Demandbase

What is Demandbase?

Demandbase is a comprehensive account-based marketing (ABM) platform that combines advertising, sales intelligence, and engagement capabilities into a unified solution for B2B go-to-market teams. Founded in 2006, Demandbase pioneered the account-based advertising category and has evolved into a full-stack platform that helps organizations identify, reach, and engage target accounts across the entire buying journey.

What distinguishes Demandbase is its heritage in account-based advertising combined with its expansion into a complete GTM platform. The solution integrates advertising capabilities with intent data, account identification, sales intelligence, and engagement orchestration. This enables organizations to execute coordinated account-based programs that span awareness through conversion with consistent targeting and measurement.

Demandbase serves thousands of B2B organizations globally, from growth-stage companies to Fortune 500 enterprises. The platform has consolidated multiple point solutions through strategic acquisitions, creating a unified offering that addresses the full spectrum of ABM needs. Organizations use Demandbase to improve marketing efficiency, accelerate sales cycles, and drive measurable revenue impact from account-based initiatives.

Key Features

• Account Identification: Identifies companies visiting your website and engaging with content using IP intelligence and proprietary matching technology
• Intent Data: Integrates Bombora intent data and proprietary signals to identify accounts actively researching relevant topics
• ABM Advertising: Industry-leading account-based advertising capabilities reaching target accounts across display, social, and connected TV
• Personalization: Dynamic website personalization that adapts content and messaging based on visitor company and engagement stage
• Sales Intelligence: Provides sales teams with account insights, buying signals, and contact information to prioritize outreach
• Account Scoring: AI-powered scoring models predict which accounts are most likely to convert based on fit and engagement signals
• Journey Analytics: Tracks account progression through buying stages and measures engagement across touchpoints
• Orchestration: Coordinates personalized experiences across advertising, web, email, and sales channels
• Data Foundation: Comprehensive B2B database with company information, technographics, and verified contact data
• Revenue Attribution: Connects marketing activities to pipeline and revenue outcomes for ROI measurement

Latest Updates

Demandbase continues enhancing its Smarter GTM platform with AI advancements and expanded capabilities for account-based marketing and sales.

• Demandbase One: Unified platform consolidating all ABM capabilities into a single cohesive experience
• AI Enhancements: Improved machine learning models for account scoring, intent detection, and next best action recommendations
• Connected TV: Expanded advertising capabilities to reach B2B buyers through streaming television platforms
• Enhanced Intent: Deeper integration with Bombora and expanded proprietary intent signals for better coverage
• Sales Engagement: New capabilities for sales teams including cadence execution and multi-channel outreach
• Improved Analytics: Enhanced reporting and attribution capabilities connecting activities to revenue outcomes
• Privacy Updates: Enhanced compliance features addressing evolving privacy regulations globally
• API Expansion: Extended APIs enabling deeper integration with existing marketing and sales technology stacks

System Requirements

Web Application

• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Stable internet connection
• JavaScript enabled
• Demandbase tracking script on website

Integrations

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics
• Marketing Automation: Marketo, HubSpot, Pardot, Eloqua
• Advertising platforms for campaign activation
• Sales engagement: Outreach, Salesloft

Browser Extension

• Chrome browser for sales intelligence extension
• Active Demandbase license

How to Install Demandbase

Platform Setup

1. Contact Demandbase sales for demo and pricing
2. Complete enterprise agreement and implementation kickoff
3. Install Demandbase tracking tag on website
4. Connect CRM and marketing automation systems
5. Configure target account lists and segments
6. Set up advertising campaigns and personalization
7. Train teams on platform capabilities

Website Tracking

// Add Demandbase tag to website
<script type="text/javascript">
  // Demandbase tracking code provided during setup
  // Deploy via tag manager or direct implementation
</script>

CRM Integration

1. Install Demandbase package from Salesforce AppExchange
2. Configure connection and authentication
3. Map account and contact fields
4. Set up sync schedules and workflows
5. Configure alerts and notifications

Sales Intelligence Extension

1. Install Demandbase browser extension from Chrome Web Store
2. Sign in with your Demandbase credentials
3. Access account insights while browsing LinkedIn and web
4. Configure alert preferences

