My last blog, entitled ABM’s Secret: It’s Not All About the Software, requires amendment in the face of the surprising announcement that Demandbase has acquired Engagio.

My premise was that the thought leadership produced by the hundreds of ABM software vendors gives the impression that ABM is all about the software. In fact, companies that are just beginning their ABM journey should start with the tools they’ve got, pick some spot solutions as the program matures, and go full-funnel when your MarTech can’t keep up.

However, if your organization has a mature ABM program, a silver bullet may indeed have arrived. On June 16, Demandbase announced the acquisition of Engagio. The combination of these top full-funnel ABM providers should create “software to strive for”. Since DemandBase’s strength has always been data management and enrichment, and Engagio’s has always been measurement and analytics, the combination should be hard to beat.

Each platform captures and attributes data differently, the combination of which has great potential. Demandbase claims to use a proprietary IP data algorithm PLUS cookie targeting, allowing intent-driven insights driven by AI with machine learning. Engagio claims to be best at lead matching, analytics and attribution using both IPs and cookies. The blend potentially adds up to an unbeatable account tracking capability.

You may be ready for a Full-Funnel ABM Solution if your existing MarTech is stretched to the limit in these key areas:

• Account and Contact Selection
• Account Insights / Intent Tracking
• Content Management / Personalization
• Programmatic Advertising
• Sales/Marketing Engagement Orchestration
• Performance / Attribution Assessment

Be deliberate in selecting a Full-Funnel solution. With the combination of Demandbase and Engagio, it may make sense to start due diligence there. But there are other choices, each of which will claim to have the exact functionality your company needs. That’s up to you to determine – make sure your purchase criteria are specific. Also be sure to involve stakeholders from Marketing, Sales Development and Field Sales so that everyone wil buy into the decision. Otherwise you’ll have an expensive subscription without broad adoption.

BUT, as we discussed at the beginning of this blog, ABM is not just about software. In fact, there are several steps you company should take before deciding to purchase technology. Don’t miss TPG’s last blog on 3 Powerful (Yet Simple) Secrets Enterprises Can Unlock for Their Account-Based Marketing Strategy.