Short answer
A customer data platform (CDP) collects customer data from many sources, unifies it into a single profile per person, and makes those profiles available to marketing, service, analytics and AI tools. Salesforce Data 360 is a CDP; Braze and HubSpot include CDP-like capabilities.
Customer Data Platform (CDP) explained
A CDP sits between source systems and the tools that act on customer data. It ingests events and records, applies identity resolution, calculates attributes and segments, and activates audiences to channels such as email, ads, apps and agents. Unlike a data warehouse, a CDP is designed for marketers and operations teams to use directly, often in real time.
Many firms now pair a CDP with an existing data warehouse using zero-copy connections rather than duplicating data.
How Vantage Point helps: we help firms decide whether they need a CDP, then implement Data 360 or connect Braze and HubSpot to their data platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CDP and a CRM?
A CRM manages relationships and sales or service work on known customers. A CDP unifies data from many systems, including anonymous and behavioural data, for segmentation and activation.
Do I need a CDP if I have a data warehouse?
Not always. A warehouse stores and models data; a CDP adds identity resolution, segmentation and activation that business teams can use directly.