How Does Data Cloud Enable Marketing Cloud Next?
Unify real-time customer data, govern consent, and activate AI-ready segments across channels. Salesforce Data Cloud turns clicks, purchases, and service events into timely, personalized journeys in Marketing Cloud Next—at scale and with trust.
Data Cloud is the real-time customer foundation for Marketing Cloud Next. It ingests streaming and batch data (web, mobile, CRM, commerce, service), resolves identities into a Unified Customer Profile, enforces consent & data minimization, and exposes governed segments to Marketing Cloud Next. Marketers use zero/first-party signals to trigger cross-channel journeys, predictive audiences, and next-best actions—measured by speed-to-segment, engagement, pipeline/revenue, and retention.
What Data Cloud Unlocks for Marketing Cloud Next
From Data to Journeys: The Enablement Sequence
Use this sequence to deploy Data Cloud as the backbone for Marketing Cloud Next and accelerate time-to-value.
Ingest → Unify → Govern → Segment → Orchestrate → Measure → Optimize
- Ingest: Connect CRM, web/mobile SDKs, commerce, service, and product telemetry. Normalize with a shared taxonomy.
- Unify: Identity resolution (deterministic/probabilistic) to create a persistent Unified Customer Profile.
- Govern: Map consent and purposes; mask sensitive fields; enforce regional data residency and retention.
- Segment: Build dynamic audiences from attributes + events (e.g., “high intent, churn risk, VIP”).
- Orchestrate: Sync audiences to Marketing Cloud Next; trigger real-time journeys (browse abandon, case-to-care, upsell).
- Measure: Attribute to pipeline, orders, renewals; track segment growth and engagement baselines.
- Optimize: Test prompts/offers, iterate eligibility rules, and promote winning plays to your library.
Capability Maturity Matrix for Data Cloud → MC Next
| Capability | From (Ad Hoc) | To (Operationalized) | Owner | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity Resolution | Channel-specific IDs | Unified profile with golden ID and conflict rules | RevOps/Architecture | Match Rate, Merge Accuracy |
| Consent & Governance | Implicit opt-ins | Purpose-based consent with policy enforcement | Privacy/Legal | Consent Rate, Policy Violations |
| Segmentation | Static lists | Event-driven dynamic audiences | Marketing Ops | Time-to-Segment, Audience Freshness |
| Journey Orchestration | Calendar sends | Triggered, multi-channel journeys | Lifecycle Marketing | Conversion Rate, Time-to-Respond |
| AI & Predictions | Manual rules | Predictive scores & next-best action | Data Science/AI Ops | Lift vs Control, Uplift ROI |
| Attribution | Channel clicks | Pipeline/orders/renewals linked to journeys | Analytics | ROMI, Revenue per Journey |
Client Snapshot: Real-Time Signals to Revenue
By activating Data Cloud audiences in Marketing Cloud, a global B2B brand launched real-time browse-abandon and case-to-care journeys, lifting conversion and reducing time-to-response. Explore results: Comcast Business · Broadridge
Pair Unified Profiles with governed journeys to scale personalization safely. Operationalize with our RM6™ and The Loop™.
Frequently Asked Questions: Data Cloud + Marketing Cloud Next
Make Data Cloud Power Your Marketing Cloud Next
We’ll unify your data, enforce consent, and activate AI-ready audiences for meaningful, measurable growth.
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