team to understand consent, data retention and legal policies to comply with.
• Understand the Real-Time CDP features that help you follow internal policies such as:
  • Consent prior to data collection
  • Update to consent
  • Automatic consent enforcement
  • Access and delete requests.

Operational

This is quite a broad topic that deserves more in depth discussion, here are some high level tasks:

• Establish a Centre of Excellence (COE) structure.
  • A COE is responsible for governing the use of the Real-Time CDP, building an organisational roadmap, tracking progress, measuring results, and communicating as needed throughout the organisation.
• Define roles, responsibilities and processes:
  • At the very least there should be a product owner who leads the COE, the day-to-day management and use case roadmap.
  • Governance: access and controls in an effort to simplify operations.
  • Process: audience creation process, management, archival and reporting.
• Proficiency and certification of the COE members.
• Enablement and communication to the broader teams.

Conclusion

In conclusion, embarking on a CDP implementation journey without a clear understanding of business objectives, use cases and their activation points is akin to setting sail without a compass. While technological capabilities undoubtedly play a crucial role, it’s the strategic alignment with business objectives and the astute identification of activation points that ultimately determine success. 

As part of the design process, it’s incumbent to campaign the importance of starting with the end in mind, guiding internal teams towards a holistic appreciation of their data assets and activation opportunities. By doing so, we empower businesses to unlock the full potential of their customer data, driving innovation, fostering customer loyalty, and ultimately, achieving sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.