Assessing The Forrester Wave™: Predictive Marketing Analytics for B2B Marketers, Q2 2017

MRP was ranked as a “Strong Performer” in the wave, and we are proud to have done so well in a study that focused solely on predictive analytics capabilities.  As we were going through the preparation for this study with Forrester, they admitted it was difficult for them to categorize MRP.  The premise of the Wave was to evaluate vendors in the predictive analytics space, and Forrester had to conduct their research in a way that would result in an apples to apples comparison.

MRP isn’t just a predictive analytics provider.  We provide an end-to-end ABM solution that starts with predictive intelligence, and integrates a full array of account-based marketing services and products, along with resources to operationalize this incredible intelligence.  We integrate with other platforms within our clients’ ecosystems (CRM systems, marketing automation systems, for example) as well as third party partners to ensure seamless, fast customer engagement.

After reading the final Wave, and seeing how Forrester positioned the need for vendors to operationalize predictive intelligence, we are excited  that Forrester’s vision aligns perfectly with the current capabilities that MRP provides.

Our approach to operationalizing predictive intelligence has always been informed by our strong “lead to revenue” background.  For more than 15 years, for all of our clients around the world, we operate not only at the top of their sales and marketing funnel, but also deep in their pipeline.

Our focus on continuously driving better end results is what brought us into this predictive market in the first place.  It was never our vision to create a stand-alone predictive intelligence platform, or to be solely focused on lead and account scoring.  Rather, our vision was/is to integrate the power of predictive analytics with the speed of integrated execution.  This “operationalized” combination is the heart our Predictive Customer Acquisition platform.

Here are our take-aways from the Wave:

1. Operationalizing predictive intelligence: Forrester’s conclusion that the providers who thrive will operationalize predictive intelligence suggests that MRP’s native integration of predictive analytics with multi-channel, end to end, global ABM execution, bridges the current gap in the market.  Here are several ways in which we do just that:
2. MRP’s digital advertising integration automates the ad bidding process, and uses MRP Prelytix intelligence to better focus the ad spend.
3. MRP’s orchestration module serves as the middleware between the streaming predictive intelligence and our products and resources who execute display, email, direct mail, and outsourced inside sales. This provides our customers with the ability to quickly engage with prospects demonstrating the highest buying intent, ultimately driving greater customer engagement and higher conversions.
4. Does the stand-alone predictive analytics platform market have legs? Forrester alludes to where the market is heading, indicating that stand-alone predictive analytics providers will have to morph into more customer engagement-type platforms to prove business relevancy.

MRP isn’t just a predictive analytics provider. We provide an end-to-end ABM solution that starts with predictive intelligence, and integrates a full array of account-based marketing services and products, along with resources to operationalize this incredible intelligence.

 

JIM REGAN, CMO & CO-FOUNDER

MRP’s position is that integrating predictive intelligence with execution still is just the beginning.  The key differentiator, long-term, will not only be having the ability to measure how this intelligence impacts conversion rates by tactic, content, and channel but more importantly, it will be the critical stream of data inputs  from the ABM execution activities that flow back into the algorithm.  This is the ongoing feedback and input machine learning requires to continuously make smarter predictions.

Operationalizing the intelligence is only the first step.  The data (demand) is constantly changing and the marketers of the future will need to program their response to this ever-shifting landscape, or “active demand” as SiriusDecisions calls it.

That said, it’s not really a question about the future of stand-alone predictive platforms; it’s more a question of what shape these “customer engagement platforms” will take.  For MRP, customer engagement isn’t even enough.  MRP Prelytix is a “Predictive Customer Acquisition” platform.  At the end of the day, driving the business relevancy promised with predictive marketing analytics and data science isn’t just the job of marketing – it’s the job of the entire organization.

We look forward to the Forrester ABM Wave next year and the Waves that follow, as attempts are made to define these huge market shifts and categorize the vendors driving the market forward.