Direct marketing — delivering targeted offers to identifiable targets through specific media and measuring the response — requires a balance of specific skills and technologies. To help manage the process effectively, marketers frequently turn to external service providers. Almost half of the firms that outsource work with more than five external providers — including agencies, data brokers, database management firms, analytics firms, and fulfillment vendors. But choosing among so many service providers presents a challenge for marketers.

Forrester's Marketing Technology & Vendor Selection helps Customer Intelligence professionals manage and understand their complex array of choices. Leverage this product to evaluate your current approach:

• Prioritize requirements for technology or partner selection
• Justify changes or investments that may be necessary
• Establish a strategic road map for implementation

Forrester's Marketing Technology & Vendor Selection helps Customer Intelligence professionals by prioritizing requirements for marketing technologies and vendors. Furthermore, Forrester analysts can help to build the business case for investments and provide strategic guidance to define and prioritize change.

This consulting product is primarily split into three phases:

• Phase 1 — Education. Provide an overview of Forrester's take on the market landscape and ecosystem.
• Phase 2 — Assessment. Assess your current approach and develop a common vision for the marketing road map initiative.
• Phase 3 — Recommendation. Based on your needs, and Forrester's understanding of the market, we draft recommendations and a future-state road map.

Each phase of Forrester's Marketing Technology & Vendor Selection typically includes the following types of deliverables:

• Phase 1: Visioning document for a marketing technology platform or vendor
• Phase 2: In-person workshop or stakeholder interviews by phone
• Phase 3: Future-state road map and business case