What's “Next,” Salesforce? What to consider before running a new and old SFMC platform in parallel

In recent months, Salesforce's “Marketing Cloud Plus” and “Marketing Cloud Next” offerings have increasingly become the focus of strategic martech planning. Existing customers of Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement (formerly ExactTarget) and Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) are increasingly being offered, the new editions Growth or Advanced, which are based on the core platform (force.com), in parallel with their existing instances — without additional initial license costs.

But is entering this new world of technology really a risk-free “bonus”? A well-founded decision for or against parallel operation with the long-term goal of migration requires a differentiated consideration of technical, operational and financial factors.

As vendor-independent consultants, we have analysed the new solutions. Regardless of whether you look from account engagement to growth or from engagement to advanced, four key aspects emerge that are strategically important for both scenarios:

Functional reach vs. technological maturity

The new editions offer clear functional advantages, in particular through native support for channels such as SMS and WhatsApp. While the Growth Edition overcomes long-standing limitations of Pardot — such as restricted write access to Salesforce objects — the Advanced Edition presents a different picture: Established and high-performance tools such as the Content Builder or Journey Builder are not yet available here in their usual scope. Organizations must consider whether the new multichannel capabilities justify the potential step backwards in the complexity of email creation and automation.

Salesforce Data 360 as a mandatory core

A significant paradigm shift is the mandatory use of Salesforce Data 360 (formerly Data Cloud), which acts as a central “integration hub” and replaces the well-known data extension technology, for example. While this provides a consistent 360-degree customer view, it requires a completely new type of data modeling. For existing marketing teams, this means a steep learning curve, as managing these structures requires specialized know-how that goes beyond traditional campaign management.

The cost model: From volume pricing to consumption billing

Although the licenses for the new editions are often included as part of existing customer packages, the cost model is fundamentally changing towards consumption-based billing. The free credits for Data 360 included in the packages are very limited. Intensive use — for example through complex segmentations or the integration of data-intensive sources such as ERP systems — can quickly lead to unforeseen costs without careful calculation and continuous viewing of the Data 360 wallet.

Operational challenges in parallel operation

Parallel operation offers the opportunity for gradual, use-case-based migration without a hard deadline. At the same time, it significantly increases complexity in everyday life: Teams must master three systems in parallel and solve technical hurdles such as managing different shipping domains in order not to jeopardize deliverability and brand reputation.

Next, plus or status quo? Which path best suits your goals?

The decision to enter the new marketing cloud world is highly individual. It is useful when current functional deficiencies prevent the implementation of important business models. However, it entails risks when established, efficient structures are abandoned without a clear strategy.

To help you make this far-reaching decision, we have developed two guidelines that compare the technical pitfalls, cost risks and strategic benefits in detail. Request your guide via email growth-leitfaden@publicare.de or advanced-leitfaden@publicare.de on. We are also happy to assist you with an individual, use-case-based benchmark to identify the right solution for you.

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