Get to Know UCD

What Is a Customer Data Platform (CDP)?

A Customer Data Platform (CDP) is a tool that helps companies bring all their customer data together. It collects data from different sources—like websites, apps, emails, stores, and more—to build a full picture of each customer.

There are different types of CDPs, each designed for different needs:

• Access CDPs focus on collecting and storing data. They create a single view of the customer by pulling in data from many systems.
• Analytics CDPs help companies analyze customer behavior. They offer smart features like AI-based predictions and detailed journey analysis.
• Campaign CDPs use customer data to create personalized experiences—sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

Why Is a CDP Important?

Today, customer data comes from many different places. Each touchpoint holds valuable information about customer behavior, preferences, and interactions. But when this data is scattered across different systems, it becomes hard to make sense of it—let alone use it effectively.

That’s where a CDP comes in. It connects all these data sources and brings them into a single, unified view. It creates a complete profile for each customer by linking their interactions across channels. This gives marketers the clarity and confidence to deliver more relevant messages, create more personalized experiences, and make smarter decisions.

What Is Insider’s UCD?

UCD stands for Unified Customer Database, and it’s the heart of Insider’s CDP technology. It brings together all the customer behavior data from different places—like your website, mobile app, CRM system, or even offline places like call centers and physical stores.

It connects data using identifiers, which are something unique about each person, like their email, phone number, or user ID. That way, even if they use different devices or channels, you still see one complete customer profile.

UCD collects two types of data:

• Events: Things people do, like buying a product, clicking a link, or opening your app.
• Attributes: Details about people, like their name, birthday, or favorite product.

By using these, UCD helps you group customers into segments and send them the right message at the right time, through any channel you use—like email, app push, or web push.

Watch this video to get started with UCD.

Is UCD the Same as a CDP?

Not exactly—and that’s our strength.

UCD might fit under the Campaign CDP category—but it’s so much more than that. Unlike typical Campaign CDPs, UCD helps you turn data into action. That’s why we call it an actionable CDP.

With UCD, you can:

• Collect data from multiple sources automatically
• Explore and segment audiences easily
• Enrich targeting with built-in AI
• Activate campaigns across channels with precision

UCD doesn’t try to do everything a CDP can do, but it gives you what matters most: turning data into results, fast. And we’re constantly enhancing it with new features.

Real-Life Use Cases

Here are some real ways brands use Insider’s UCD to grow their business:

• Bring users back to your app: Send emails to people who haven’t opened your app recently and remind them why they love it.
• Reach users who ignore emails: Send app pushes to users who didn’t open your emails or web pushes, so they stay connected with your brand.
• Help new users explore more: When someone signs up on your website, take them on a journey. First send an email encouraging them to install your app. If they don’t after 7 days, send another message—maybe a Web Push or another Email.
• Use CRM data smartly: Send special offers to loyal or at-risk customers based on your own CRM data.
• Run deeper analysis: Export raw customer data and use it in your BI tools or to update your CRM.
• Power your own systems: Get user attributes and events to send messages using your own messaging tools.
• Use your own targeting: Check if a user belongs to a certain segment before showing them content through your own systems.

Key Takeaways

• UCD is not just a CDP. It’s an actionable CDP designed to help you turn customer data into real results.
• It unifies customer actions (events) and personal details (attributes) from online and offline sources.
• It helps you segment your audience with AI, personalize their experiences, and send the right message at the right time.
• UCD already supports strong marketing actions, and even more features are on the way.
• Whether you’re in e-commerce, travel, retail, or beyond, UCD gives you the power to understand and engage your audience.

With UCD, you’re not just collecting data—you’re making it work for you. Start turning customer journeys into success stories!