Raab Associates Inc.

Raab Associates Inc. has released a trio of free papers that define requirements for demand generation systems and clarify how they differ from other customer management systems.

The new papers are available at www.raabguide.com, the Web site of the Raab Guide to Demand Generation Systems.  They are part of the site’s library of materials that help marketers understand and evaluate demand generation products.

The first paper in the set, “Introduction to Demand Generation Systems”, defines demand generation systems as products that “help marketers acquire, nurture and distribute leads to sales”.   It illustrates demand generation process flows, identifies six primary tasks, and describes typical system features for each task.  Readers gain a comprehensive framework for evaluating systems and an understanding of differences between major products.

“Demand Generation vs Marketing Automation” explains that both types of systems are used by marketers, but demand generation systems are focused on lead acquisition, while marketing automation systems cover acquisition, relationship growth, and retention.  The paper lists the five main functions of marketing automation and describes how typical demand generation systems perform them.  Readers gain a clear picture of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two sets of products.

“Demand Generation vs. Customer Relationship Management” compares the focused nature of demand generation systems with the broad scope of integrated CRM suites, which are used by marketing, sales and service for interactions across the customer life cycle.  It identifies the trade-off between integration and specialized functionality as the key choice faced by CRM users deciding whether they need a dedicated demand generation product.  Readers learn how well CRM systems perform demand generation functions and the underlying technical differences between the two sets of products.

The Raab Guide to Demand Generation Systems is an independent study of major demand generation vendors including Eloqua, Vtrenz, Marketo, Manticore Technology and Market2Lead.  The 125-page Guide includes a detailed vendor comparison matrix, narrative descriptions of each product, and instructions for running a system selection project.  The Guide is published by Raab Associates Inc. www.raabassociatesinc.com, widely recognized experts in marketing technology evaluation.

For more information contact: Joyce Stein, jstein@raabassociates.com, 914-241-2117.