Cognizant Recognized for Digital Marketing Operations (HITS)
Cognizant has been named to the “Winner’s Circle” in the new HfS Research Blueprint Report: Digital Marketing Operations 2016. According to the Blueprint Report, Cognizant’s use of proprietary technology to create an efficient “factory” for service delivery, commitment to a vision for the future, and a “focus on unique talent” are particular strengths contributing to its Winner’s Circle placement.
“All of us are demanding more from the brands we engage with every day. Marketing leaders know that getting the right content to the right person at the right time can create moments of magic for consumers,” said Gajen Kandiah, President, Cognizant Digital Business. “By linking social science insights with analytics and technology, we can help our clients create long-lasting personal relationships with their customers. We are pleased that HfS has recognized our expertise and approach to helping CMOs and their teams connect data, new technologies, and new business models to drive business growth.”
– Talent strategy: The report notes Cognizant is “harvesting talent with university partnerships and affiliations, as well as a focus on specialized skills�… and data scientists.” Cognizant investments and acquisitions “demonstrate a focus on unique talent, drawing in a human/behavioral science talent capability.”
– Technology for service delivery: Leveraging a proprietary suite of technologies, Cognizant seeks to commoditize and reproduce digital assets in a factory-like model to bring together content development and production, a campaign management hub, and an analytics hub for post-campaign insights and reporting. The HfS report notes client references were impressed with how Cognizant uses this model to speed service delivery.
– Commitment to a vision for the future: The acquisitions of Cadient and Idea Couture, along with a significant investment in ReD Associates, demonstrate Cognizant’s “forward-thinking approach to digital marketing,” according to the report. The HfS report noted that Cognizant clients feel the company has a strong level of commitment to a vision and long-term goals.
“Digital marketing clients want alternatives to the traditional agency model,” said Melissa O’Brien, Research Director at HfS. “Leading providers like Cognizant are grabbing the opportunity to create a digital marketing operations vision and win market share by approaching the model differently, integrating digital expertise as part of their core.”
O’Brien added, “Consider Cognizant’s strategic approach. In acquiring Idea Couture and ownership interest in ReD Associates, two specialty boutique firms focusing on human science/behavioral capabilities, Cognizant demonstrates a focus on cultivating unique, differentiated talent. And, their integrated platform of proprietary digital marketing tools across the service value chain creates a ‘factory’ for agency services. This is not what we see with traditional agencies who buy up digital agencies and run them as separate entities without as much thought to leveraging the assets of each piece across the organization.”