• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, February 28, 2022

Email marketing is a key application in customer data platforms (CDPs), but far from the leading one, judging by the CDP Report 2022, a study by Twilio Segment. 

The most popular app categories (as seen via Twilio Segment) are: 

• Analytics — 91.8% 
• Warehouses — 53.4% 
• Advertising — 53% 
• Heatmaps & Recording — 40.9% 
• Raw Data — 35.7% 
• Tag Managers — 34.6%
• Email Marketing — 33.7%
• Customer success — 21.3% 
• Performance — 15.9% 
• Personalization — 14.4%

The most popular data sources are:

• Javascript — 87.8%
• iOS — 22.7% 
• Node.js — 20.1% 
• Android — 18.2%
• Http API — 18.6%

This study is based on anonymized, aggregated usage behavior of Twilio Segment’s 25,000+ customers from November 1st, 2020 to November 1st, 2021. It includes only tools that had active integrations in Segment prior to November 1, 2021. 

In general, it was a big year for data warehousing and analytics platforms, as shown by this list of the fastest-growing apps:

• Snowflake — 78% 
• BigQuery — 56%
• Google Ads — 44% 
• Facebook — 40%
• Klaviyo — 33%
• Split — 31% 
• Braze — 30%
• Iterable — 29%
• Pinterest — 29%
• LinkedIn — 28%

Several such products have email capabilities. For instance, “platforms like Iterable have expanded their offerings to empower brands as they connect with consumers across email and mobile channels,” the study notes. 

Others, like Klaviyo, started out primarily as email platforms, then expanded their offerings. 

This is an important factor as retailers are faced with the task of providing online the personal experiences an in-store associate can provide.

“That can mean everything from real-time support online, product recommendations via email, or even strategically providing coupons to customers most likely to convert,” it notes.  

Meanwhile, marketers are also pouring more dollars into walled gardens in preparation for the loss of cookies. The most popular apps in this areas are:

• Google Analytics — 72%
• Mixpanel — 54%
• Facebook Pixel — 44%
• Amplitude — 43%
• Intercom — 40%
• Google Tag Manager — 36%
• Webhooks — 29%
• Google Ads — 27%
• Hotjar — 23%
• Fullstory — 22%

The study notes that activating, converting, retaining, and growing users is not only done using paid media — "it’s done with email, SMS, and a litany of other channels.”

The takeaway from this? That businesses must be able to “make their first-party data accessible not only to paid media but to other equally important channels.”