The First 60 Days Adoption Plan: Foundation

sfmcstories
Jul 19
2 min read

Article 1.1: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement to Salesforce Marketing Cloud Next

When organizations begin their journey into Marketing Cloud Next (MCN), the first 60 days are about building confidence and structure. Success doesn’t come from rushing into features; it comes from laying the right foundation. Let’s take a closer look at the essential steps that shape this early adoption phase.

Step 1: Identify the Core Team

Every transformation begins with people. The first move is to formally assign a core team — usually two to three key stakeholders (Marketing SMEs and Admins) supported by one Executive Sponsor. These individuals aren’t just volunteers; they are allocated time and responsibility for adoption. The Executive Sponsor provides authority and visibility, while SMEs and Admins bring a balance of business and technical expertise. Together, they form the backbone of the program.

Step 2: Product Deep Dive

With the team in place, the next step is to understand the product’s fit. This means mapping MCN’s capabilities against organizational pain points and identifying where it can deliver the most value. The team should rank features based on business priorities, ensuring adoption is purposeful rather than exploratory. This exercise creates a clear roadmap of recommended features and sets expectations for what success looks like.

Step 3: Build a High‑Level Plan

Momentum requires structure. A tentative 30‑60‑90 day timeline helps the team pace adoption. At this stage, organizations also define their “default” Business Unit and select the Business Unit for the first use case. A formal kick‑off meeting ensures goals are documented and approved by the Executive Sponsor. This step aligns stakeholders and sets measurable milestones that everyone can rally around.

Step 4: Secure Access and Licensing

No plan works without the right entitlements. Early in the process, the team must ensure all required licenses are procured and active. At a minimum, this includes:

Marketing Cloud Next Base License — access to the Next workspace and interoperability with Engagement.
Data Cloud Entitlements — essential for identity resolution, data bundles, and segmentation.

Depending on priorities, organizations may also invest in:

Intelligence Reports for advanced analytics.
Journey Builder entitlements to expand orchestration.
Additional Business Units for multi‑region or multi‑brand adoption.

The Marketing SME and Executive Sponsor should validate account readiness before training begins, eliminating blockers and ensuring smooth execution.

Step 5: Train the Core Team

Knowledge is the final piece of the foundation. Training can be formal (Admin Onboarding) or self‑guided, but the goal is the same: the core team must be able to execute workflows independently within MCN. This builds confidence, reduces reliance on external support, and accelerates adoption.

Strategic Takeaway

The first 60 days are not about doing everything at once. They are about establishing the right people, understanding the product, structuring a plan, securing access, and building knowledge. By following these steps, organizations create a strong foundation for Marketing Cloud Next adoption — ensuring continuity, confidence, and quick wins.

💡 This article is part of my ongoing series on Marketing Cloud Next adoption.