• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 6, 2023

Brands are pouring resources into content management systems (CMS) in an effort to scale up and support omnichannel marketing.

They seek platforms that will provide consistent brand experiences across websites (88%), email (72%) display (64%) and other channels, according to Content Management Systems: The Key To Omnichannel Experiences, a white paper by Winterberry Group.  

However, web and email are less important when firms are evaluating CMS providers. These are the main considerations. Each respondent was asked for their top three: 

• Services and customization capabilities — 52%
• Pricing — 38% 
• Existing customer base and customer references — 29% 
• Deployment — 29% 
• Email service provider — 27%
• Industry expertise — 24% 
• A/B testing — 21%
• Localization — 21%
• Pre-sales support — 18%
• Multisite — 16%
• Geographic coverage — 14%
• Innovation record — 12%   

Similarly, email ranks far down the list of the most significant integrations when evaluating CMS tools: 

• Digital asset management (DAM) — 36% 
• Product Information Management System (PIM) — 30%
• Customer Data Platform (CDP) —29%
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) — 25%
• Marketing Automation Platform — 23% 
• Journey Orchestration and Decisioning Platforms — 19%
• Commerce Platforms — 16% 
• Email Service Provider — 16% 
• Through Channel Management — 14%
• Loyalty Platform — 14%
• Dynamic/Creative Content Optimization — 10%
• Social Media Activation — 10% 
• Demand Side Platform (DSP)/Supply Side Platform (SSP) — 8% 
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) — 8%

CMS platforms are not all the same: there are several basic types, which are here ranked by usage: 

• Hybrid CMS: A mix of traditional and headless tools. The back-end and front-end systems are functionally separated while still maintaining a degree of integration — 29% 
• Digital Experience Platform: Integrated platform that includes data, intelligence and activation capabilities — 26% 
• Decoupled CMS: Solutions where content management functions like centralized storage and content creation are separated from the presentation layer, instead supporting front-end platforms — 17%
• Open-source CMS: Free models used for creating tailored solutions using extensions and plugins — 16%
• Headless CMS: An API-based platform where content and presentation layers operate independently — 9%
• Traditional legacy or coupled CMS (Monolithic): An integrated system that employs pre-existing themes and templates to create digital experiences throughout the customer journey — 4%

What good are CMS tools? The respondents use them for: 

• Content creation — 74% 
• Storage, management and organization of content assets — 71% 
• Content, brand, website and social marketing—53% 
• Segmentation and personalization of customer experiences — 49%
• Delivery of cross-channel and/or omnichannel experiences — 44% 
• Delivery of premium content (across TV/video/digital media, subscriptions and syndications) — 40%
• Enablement and enhancement of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer offerings (e.g., payment and shopping cart gateway integrations) — 36%
• Knowledge base such as documentation and help centers — 36% 
• Management of e-commerce inventory — 35% 
• Intranet and training tools — 18% 

“With so many channels, the need to give audiences consistent content is challenging in itself,” says Michael Harrison, managing director, Winterberry Group, and co-author of the white paper with Charles Ping, managing director, EMEA, and Stephanie Loutsenko, senior engagement manager, of Winterberry Group. “Thankfully, the technology driving today’s state-of-the-art CMS is enabling organizations to adapt.”  

Winterberry Group surveyed 154 U.S. decision makers and influencers of CMS tools with technical and non-technical backgrounds between June and August 2023.