How can developing customer data platform use cases deliver what your business needs? Here, we discuss how use cases came about and introduce key stages for successfully implementing valuable marketing technology.
A customer data platform (CDP) is an essential tool for businesses looking to improve their marketing efforts.
With the vast amounts of data available in today’s digital landscape, a CDP can help businesses organise, analyse and utilise this data to better understand their customers and deliver targeted and personalised marketing campaigns.
But, developing a CDP is not a one-size-fits-all process.
Every business has unique needs and objectives, and it’s important to identify specific use cases to help achieve these goals.
We’ll take you through some common use cases for a CDP, and how to develop a use case.
What Are CDP Use Cases?
Back in 1987, a Swede named Ivar Jacobson presented the first known article on use cases as a means for capturing and specifying requirements for computer systems. He didn’t much like their original long Swedish name (‘anvandningsfall’) and eventually settled on ‘use case’ which has since been universally adopted.
| Use Case = A formal description of how a user (known as an actor) interacts with a system to achieve a particular goal. |
Use cases have become an important part of software development and project management, as they provide a clear understanding of how a system will be used in
In terms of marketing, CDP use cases can be used to analyse and understand how customers interact with a business’s products or services. This information can then be used to improve the overall customer experience and increase sales.
Examples of CDP Use Cases in Marketing
One example of a CDP use case could be improving the customer experience when a customer purchases a product from an online store.
The use case would outline the various steps and interactions that the customer goes through, such as browsing the website, adding items to their cart, and completing the checkout process, with the objective of improving conversion rates.
This information can help businesses identify potential pain points in the buying process and make necessary improvements.
Additionally, CDP use cases can be used to target specific marketing campaigns. By understanding how customers are using a product or service, businesses can tailor their messaging and promotions to better reach and engage their target audience.
We’ve detailed some examples of B2B and B2C CDP use cases below to give a better understanding of how this process can be applied in different industries.
B2C Use CaseSarah is looking to purchase a new laptop and begins browsing various online retailers. She adds a few options to her cart but ultimately abandons the checkout process before completing the purchase. Using CDP, the retailer can track Sarah’s journey on their site and determine that she left without making a purchase. They can then use this information to send targeted follow-up emails or advertisements to retarget Sarah and entice her to complete her purchase. |
B2B Use CaseABC Corporation is trying to increase sales of its software product targeting small businesses. By implementing a CDP, they can track potential customers as they browse their website, sign up for free trials, and eventually make a purchase or abandon the process. Through analysing this data, ABC Corporation can identify patterns in customer behaviour and make targeted improvements to its website and marketing strategies. They can also use this information to personalise the customer experience, such as offering special discounts or promotions based on the user’s browsing history. |
What are the Benefits of Developing CDP Use Cases?
So why are we singing their praises?
Developing use cases for a customer data platform does not require technical knowledge – they allow your teams to collaborate on the desired business outcomes and uncover gaps.
One of the key things with a use case is it ensures your stakeholders have defined the business need and how the activity will be measured.
In short, a CDP use case is a great way to capture your business objectives and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Top 8 Ways a CDP Can Make You a Better Customer Marketer
How to Develop Customer Data Platform Use Cases
As we’ve already mentioned, use cases for CDP will differ depending on your business needs and objectives. For example, a retail company may have different use cases compared to a healthcare organisation.
That’s why developing tailored use cases for your specific business is crucial. Particularly core use cases.
For example…
| A marketing use case could be “Use data to deliver relevant, personalised omnichannel campaigns in order to increase revenue and reduce marketing costs”.
The use case is pretty straightforward. The brand wants to communicate with their customers across multiple channels in order to generate revenue and potentially reduce wasted marketing spend. |
Many businesses fail to develop core use cases to solve a problem or deliver on a strategy. By developing core use cases, which are prioritised based on the business goals and can be measured, it will give you the north star to focus on and deliver against your goals.
We see at least three stages in the process of successfully introducing marketing technology where they are of crucial importance.
Stage 1) Articulate & Document Use Cases
First, by going through the discipline of articulating and documenting use cases a business can clarify exactly what they want this nebulous item, a marketing system, to actually do.
