CASE STUDY

D&B Email IQ

Revolutionizing Contact Discovery with Seamless Email Integration

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, sales and marketing professionals need instant access to accurate, up-to-date contact information. D&B Email IQ was designed to meet this need by embedding Dun & Bradstreet’s trusted data directly into users’ inboxes, reducing friction and increasing efficiency. This project transformed from an initial concept into a fully functional product in less than four months—enhancing productivity, strengthening business relationships, and driving data-first decision-making.

Discovery, Competitive Analysis, & Ideation

In 2020, three workshops explored methods to accelerate contact acquisition. The consensus was to develop an email plugin that seamlessly integrates with user workflows.

A competitive study revealed that ZoomInfo doubled its contacts within a year by leveraging AI and ML, enriching data by capturing record events daily from its free product (~50 million records). Additionally, ZoomInfo disclosed inbox sourcing during their Analyst Day event (ELEVATE).

A McKinsey survey (April 8-10, 2021) of 2,037 Americans showed:

  • 16% were happy to share personal information
  • 50% would consider sharing
  • 34% were not willing to share

Key Benefits & Features:

Increase productivity: Access free leads and company data from the Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud within Outlook.

Save time: Instantly retrieve insights on 170M+ companies within the email platform users already work in daily.

Grow relationships: Receive contact recommendations to build professional networks.

Advance conversations: Use company overview reports to prepare for meetings.

Build pipeline: Gain prospect recommendations based on current accounts.

Use Cases:

Sales Development Reps: Find prospects quickly with 50 email contacts/month.

Procurement Professionals: Assess potential supplier stability and explore alternatives.

Credit Managers: Evaluate company stability before extending credit.

Small Business Owners: Gain directional insights into vendor management, risk, and revenue opportunities.

Product Owners: Identify ideal go-to-market partners.

1,800+

Users Onboarded

15M

Verified Emails Processed

375K

New Contacts Added to Hoovers

5-Star

User Feedback

Reflection & Learnings

Successfully launching a high-impact product within four months showcased the power of design thinking and cross-functional collaboration. Competitive analysis played a key role in differentiating the product and ensuring security and privacy best practices. A user-first approach aligned product capabilities with real-world workflows, driving adoption and satisfaction.

Looking ahead, there are opportunities to enhance contact recommendations through AI/ML insights, deepen CRM integrations for extended workflow efficiency, and refine consent and data transparency measures to maintain user trust.

D&B Email IQ is a testament to how UX leadership, strategic research, and collaborative execution can transform an idea into a fully realized, user-centric product that drives business growth and customer value.