Research has shown that almost half of B2B marketers (49%) are planning to test and/or deploy ABM tools in 2018. While there are plenty of solutions to choose from, a new report from Forrester revealed that marketers are leaning more towards comprehensive ABM solutions versus specialized point tools.
The report, titled The Forrester New Wave: ABM Platforms, Q2 2018, focuses on emerging ABM technology. The company evaluated 14 vendors, including 6sense, Demandbase, Engagio, Jabmo, Lattice Engines, Madison Logic, MRP, Radius, RollWorks, TechTarget, Terminus, Triblio, True Influence and ZenIQ. The report ranked the top three platforms as:
- Demandbase for its “robust complimentary capabilities, [which make it] the best fit for companies that want a comprehensive ABM platform”;
- MRP, which offers leading AI-powered insights, orchestration and engagement, and is best suited for marketers looking for a long-term vision of machine learning; and
- Jabmo (formerly known as Azalead), which the report praised for its powerful platform to help marketers identify and engage early-stage buyers.
The vendors were evaluated based on a survey of 10 criteria and were ranked as either differentiated, on par or needs improvement for each section. The criteria included:
- Account selection;
- Contact selection;
- Insights;
- Personalization;
- Programmatic advertising;
- Engagement orchestration;
- Performance assessment;
- Product road map;
- Product vision; and
- Market approach.
According to the report, Forrester also interviewed customer references and conducted a two-hour briefing with each vendor. Demandbase emerged as the leading ABM platform, followed by MRP and Jabmo, respectively.
While Forrester was conducting its research, 6sense announced plans to acquire ZenIQ, Radius merged with Leadspace and Terminus acquired BrightFunnel. Since the mergers and acquisitions were announced mid-research, the companies were evaluated as separate entities based on their current offerings, according to Forrester.
