Aberdeen Review: Intent-Based Marketing That Missed the Mark

Introduction

I was excited to work with Aberdeen—a company known for its intent-based marketing solutions—to boost our lead generation and sales pipeline. Their promise of "the largest scale, most accurate intent data" sounded like the missing piece in our strategy. Unfortunately, our experience fell far short of expectations.

Lead Quality: A Major Letdown

Aberdeen’s biggest selling point is their intent data, but in our case, the leads were shockingly poor. Out of 100 leads purchased, not a single one converted—no demos, no appointments, and certainly no closed deals. Even worse, many leads claimed they had never heard of Aberdeen or completed any survey, suggesting a complete lack of QA.

What Went Wrong?

• No Verification: Leads appeared to be scraped or misattributed.
• Zero Conversions: A 0% success rate is unacceptable for any lead gen service.
• Questionable Intent Data: If Aberdeen’s data is "highly targeted," why did none of our prospects recognize the outreach?

Workflow & Communication: Good Start, Bad Finish

Initially, Aberdeen’s team was responsive and professional. But once the program launched, communication dropped off. When we raised concerns about the poor lead quality, the response was essentially: "Sorry, best we could do."

The Billing Issue
After seeing no results, we requested a pricing concession—only to be flatly denied. Charging full price for a failed campaign left a sour taste, especially when Aberdeen refused to acknowledge the lack of performance.

The One Positive: Name Recognition

The only thing Aberdeen had going for it was brand recognition in the B2B space. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into actual results.

Areas for Improvement

• Lead Verification: Aberdeen needs a rigorous QA process to ensure leads are real and engaged.
• Flexibility in Billing: If KPIs aren’t met, adjustments should be made—not ignored.
• Transparency: Clearer communication on lead sourcing and performance expectations would help.

Final Thoughts

Aberdeen’s intent-based marketing sounds impressive, but our experience was a costly disappointment. Between unqualified leads, poor follow-through, and inflexible billing, we won’t be using them again. If you’re considering Aberdeen, proceed with caution—there are better options out there.