It took three emails within 24 hours but enough members of the CDP Institute responded to our survey to provide useful results.  The main goal was to understand what members wanted from the Institute.  The answers were quite clear: most want general information and industry research.  Smaller numbers wanted help with picking vendors, such as vendor comparisons and evaluation checklists.  Even fewer want post-implementation services such as training, peer discussions, and conferences.

The survey also asked background questions about the respondent’s existing systems and status of CDP in their organization.  There was a bit of differentiation: people with CDPs deployed or in process were a little less interested in general information and surveys, and a little more interested in case studies, peer discussions, and conferences.  Company size and business type showed more of split: people from smaller companies were much more interested in practical resources like evaluation checklists, lists of consultants, training, and peer discussions.  People from larger companies were particularly interested in vendor comparisons.  B2B marketers of all sizes were more interested in industry research and surveys than B2C marketers, probably because many of the B2B marketers themselves sell CDPs or related products and services.

Since CDP Institute members are anything but a random sample of the marketing community, their responses don’t tell us much about the industry as a whole.  Still, it’s worth noting that big B2C companies were much more likely than others to have many disconnected systems and to have a CDP deployment in process or planned for the next future.  This supports the general view that B2C enterprises are the core of the CDP market – although in absolute numbers, there were more CDP deployments under way and planned at  B2B and small B2C firms.

You can download the full survey report here.  Enjoy, and thanks again to those who participated.