Late last month, Teradata Corporation (NYSE: TDC), the world’s largest company solely focused on data warehousing and business analytics, announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Aprimo.
. . . And that, my friends, is how to start the New Year with a BANG!
Seriously, though, I see this planned merger as significant on many different levels –not the least of which is that it underscores
- the need for integrated marketing software and
- the growing focus on overall marketing performance
Today, marketing defines the brand. It differentiates the business. It delivers sustainable revenue growth. And now, more than ever before, companies increasingly rely on information technologies to help achieve these goals. Combining Teradata’s powerful analytics with Aprimo’s innovative marketing will empower clients to integrate, streamline and continuously accelerate profitable growth.
via blogs.forbes.com
So says Lisa Arthur, Aprimo's CMO.
As core marketing services offered by providers (MSPs) become more commoditised, the perceived value rises in being able to pull it all together across production, planning, set up and execution.
That's a value chain that incumbents are ill positioned to deliver upon...for now. They simply don't have the mind-boggling strength in depth around customer analytics that Teradata has, nor the capability to configure content for multichannel delivery, nor a deep understanding of marketing resource management, nor the taxonomy skills to optimise across media.
As I've mentioned before, over reliance on a marketing execution platform (aka campaign management) to integrate marketing channels is plain wrong. It overcomplicates process, forces unnatural workflows that cost time and resources, and demands marketing organisations chuck out many existing components and reinvest body and soul...yet again.
These guys, on the other hand, look like they are exceptionally well positioned to pull it all together: a space worth watching.