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Advertising Heritage: Industry-leading ABM advertising capabilities with extensive targeting and reach across channels
• Unified Platform: Comprehensive solution covering advertising, personalization, sales intelligence, and analytics in one platform
• Intent Data Quality: Bombora partnership combined with proprietary signals provides robust intent data coverage
• Website Personalization: Powerful dynamic content capabilities for creating personalized experiences for target accounts
• Strong Integrations: Extensive connections with major CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement platforms
• Enterprise-Grade: Proven platform serving large enterprise deployments with sophisticated requirements
• Revenue Attribution: Robust measurement capabilities connecting ABM activities to pipeline and revenue

Cons

• Enterprise Pricing: High cost structure makes Demandbase primarily accessible to larger organizations
• Complexity: Full-featured platform requires significant implementation effort and ongoing optimization
• Advertising Focus: Organizations not running ABM advertising may not utilize full platform value
• Learning Curve: Comprehensive capabilities require time for teams to master and use effectively
• B2B Only: Platform designed exclusively for B2B use cases; not applicable to B2C organizations

Demandbase vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Demandbase?

Demandbase is ideal for:

• Enterprise Marketing Teams: Large marketing organizations running sophisticated ABM programs with advertising as a core channel
• B2B Advertisers: Organizations investing significantly in account-based advertising who need targeting and measurement
• Revenue Operations: RevOps teams seeking to unify marketing and sales around common account intelligence
• ABM Program Owners: Practitioners responsible for end-to-end account-based programs needing comprehensive orchestration
• Technology Companies: SaaS and tech vendors with complex sales cycles benefiting from targeted engagement
• Financial Services: B2B financial services firms using advertising to reach target accounts in regulated industries

Demandbase may not be ideal for:

• B2C Companies: Platform designed exclusively for B2B; consumer-focused businesses should look elsewhere
• Small Businesses: Enterprise pricing makes Demandbase cost-prohibitive for small teams with limited budgets
• Non-Advertisers: Organizations not running ABM advertising may not realize full platform value
• Simple Sales Cycles: Companies with transactional, low-touch sales may not need sophisticated ABM capabilities

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Demandbase different from 6sense?

While both platforms serve the ABM market, Demandbase has deeper heritage in account-based advertising with more mature ad targeting and measurement capabilities. 6sense emphasizes its proprietary intent data and predictive models. Demandbase partners with Bombora for intent while adding proprietary signals. Organizations heavily investing in ABM advertising may prefer Demandbase, while those prioritizing intent data may lean toward 6sense.

Does Demandbase provide contact data?

Yes, Demandbase includes verified B2B contact data as part of its platform. The data foundation provides company information, technographics, and contact details that sales teams can use for outreach. However, organizations needing extensive contact data at scale may want to supplement with dedicated data providers like ZoomInfo or Lusha.

How does Demandbase personalization work?

Demandbase personalizes website experiences by identifying visiting companies and serving dynamic content based on account attributes and engagement stage. You can customize headlines, images, calls-to-action, and entire page layouts for specific accounts or segments. This happens in real-time without requiring visitors to identify themselves, creating relevant experiences that improve conversion rates.

What advertising channels does Demandbase support?

Demandbase supports account-based advertising across display, social (LinkedIn, Facebook), video, and connected TV channels. The platform enables targeting of specific accounts across the web through programmatic advertising while providing measurement and attribution of ad engagement at the account level. This comprehensive channel coverage helps organizations reach target accounts wherever they spend time online.

How does Demandbase pricing work?

Demandbase uses enterprise pricing based on factors including company size, modules selected, data volume, and advertising spend. Pricing typically starts in the mid-five figures annually for mid-market deployments and scales based on requirements. Advertising costs are typically separate from platform fees. Contact Demandbase sales for a customized quote based on your specific needs.

Final Verdict

Demandbase stands as a comprehensive solution for enterprise B2B organizations serious about account-based marketing and sales. The platform’s combination of industry-leading advertising capabilities, robust intent data, personalization, and sales intelligence creates a unified system for executing sophisticated ABM programs at scale.

The platform’s strengths lie in its advertising heritage, comprehensive feature set, and ability to orchestrate personalized experiences across channels. Organizations running significant ABM advertising budgets particularly benefit from Demandbase’s targeting precision and measurement capabilities that simply aren’t available through traditional advertising platforms.

Enterprise B2B organizations with substantial marketing budgets and commitment to account-based strategies should strongly consider Demandbase. The platform delivers measurable ROI through improved advertising efficiency, accelerated sales cycles, and better alignment between marketing and sales. While the investment is significant, the ability to precisely target and engage buying accounts often generates returns that far exceed the platform cost.