It provides a non-techy way for the requirements to be mapped out so that the user community can articulate step by step what both it and the system are expected to do and what the outputs should look like.
It also allows for consideration of time – when and how quickly processing should happen, including volume. Thus, allowing the system providers to get a handle on whether for instance they are dealing with ten thousand or a million customers.
Given that nowadays, almost all martech is purchased off-the-shelf rather than being built in-house, the combined use cases can also help focus the process of vendor selection.
Rather than being told a long list of the glossy features that can be delivered by the martech salesperson, most of which you don’t want in the first place, the company can factually check whether the system being proposed can actually do what you require.
Stage 2) Develop the Business Case
Next, the use cases can feed directly into developing the business case.
If, for instance, you are going to be able to do ‘A’ that you couldn’t do before, how much customer value are you going to be able to generate compared to where you are now?
Alternatively, how much staff time will be saved using the new tool to deliver ‘B’ more quickly?
We find that business cases for martech generally span across four key areas:
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Once past the business casing stage, many organisations will want to start with a live proof of concept (POC).
If you select a few areas where the new technology should add value and where it can be set up and configured quickly, then a POC can be put in place.
There is no better way to finally confirm that everything works from the technology to the customers responding to it.
In addition, a live POC that works gets quick buy in from all levels in an organisation. The POC will also pick up on what is not working and enable you to put it right.
Stage 3) Set Up, Configure & Deliver With the Use Case Specifications
Finally, when the full martech needs to be set up and configured, the developers can take the use cases as the specification against which they are going to have to deliver. The company can sign off on the configuration when the use cases work.
At UniFida, we like to help our clients develop their use cases at the start of introducing a customer data platform. We do this for all the reasons articulated above, and incidentally it helps us understand quickly whether we can in reality deliver what you need.
Having developed many client use cases, we can help stimulate your thinking around what they might provide.
Can a CDP Replace a CRM?
CRM tools, or customer relationship management tools, are commonly used by businesses to manage their interactions with current and potential customers. They typically store customer relationship data in a central database and provide features such as contact management, sales tracking, and marketing automation.
While a CDP, or customer data platform, also stores customer data in a central location, its purpose is different from that of a CRM. CDP uses cases focus on better understanding customer behaviour and communicating with wider audiences; CRM systems focus on the actual sales conversion process.
CDPs and CRMs can be used alongside each other to provide a complete view of customer interactions and behaviours.
However, CDPs excel in their ability to collect and analyse extensive amounts of data, making them an invaluable tool for businesses looking to create personalised and targeted marketing campaigns.
Key Takeaways: The Importance of Core CDP Use Cases & Automation
The rise of automation has led to an increase in the use of CDPs, as they enable businesses to efficiently manage and utilise large amounts of customer data. This is especially important for businesses looking to create personalised marketing campaigns, as automation allows for real-time analysis and action based on customer behaviour.
CDPs are also essential for businesses that want to gain a complete view of their customers, as they can aggregate data from multiple sources and provide actionable insights.
Contact Us for Help in Developing Your CDP Use Cases
Our offer! We have made a decision not to charge for this kind of consultancy as it helps you understand what you need the technology to do, and for us to understand what we may be called on to deliver.
Please do get in touch if help with developing use cases for a customer data platform is what you are looking for.
FAQs
UniFida is the trading name of Marketing Planning Services Ltd, a London based technology and data science company set up in 2014. Our overall aim is to help organisations build more customer value at less marketing cost.
Our technology focus has been to develop UniFida. Data science business comes both from existing users of UniFida, and from clients looking to us to solve their more complex data related marketing questions.
Marketing is changing at an explosive speed. Our ambition is to help our clients stay empowered and ahead in this challenging environment.
Julian Berry is an accomplished marketing technology leader. Julian spent his early career working directly under renowned direct marketer Christian Brann. He then held senior marketing roles at NatWest and LTSB before establishing several successful consultancies. He founded UniFida in 2014, and pioneered multi-touch attribution platforms that help marketers measure and optimise marketing value across channels.
