I’m excited to share that “The Forrester Wave™: Data Management Platforms In Asia Pacific, Q3 2019” is now live. It’s the first time we evaluated data management platform (DMP) vendors’ capabilities in Asia Pacific (AP). In our 39-criterion evaluation, we identified the 10 most significant ones — Adobe, BrainPad, Cxense, iPinYou, Lotame, nEqual, Oracle, Salesforce, TalkingData, and TG360 — and researched, analyzed, and scored them on current offering, strategy, and market presence.

Marketers in AP are increasingly embracing data-driven marketing. A whopping 65% of marketing decision makers we surveyed in AP say that they plan to spend more of their marketing budgets on market research or data services in the next 12 months. China and Japan are now two of the five largest customer data markets in the world. Despite the size of the opportunity, global DMP players are still underinvesting in the region; they either get a small percentage of their DMP revenue from AP markets or have no business presence at all in the region.

When global vendors do take DMPs to market in AP, the offerings can be inferior to what they provide in the US and Europe. Meanwhile, local DMP providers, especially in China, Japan, and South Korea, have developed competitive DMPs that address local marketers’ needs and adapt to local market intricacies. In AP, the sophistication of DMP technology alone won’t cut it; local market relevance is essential. Marketers in the region should look for DMP providers that:

  • Integrate with local data and marketing ecosystems. Integration with local ecosystems — such as data providers for ingestion and adtech players and marketing platforms for activation — is the cornerstone of a well-functioning DMP.
  • Unleash the power of data with advanced analytics. Leading DMPs invest aggressively in machine learning and data science to elevate capabilities such as predictive analytics.
  • Take market-specific approaches in Asia Pacific. Vendors should take more localized approaches, especially market-specific ones, to realize business success and reap positive customer feedback.

To see how the evaluated vendors stack up, Forrester clients can find the full report here — but keep in mind that the written report just scratches the surface of the full evaluation. Download the interactive scorecard tool and use it to customize the Forrester Wave model for your organization’s objectives.

Forrester clients can also register for the webinar about this Wave. It will be on Tuesday, August 13 from 11–11:40 a.m. Eastern time. The recorded webinar will also be available online afterward.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into the findings of the evaluation or want to discuss DMPs more broadly, please schedule an inquiry.

Meanwhile, I’m working on a follow-up report, “Applying The Forrester Wave™: Data Management Platforms In Asia Pacific, Q3 2019,” to help DMP buyers better leverage this Wave. In this upcoming report, we’ll compile additional insights shared by DMP customers in conversations with Forrester during the evaluation process. Highlights include what drives people to select or leave a vendor and how DMP buyers should go about applying the Forrester Wave to their organization’s specific needs and preferences. Stay tuned.