01
Define the need and existing tools
Distinguish contact management, content preparation, approval and distribution. Your CRM may hold relationships and your sending platform may deliver campaigns, while another workspace organises documents and decisions.
List what already works and the problem to solve: finding a source, avoiding contradictory versions or coordinating an agency and client. This map helps identify overlaps before considering a replacement.
02
Try a complete workflow
Choose a representative campaign using non-sensitive or fictional documents. Have a draft prepared, a fact corrected, formats reviewed and the agreed version located.
Observe what each person does, what remains manual and what happens when something goes wrong. A prepared demo illustrates an interaction; a supervised trial of the scope actually available provides a different kind of evidence.
03
Check collaboration and approvals
Examine roles, access permissions and the scope of decisions. Ask how a source change affects approved content and how the history explains a change.
For an agency or network, also check work across organisations. The number of accounts alone does not describe dossier separation, responsibilities or partner access.
04
Clarify data exchange
Ask about import and export formats, volume limits, duplicate handling and the steps needed to move data elsewhere. If a connector is mentioned, specify what it actually does, in which direction and how often.
Document hosting conditions, providers, access, deletion arrangements and information available for your internal review. A sales presentation does not replace the documents and checks appropriate to your organisation.
05
Compare cost and setup effort
Compare equivalent scopes: subscription, billing units, options, support and team time. Clarify what changes the price, included limits and exit arrangements.
A monthly figure alone does not describe the total cost. Record preparation work, training and tools you will retain. Distinguish a working estimate, a quoted price and a contractual commitment.
06
Record a decision and its qualifications
Rank criteria as essential, useful or worth revisiting later. For each, record the evidence obtained and what needs confirming. A planned feature should not have the same status as a capability tested within the proposed scope.
Define the conditions of any trial and the observations needed to assess it. For Résonance, compare the website demonstrations, product presentation and conditions clarified in discussion with ONG Conseil.
Points to check
- A representative workflow was described before comparison.
- Essential criteria are ranked.
- Tested capabilities are separate from planned features.
- Responsibilities and access have been examined.
- Data exchange and exit conditions are documented.
- Costs are compared for equivalent scopes.
Your working template
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CAMPAIGN SOFTWARE EVALUATION Organisation and team: Representative workflow: Tools to retain: Problem to solve: For each criterion: - Criterion and priority: - Expected result: - Available or planned capability: - Evidence observed and date: - Limitation or qualification: - Point to confirm with the provider: Pricing scope and additional costs: Setup and exit conditions: Next step and responsible person:
Common questions
Does campaign software necessarily replace a CRM?
No. It depends on its scope. Describe each tool’s responsibilities, then check the formats and exchanges actually available. Do not infer an integration from a logo on a presentation.
How should a demo be compared with an announced feature?
Record their status separately: presentation interaction, tested capability, capability available under the proposed conditions or planned feature. Ask about the limitations that matter for your scenario before drawing a conclusion.
A sound choice relies on an explicit need, comparable evidence and qualifications understood by the people making the commitment.
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