Tag management systems have become more widely adopted and mature. (1) Tag management functionality is now standard across most vendors, and tag management capabilities have become a common feature rather than a standalone product. (2) Tag management allows organizations to more easily manage tags across websites, applications, and internal/external teams through distributed and democratized access. (3) As tag management systems evolve, their focus is expanding beyond tag distribution to also include capabilities like data management, privacy controls, and directly leveraging data for marketing platforms and real-time decisioning.

1. Enterprise Tag Management
Tag Management:
The State of the Union
Joe Stanhope
Principal Analyst
Forrester

3. Source: March 11, 2011, “Welcome To The Era Of Agile Commerce” Forrester report

4. As customer experiences and
marketing evolve so too must
analytics.

5. Analytics must support the business
Source: November 2, 2011, “What Does The Web Analytics Industry Want To Be When It Grows Up?” Forrester report

6. Introducing Digital
Intelligence
Image source: Jean Guichard (http://www.jean-guichard.com/)

7. Digital intelligence
New mobile and application
channels enter the
mainstream; Internet access
Digital analytics explodes through adoption
New social channels and new devices.
enter the mainstream;
enterprise technology
vendors enter the nt
market through rese
Web analytics 1-P
acquisition. 201
JavaScript accepted
as the measurement
instrument of choice,
0
along with the se cond 01
Web server log generation of vendors and 07-2
Google analytics 20
analytics
Emergence of World
Wide Web and the web
browser; creation of the 06
-20
first commercial website 00
analytics software 20
99
-19
93
19

8. Digital data Business Data Data
inputs data inputs processing warehouse Analysis Action
Games
Ratings and
comments
Mobile website
Fixed Internet
website Performance
monitoring
Design
Email Direct response
and brand metrics
Personalization
Organic search
Product Data mining
Campaign
Paid search management
CRM/ Data collection Static reports and
customer dashboards Privacy
Display management
advertising Tag management Digital intelligence Dynamic reports
POS data warehouse and dashboards
Targeting
Video
Transactions Data ETL Segmentation
Social networks Optimization
Finance KPIs Customer
Affiliates relationship
Interaction management
Mobile analysis
Support and
applications contact center
Forecasting
eCommerce
Social listening
Live chat
Voice of customer
Source: February 10, 2012, “Welcome To The Era Of Digital Intelligence” Forrester report

9. The six core tenets of digital intelligence
Customer centric
Data agnostic
Actionable
Intelligent
Distributed
Right time

10. Digital Intelligence Is
Built On Data

11. Behavior
Consumer
Touchpoints
Action
Behavioral Recom- Enterprise
Testing targeting mendations applications
Analysis
Web Interaction Mobile web Performance Attribution
analytics analytics analytics monitoring
Social Voice of the Application Competitive Predictive
Reporting analytics customer analytics intelligence analytics
Data
Tag Data feeds Data
management & integrations warehouse

12. No single solution does it all
Source: November 2, 2011, “What Does The Web Analytics Industry Want To Be When It Grows Up?” Forrester report

13. Users add tools as their needs grow
Source: November 2, 2011, “What Does The Web Analytics Industry Want To Be When It Grows Up?” Forrester report

14. Tagging is a fact of life
JavaScript tagging is the de facto technology standard for online data
collection
• “Easy to implement”
• “SaaS friendly”
But it’s an addictive hack
• Spanning numerous applications across marketing and
analytics
And the data collection remit continues to expand
• Emerging channels
• Compiled environments such as rich media and applications

15. There’s Got To Be A
Better Way

18. 1. Types Of
“What types of tags do you deploy via your tag management system?”
Tags Have
Web analytics 88%
Proliferated
Search marketing 64%
Ad serving 62%
Affiliate marketing 59%
Behavioral targeting 50%
Testing 47%
Audience measurement 42%
Social media 38%
Voice of the customer
(surveys and feedback) 26%
Recommendations 14%
Other 5%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey

