Why chasing shiny CDP features leaves marketers feeling like imposters | MarTech

"That image often comes back to me when I see how companies work with customer data platforms. At first, the ambition is clear. They want to unify data, build audiences, and activate across channels: a neat, symmetrical structure, a textbook definition of a CDP's purpose. But then the tide arrives: The next wave of features, vendor pitches, or AI breakthroughs. Suddenly, the basics don't feel adequate anymore. Marketers look at their still-wet sandcastle and feel lacking, even if they've just accomplished something difficult."

"It describes how technology advances exponentially, while organizations adapt at a far slower rate. The gap doesn't just create inefficiency, but it also creates doubt. While a small group at the bleeding edge of CDP usage test-drives real-time orchestration or identity stitching powered by machine learning, the majority are still wrestling with far more fundamental issues, such as data quality, governance, and simply getting reliable segments out the door."

"The cruel irony is that these "basics" aren't basic at all. They're the most challenging, most important work. Yet in a market where vendors race to show off the art of the possible, the fundamentals rarely make the highlight reel. Instead, they're treated like prerequisites you should already have mastered. That leaves many practitioners to quietly wonder if they're failing, when in reality they're doing the heavy lifting that most success stories depend on."

Companies often begin CDP projects aiming to unify customer data, build audiences, and activate across channels. Rapid technology advances, new features, and AI tempt teams to pursue advanced capabilities before mastering foundational work. Many organizations remain focused on data quality, governance, identity stitching, and producing reliable segments rather than real-time orchestration. Market pressure and vendor demonstrations prioritize the art of the possible, which sidelines essential operational challenges. As a result, practitioners may feel inadequate despite performing critical work that underpins long-term success. Addressing these fundamentals demands sustained organizational effort rather than chasing headline-grabbing features.

Read at MarTech