Mastering First-Party Data with Salesforce Data Cloud

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Google no Longer Deprecates Third-Party Cookies

Due to ongoing uncertainties, Google once again postponed the phase-out of third-party cookies, aiming to provide the advertising industry with more preparation time. The delay in blocking third-party cookies was mainly due to concerns from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority about market fairness and Google’s need to refine its Privacy Sandbox Initiative as a viable alternative.

If you want to explore why Google had delayed the third-party deception, we have an article that dives into this topic. However, everything has changed now. Google revealed in July 2024 that it won’t be deprecating third-party cookies anymore and instead, it will be introducing a new experience for the Chrome browser. If you have put effort into third-party alternatives, Google will keep the APIs in the Sandbox, so none of your previous work will go to waste.

Why Are We So Afraid of Cookies? – Inheaden

We briefly discussed Salesforce Data Cloud and how it can help you extract additional value from your existing data. Instead of maintaining your data in isolated systems, you can consolidate your data from various sources, enhancing the utilization of your existing data.

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The Power of Salesforce Data Cloud

Data Cloud seamlessly integrates first-party data from various sources such as CRM, website analytics, and mobile apps. It also incorporates third-party data, providing a unified view of customer interactions. This comprehensive data unification helps you to create accurate customer profiles and segments by using connectors and APIs to pull data from disparate systems, ensuring real-time synchronization and data consistency. By leveraging MuleSoft Anypoint, the platform can integrate with various external applications and data sources, providing a seamless data flow.

In this article, we will mainly talk about first-party data and how Salesforce Data Cloud can aid you with first-party cookies using a fictional use case scenario.

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First-Party Data vs. Third-Party Data

If you want to understand the importance of Salesforce Data Cloud for third-party data, first, you’ll have to know the difference between first-party and third-party cookies.

First-party cookies are stored by the website you visit to enhance user experience through functions like remembering language settings and collecting analytics data, while third-party cookies are set by external service providers on a different domain to track activities such as video watch times across sessions. We have already talked about the difference in more detail, in our The cookieless world: first-party data meets CDP article.

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Building a Data Culture to Adapt to First-Party Data

Using first-party data is a multifaceted process that requires more than just a simple switch. It’s about building the right culture and infrastructure to effectively capture, organize, and leverage this data throughout every stage of your marketing funnel. Salesforce Data Cloud facilitates this by providing tools that ensure data is collected, stored, and used in compliance with privacy regulations. Data Cloud incorporates Privacy by Design principles, offering features like data masking, encryption, and consent management tools, allowing your business to use first-party data cookies responsibly and ethically.

In this chapter, we’ll explore how Prime Realty, a fictional company, successfully adapts to a first-party data strategy focused on residential real estate services. The company aims to use its first-party data to launch a comprehensive campaign for its new luxury apartment listings utilizing Data Cloud to consolidate data from various sources, creating a comprehensive view of its customers.

This example was based on Salesforce’s First-Party Data: How To Thrive in a Cookieless World article.

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Getting Started with First-Party Data

First-party data is essential for enabling Salesforce to leverage Data Cloud, the cornerstone for generating impactful AI-driven insights. To effectively adapt to a first-party data strategy, Prime Realty needs to start by laying a solid foundation. This involves several key steps:

1. Data Preparation: Prime Realty begins by collecting and unifying first-party data from various sources, including its website, advertising platforms, marketing initiatives, and CRM. The goal is to create a single, comprehensive view of their clients and prospects. If you’ve read our article From Data Silos to Single Source of Truth: How to Unify Customer Data, this shouldn’t be new to you.
2. Data Analysis: With their data unified, Prime Realty’s marketing team dives into analysis. They identify clients who have shown interest in luxury properties through various touchpoints such as property viewings or newsletter sign-ups. This analysis helps them create buying likelihood scores for different clients, predicting which ones are most likely to purchase.
3. Segmentation: Based on the insights gathered, Prime Realty segments their audience into three key groups:
   • Luxury Seekers: Clients who have actively engaged with high-end property content.
   • Investment Hunters: Clients who are looking for real estate investments.
   • Prime Members: Existing clients who have previously purchased properties through Prime Realty and are part of their loyalty program.
4. Strategy Development: For each segment, Prime Realty’s marketing team develops specific campaign messages tailored to their observed interests:
   • Luxury Seekers receive messages highlighting the newest and most exclusive luxury apartment listings.
   • Investment Hunters are targeted with content emphasizing potential returns and investment opportunities.
   • Prime Members receive personalized upgrade offers and invitations to exclusive property viewings.
5. Activation: To put their strategy into action, Prime Realty leverages Salesforce products like Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) with Salesforce Data Cloud. These tools help them create a personalized client journey across both paid and owned channels.

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A Successful Salesforce Data Cloud Implementation

Salesforce Data Cloud is a groundbreaking platform that improves data utilization rather than just being a tool for consolidating information. When combined with Marketing Cloud, it empowers companies to efficiently collect, analyze, segment, and leverage their first-party data to craft personalized and targeted marketing campaigns. Client engagement is reinforced through the approach, which, in turn, brings about remarkable business results. It is important to note that in this scenario, first-party data will be the foundation of digital marketing strategies in the era following tracking cookies.

The changes wrought by new technology are of utmost importance, but they are closely linked with a data-driven culture that should be developed in a business as a whole.

By following our fictional example of Prime Realty, we saw that Data Cloud can be used to perform advanced data analysis, utilizing machine learning algorithms to identify patterns, predict customer behaviors, and effectively enhance your marketing strategy. This allows for the creation of predictive models that can drive personalized marketing strategies. Marketers could use these platform’s AI capabilities to predict customers’ next moves. The integration with Marketing Cloud enables the use of Automation Studio for automating marketing tasks and Email Studio for personalized email campaigns. These tools, powered by Data Cloud insights, help businesses deliver timely and relevant marketing messages.

Our team of certified experts can help you align and define vision and strategy by working with you to establish a clear vision for your Salesforce Data Cloud implementation, ensuring alignment with your business goals, and defining use cases to maximize value. We will assess your current business environment, including the state of your data, technology, and workforce.

We will help you build your solution by designing and implementing a winning Salesforce Data Cloud solution tailored to your specific challenges and opportunities. Partner with Stellaxius and turn your Data Cloud into a powerful driver for your business success! Contact us today.

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