19. “On average, how often do you do the following activities using your tag management system?”
2. Managing Several times per day 0%
0%
1%
Tags is a Daily
3%
4%
4%
Constant Less than daily but multiple
times per week
5%
12%
Edit existing tags
1% Add new tags
Battle Weekly 8%
13%
Deactivate or remove tags
7%
Less than weekly but 20%
20%
multiple times per mo nth 5%
24%
Monthly 22%
18%
Less than monthly but multiple 9%
12%
times per quarter
21%
4%
Quarterly 12%
18%
9%
Less than quarterly 12%
14%
1%
Other 3%
4%
3%
Don’t know 4%
7%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(percentages do not total 100 because of rounding)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey

20. 3. Few
Organizations
Have Robust
Processes In
Place
“To what degree does your firm adhere to a structured process
when adding, revising, or removing tags?”
(Select one)
Managing tags follows formalized processes 38%
for some tasks but is mostly ad hoc
Managing tags follows formalized processes for
most tasks, but some tasks are ad hoc 28%
Managing tags is predominantly an ad hoc process 26%
Managing tags follows a highly formalized process 7%
Other 1%
Base: 76 tag management end users
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey

21. 2012: Tag Management Gains
Credibility

22. Tag management had a big year in 2012
Most users are now familiar with tag management fundamentals
• Popularized semantics
• Definition of a TMS and key functionality
• Potential benefits
Users are doing their homework
• Working to understand the dynamic vendor landscape
• Defining TMS requirements
• Homegrown options are receding
Heavy hitter vendors Adobe and Google validate the upstarts

23. “How long have you had your current tag management solution?”
Less than six months 22%
Six months to less than one year 28%
One year to less than two years 29%
Two years to less than three years 13%
Three years to less than four years 1%
Four years to less than five years 1%
Five years or longer 0%
Don’t know 5%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(percentages do not total 100 because of rounding)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

24. “What is your preferred method of supporting tag management?”
(Select one)
Manage entirely in-house 66%
Work with an external agency
or consultancy 20%
Work with our vendor’s professional 11%
services group
Allow vendor to manage the entire process 1%
Allow external agency or consultancy to 1%
manage the entire process
Other 1%
Base: 76 tag management end users
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

25. “Which topics represent the three greatest challenges that you seek to resolve with your
tag management system?”
(Select up to three)
Duration of the process to implement new 45%
or revised tags
Website development and code release cycles 42%
Page-load performance 36%
The technical skills required to manage tags 32%
The manual nature of managing tags 22%
Flexibility to evaluate and adopt new vendors 20%
Cost of managing tags 17%
Data quality 13%
Amount of time spent managing tags by staff 13%
Ensuring consistency across pages and sites 12%
Number of staff and departments involved 11%
in managing tags
Maintaining tags on a long- term basis 8%
Removing old and/or decommissioned tags 7%
from websites
Enforcing standards and policies, such as privacy 4%
Other 7%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

26. “What are the top three benefits your company has realized through tag management?”
(Select up to three)
Ability to manage tags outside of website 49%
development and code release cycles
Reduction in the duration of the process to 42%
implement new or revised tags
Managing tags requires less time by staff 33%
Improved flexibility to evaluate and 28%
adopt new vendors
Ability to manage tags without coding or 26%
advanced technical skills
Improved page-load performance 22%
Reduced cost associated with managing tags 17%
Improved tag consistency across pages and sites 16%
Tags are more accurate, resulting in improved data 13%
quality, measurement, and marketing attribution
Managing tags requires fewer staff 11%
Ability to manage tags through 9%
automated processes
Tags have complete coverage, resulting in improved 4%
data quality, measurement, and marketing attribution
Ability to remove old and/or decommissioned tags 3%
from websites
Ability to enforce standards and policies, 0%
such as privacy
Other 1%
No benefits 4%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(multiple responses accepted)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

