Gartner defines the ad tech market as technology for managing digital advertising across channels and devices, including display, video, streaming TV and audio, in-app (including games), social, and search. It provides functions for campaign planning, media buying, advertising analysis, optimization and automation. Ad tech can be used by buy-side and sell-side agents; this evaluation focuses exclusively on buy-side.
Gartner defines customer data platforms (CDPs) as software applications that support marketing and customer experience use cases by unifying a company’s customer data from marketing and other channels. CDPs optimize the timing and targeting of messages, offers and customer engagement activities, and enable the analysis of individual-level customer behavior over time.
Gartner defines multichannel marketing hubs (MMHs) as software applications that orchestrate personalized communications to individuals in common marketing channels. MMHs optimize the timing, format and content of interactions through the analysis of customer data, audience segments and offers. MMHs are foundational for multichannel marketing, customer journey orchestration and next best action programs.