Adobe Experience Platform vs. SessionM

I think AEP is ahead of its competitors when it comes to hosting customer data for various use cases. It’s seamless integration with other Adobe products like AJO or CJA make it a very compelling overall package.

It may not be very applicable for smaller or medium sized businesses. There could be an opportunity for Adobe to bring in a trimmed down version for such customers.

Incentivized

SessionM is ideal for enterprise restaurants, brands, and organizations to build and drive loyal behaviors via technology platforms. They've built their system via robust APIs integrations, but are now diving into a white label app system that allows smaller brands (100 units+) to utilize their incredible technology in their own brand, as opposed to just bigger players. They're the best at what they do.

Incentivized

• Host online/offline data with common IDs
• Ease of profile activation to destinations
• Flexibility around how many sources and destinations can be used to move data

Incentivized

• Using data science to determine guest tendencies and actions: their system is incredibly smart and tracks historical actions to guess/estimate future actions, and creating programs to influence those actions.
• Integrated communication platforms to speak to all of our guests within various tactics—email, push notifications, text messages, in-app messages, etc.
• Loyalty management & CRM: creating and managing a program that runs consistently across the system.

Incentivized

• You need to be well trained and resourced to use the product
• Features and integration work but often times you need to pay Adobe consultants for help
• Not transparent in their pricing per customer

Incentivized

• Some improvement could be made on their integrations process with all platforms (olo, monkey media, etc.).

Incentivized

It is useful when executed properly

Incentivized

AEP works very well with the entire Adobe suite of products and services making it a must-have product from a marketing standpoint. The fact that you are able to understand the customer and have a better impact with the customer journey is really helpful. We have also used AEP data to cross sell products to our customers through email campaigns/ offers m/ advertising etc but to have all this data stored in a single place makes it very convenient.

Incentivized

Adobe has support at all levels and for each product but beyond tool questions you'll often be told they can help but it requires some paid consulting hours. So you either hire Adobe consultants or find 3rd part consultants who know their products well.

Incentivized

In most cases we have found Adobe products to be harder to use but offer a lot more capabilities. In some cases Adobe products are missing key, basic functions. Adobe does offer a more holistic toolset rather than buying pieces of the puzzle and having to integrate on your own but that results in paying for a higher price tag.

Incentivized

SessionM was light years ahead of Fishbowl, in the data science tendency assumptions that are built into the system, plus they don't offer an app for your brand to use. You'd have to employ a 3rd vendor to manage that. It's also important to note that SessionM sees ALL guests and POS content in the system, not just loyalty identified transactions.

Incentivized

• The platform has allowed us to mature into digital spaces we couldn't otherwise have experienced
• Contract pricing went up yearly on some products by 200%
• We were able to consolidate email tools to save on yearly contract expenses

Incentivized

• Our work with SessionM has been so incredibly impactful to our brand loyal guests, and the value they bring to our brand. For example, our loyal guests are worth $100+ more than our non-loyalty guests.

Incentivized