The New Era of Salesforce Marketing Cloud on Core: Why I’m All In on Marketing Cloud Growth and Marketing Cloud Advanced

We are at a watershed moment in Salesforce marketing.

After nearly 20 years navigating the tools, strategies, and tectonic shifts in the MarTech space, I can confidently say this: the new Marketing Cloud on Core—namely, Marketing Cloud Growth and Marketing Cloud Advanced—represents the most significant evolution of Salesforce’s marketing technology since the original acquisition of ExactTarget and Pardot.

And frankly, it’s just getting started.

From Siloed Stacks to a Unified Core

Salesforce’s marketing journey has been a story of incredible acquisitions—Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) for B2B, ExactTarget for B2C, and add-ons like Datorama, Social Studio, and Audience Studio.

But these tools, as powerful as they were, shared a fundamental flaw: they were not built natively on the Salesforce platform. Personalization was tool-specific, data lived in silos, and integration challenges plagued marketers across industries.

That era is over.

   Introducing Marketing Cloud on Core

In 2024, Salesforce launched Marketing Cloud Growth and Marketing Cloud Advanced—brand-new marketing automation tools built from the ground up on the Einstein 1 Platform.

What does “on core” mean? It means campaigns, segmentation, content, and reporting are executed directly inside Salesforce—no more middleware, sync errors, or disconnected reporting.

Learn how Forcery helps organizations implement Salesforce Marketing Cloud Growth »

Marketing Cloud Growth

• Native CRM object integration (Leads, Contacts, Campaigns)
• Real-time segmentation powered by Salesforce Data Cloud
• Drag-and-drop automation using Salesforce Flow
• Content creation and recommendations via Einstein GPT

 Marketing Cloud Advanced

• A/B testing in flow paths via Path Experiment
• Conversational SMS integrated with Service Cloud
• Predictive scoring via Einstein Engagement Frequency
• Personalization based on unified profiles

Explore how Salesforce AI can drive marketing productivity »

Native CRM, Not Middleware: A Unified Marketing Platform

One of the most transformative aspects of Marketing Cloud on Core is that it doesn’t rely on external or third-party infrastructure like legacy Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) or Pardot. Instead of depending on disconnected systems or sync-dependent integrations, Marketing Cloud Growth and Advanced are built directly on Salesforce CRM. This means marketers can use standard Salesforce objects—like Leads, Contacts, Campaigns, and Opportunities—for segmentation, automation, personalization, and reporting. Tools such as Flow, Data Cloud, and Salesforce CMS are not bolt-ons; they are native platform features used across the enterprise. The result is a unified, scalable marketing experience that happens within the same system of record as Sales and Service—eliminating the need for middleware, data extensions, or custom sync logic.

Data Cloud: The Foundation for AI-Driven Marketing

At the center of Marketing Cloud on Core is Salesforce Data Cloud—a real-time data platform that harmonizes structured and unstructured data from across your business.

With Data Cloud, marketers can:

• Create segments with natural language prompts
• Combine first-party CRM data with behavioral data
• Activate audiences instantly across email, SMS, and advertising
• Ensure consent and compliance through native data governance tools

Read our guide to setting up Data Cloud for Marketing »

Flow: Your Marketing Automation Engine

Flow Builder gives you:

• Multi-step journey automation
• Real-time data triggers
• AI-assisted logic and segmentation
• Drag-and-drop configuration—no code required

Salesforce Flow Builder for Marketing Cloud Growth and Advanced

Forcery’s Salesforce Flow Quick Start Guide »

Einstein: Generative AI That Actually Works

Einstein AI is now deeply embedded in Marketing Cloud Growth and Advanced. Key use cases include:

• Email copywriting and subject line optimization
• Send time optimization
• Segment recommendations
• Engagement scoring and predictions

Explore Einstein Engagement Scoring in depth »

Advanced Features That Drive Results

Marketing Cloud Advanced includes cutting-edge capabilities like:

• Path Experimentation: A/B test entire automation flows
• Rules-Based Dynamic Content: Personalize messages with real-time data
• Conversational SMS: AI-driven messaging with seamless service handoff
• Engagement Frequency: Optimize cadence to avoid over-sending

Try It—Even for Free

Many organizations already have access to Marketing Cloud Growth at no cost through Salesforce’s Foundations offering:

• Enterprise/Unlimited Edition Sales or Service Cloud users
• Existing Account Engagement customers
• Access to foundational Marketing Cloud + Data Cloud features

Learn about Salesforce Foundations and eligibility »

Final Thoughts: This Is the Future of Salesforce Marketing

Marketing Cloud Growth and Marketing Cloud Advanced aren’t just new tools—they’re a shift in mindset. They allow us to break down silos, connect systems, and finally bring marketing into the same real-time, AI-powered world that Sales and Service teams already live in.

If you’re a Salesforce marketer, here’s your roadmap:

• Master Data Cloud
• Get hands-on with Flow
• Explore what’s possible on core

Not sure where to start? Let’s talk about your Salesforce marketing roadmap »

Resources to Go Deeper:

• Grow Your Business with Salesforce Foundations
• Unlock Your Data with Data Cloud
• Marketing Cloud Growth Pricing and Features
• Salesforce Flow Automation Guide
• How to Use Einstein for Marketing Automation
• Forcery Blog: What’s New in Marketing Cloud in 2025

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