What’s new in SAP Marketing Cloud 2005?

We have been listening only to the bad news associated with the pandemic during the recent week, so any good news is a pleasant change. Fortunately, there is the second release of 2020 and SAP surprised Marketing Cloud users with few great news. We can expect all the changes in the test systems on the first weekend of May and we will be able to make full use of them in production 2 weeks later.

Extensions of the features of the Data File Load import tool

In the last 2002 release, we introduced a new and very intelligent import tool Data File Load with the function of automatic mapping or validation before uploading data to the system. However, the developers at SAP were not satisfied with the already good responses and since May they have been adding the possibility to import information about Permissions and Subscriptions, which pushes the usefulness of this tool a bit further. At the same time, the validation step was added a user authorization check for the selected Marketing Area, i.e. it no longer happens that the user, whether by mistake or not, changes the data in the wrong area.

Learn more about each of your customer’s interactions

Although SAP Marketing Cloud is a great tool, there are still a few areas that deserve improvement. One of them was viewing the detailed information about the interactions, which, however, also underwent a change and the progress can be seen. New detailed information has been added, including extended fields, each user has been given the opportunity to customize viewing the information according to their needs, while they can also share their settings with their colleagues. Simple navigation from the Contact / Account profile to interaction details will make it easier for you to access a 360° view of your customer.

Integration of business partners from C4C

Another novelty does not tell the average user much, but it has enormous added value for the company from a technical point of view. Creating a standard integration ensures replication of business partners from SAP Sales Cloud, and thus improved system connectivity will provide you with even more relevant customer information, including extensions on the C4C side. The creation of B2B relationships between contacts and accounts will also be improved, and Lead Management and Lead-To-Cash Business Scenario processes will be simplified. Last but not least, this innovation creates a precondition for the connection of more than one C4C system with Marketing Cloud.

Combination of direct campaigns with external campaigns

Campaign Management has also been updated and very useful extensions have been added. The first concerns the creation of multi-channel campaigns. What is new is that it will be possible to add a campaign executed on an external platform to the existing direct channels, e.g. Google Campaign Manager to the campaign flow. This will keep all your campaigns grouped under one roof, including performance indicators. However, this is only the first step, further extensions in this area are planned in the road map, especially with new external platforms.

News in Content Studio

• The newer and better version of Content Studio has added the ability to add product blocks in a simple Drag&Drop way, so we are one step closer to saying goodbye to its predecessor.
• The option to edit the Preview text has been added to the email editor, which will be displayed in the customer’s inbox together with the sender’s name and the subject of the message. So you are able to fully control the content that is viewed by the customer before the email is opened. The content of the preview can be dynamically personalized with attributes or you can add emoticons, which will increase the Open Rate of the email.
• Viewing the created content in various e-mail applications (Outlook, Apple Mail, iPhone X, …) has been extended. However, this extension is the result of cooperation with Litmus, so it is necessary to purchase their license.
• When creating forms, the ability to assign interaction attributes to specific fields has been added, hence greatly enriching follow-up activity based on relevant triggers.
• Ability to add Google reCAPTCHA v 3 element to your form to protect you from spamming from bots.

More news

• Various objects in Marketing Calendar can be distinguished by color, which significantly increases the clarity
• New filters have been added to Marketing Plans, so you can now filter your campaigns based on Spend Item Data or Custom Fields
• Approval workflows for campaigns, programs, and marketing plans can be extended to include conditions containing new standards and Custom Fields.
• Adding options to monitor errors in Spend Planning integration with SAP ERP, including sending notifications to responsible users
• For even better navigation on the home page, a navigation bar with individual apps, re-uses structures, and content has been added to the left.

• Option for key users to insert external content into objects in URL parameters to enrich the profile with relevant information

Release 2005 was really rich in useful improvements, both for the average user and for technical consultants. If you are interested in these innovations and would like to learn more about SAP Marketing Cloud, Anodius provides world-class certified services and consulting in all areas of SAP Customer Experience. Because Experience Matters.

Filip Žarnovický, CX Consultant