27. “How long does it take on average to implement a new or revised tag?”
8%
An hour or less
53%
7%
Several hours
14%
3%
A day
13%
17%
Several days
9%
13%
A week
3%
22%
Several weeks
4%
12%
One to two months
0%
9%
Two to three months Prior to using a tag
0%
management system
3% Using a tag
Three to six months management system
0%
3%
Longer than six months
1%
4%
Don’t know
3%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(percentages do not total 100 because of rounding)
Source: Q2 2012 Global Tag Management User Online Survey
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

28. Tag Management Goes
Mainstream

29. Myth #1
I only need Tag “How many unique tags do you deploy via your tag management system in total?”
One 5%
Management if 2-5 28%
I have dozens 6-10 18%
of Tags 11-15 12%
16-20 9%
21-30 5%
31-40 3%
41-50 1%
51-75 4%
76-100 3%
101+ 8%
Don’t know 4%
None 0%
Base: 76 tag management end users

30. Myth #2 “How many vendors are represented by the tags deployed via your tag management system?”
I only need One 11%
Tag 2-5 38%
Management if 6-10 30%
I have dozens 11-15 5%
16-20 7%
of vendors 21-30 3%
31-40 4%
41-50 0%
51-75 0%
76-100 0%
101+ 1%
Don’t know 0%
None 1%
Base: 76 tag management end users
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

31. Myth #3
I only need
Tag
Management if
“On average, what is the monthly volume of unique visitors to the
my website is properties on which you have deployed tag management?”
Up to 50,000 unique visitors 26%
huge Up to 250,000 unique visitors 14%
Up to 1 million unique visi tors 17%
Up to 2.5 million unique visitors 8%
Up to 5 million unique visi tors 14%
Up to 10 million unique visitors 7%
Up to 50 million unique visitors 3%
Over 50 million unique visitors 1%
Don’t know 9%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(percentages do not total 100 because of rounding)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

32. Myth #4
I only need
Tag
Management if
I sell to
consumers “In your job, which of the following best describes the audience
that your products or marketing are targeted to?”
Only consumers 26%
Primarily consumers 31%
Equal combination of consumers 22%
and businesses
Primarily businesses 14%
Only businesses 6%
Base: 76 tag management end users
(percentages do not total 100 because of rounding)
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

33. Looking Ahead
Image source: Flickr

34. 1 The TMS Business
Matures
Image source: Investors Live

35. TMS grows into adolescence
Tag management continues to evolve
• Tag management capabilities and commercials standardize
• Tag management functionality becomes a feature
• Tag management becomes a global phenomenon
The vendor landscape settles in for the long haul
• Platforms will continue to add or align with TMS capabilities
• SMB and enterprise options emerge
• Anticipate vendor consolidation!
• Strong independent vendors continue to offer value

36. 2 Distributed Tag
Management
Image source: Walmart

37. Democratized access drives agility
Internal users
• IT
• Marketing and eCommerce
• Analytics
Third parties
• Agencies
• Vendors
• Contractors
TMS usability follows suit
• UX design
• Administration and workflow
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

38. 3 Data Management
Image source: High Definition Wallpapers (http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/319737.html)

39. TMS goes beyond tag distribution
Privacy management
• Compliance
• Independence
Manage the data layer
• Quality assurance
• Consistency
• Control
Data syndication
• Single point of collection
• Distribution
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

40. 4 Marketing Platform
Support
Image source: Flickr

41. Focus shifts to directly leveraging real
time data flows
Attribution
Reporting and audit
Optimization and decisioning
Across multiple platforms
• Apps
• Mobile
• Media
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

42. Digital intelligence levels the
playing field.
Tag management delivers
tangible benefits.
The magic of tag management lies
in the data.
© 2012 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

43. Thank you
Joe Stanhope
+1 617.613.8929
jstanhope@forrester.com
blogs.forrester.com/joseph_stanhope
@joestanhope

44. #agility2013