Think of CDP capabilities this way: there are back-end functions and front-end functions. By back-end I mean the data collection, cleaning, and processing efforts to create the mythical “golden record.” By front-end I mean the activations: managing paywalls, displaying special offers to discrete audiences, personalization, and so on.
You may only need the front-end.
To figure this out, start with your use cases. What do you want to do for your customers?
Next, determine how important it is in each use case to have one record for each customer. It might not matter as much as you suspect.
For example, how much do you care if someone purchases an article on Tuesday using one email address, and on Thursday using another? Is it important to merge records based on personal identity (i.e., one person has one record with multiple emails), or is it just as useful to merge records based on the email address, or some other identifier?
Again, if you’re managing consent, does it matter to you if the same person has elected different levels of consent on their iPad and their phone?
Merging customers across devices and platforms is a very powerful tool when you want to manage a subscription. But it can limit other options. Don’t start with the assumption that you have to merge all your data. Start with use cases that will drive revenue and a better experience for your customers and build from there. If you find that you don’t need to create one record for one person, don’t pay for that capability.
