Adobe Named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management

It takes a great product or service to be named a leader in a Gartner Magic Quadrant (MQ) report. Adobe recently earned that designation in the MQ report focused on CRM lead management. It’s the result of Adobe’s focus on implementing new functionality and capabilities within Marketo Engage, part of Adobe Experience Cloud, to meet the changing demands of B2B customers. The processes of just a few years ago are no longer the right ones for today and the future, and Marketo Engage has evolved with the times.

Brian Glover, head of product marketing for Marketo Engage at Adobe, says, “There have been big shifts in the market tied to fundamental differences in how B2B-focused firms are now interacting with and managing leads. There are three critical changes that lead management applications must respond to for enabling successful outcomes.”

Those three lead management initiatives are:

• Moving from focusing on individual leads to focusing on accounts: The movement to an account-focused approach has occurred in nearly every industry. This focus makes it possible to view a lead in the context of the entire organization and provides a better understanding of the role, location, buying authority, and relationships to other leads or customers in that firm. This is particularly beneficial because marketing and sales teams are now working together more closely. Sales teams rely on the context provided by account-focused lead orientation to succeed. This change also supports account-based marketing (ABM) initiatives, which are becoming the preferred way to go to market for B2B-focused companies.
• Shifting from campaign-centric processes to focus on the prospect experience: Successful businesses are moving away from campaign-focused activities and instead deploying an engaging long-term experience for prospects. This requires personalized or segmented lead programs that are attuned to each prospect. When individual leads were the focus, “finding a name” was the key to success; the new approach, emphasizing experience-based lead management, requires a lead management platform that can support this elemental change.
• Using AI to personalize and focus lead management activities: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a foundational technology for moving from batch or campaign-based programs to personalized outreach programs. AI makes it possible to personalize and segment outbound lead activity at scale. In addition, focused and intelligent lead management improves the prospect experience, with fewer annoying or unneeded interactions. This personalization and focus also supports the “long game”: delivery of valuable and frequent interaction with leads to support the long sales cycle common for B2B firms.

Successful lead management today is very different from what it was just a few years ago. B2B marketers need a lead management solution that supports these changes.

“Infusing lead management platforms with the latest technologies and capabilities that enable greater personalization and support ABM activities defines leadership,” says Glover.  

Go here to download the full Gartner report.