Category: Updates

Our email marketing project with Salesforce Marketing Cloud is progressing well. Our time with Huron, the implementation partner, is complete. In June, OIT will release online training modules and video tutorials leading up to expanding the platform to other schools and units for alumni and donor communications. These resources will be directly distributed to current […]

We are pleased to share the latest SMU email marketing initiative progress with Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Our pilot users in the Cox School of Business, Meadows School of the Arts, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, and Marketing and Communications are experiencing notable success with the new platform, using its features to engage their alumni and […]

The IP warming process, crucial for smooth email delivery, is going well and will conclude by April 11. This process gradually increases email volume, establishing trust with email providers to ensure our messages are delivered effectively and avoid being flagged as spam. In terms of data integration, progress has been made in combining common and […]

We are making important progress toward going live with the first phase of the email marketing project. Virtual training for pilot users of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Studio platform begins this week, and additional training resources and new FAQs about Email Studio and Journey Builder are available on the project website. User Acceptance Training […]

Huron Consulting, our vendor for the Salesforce Marketing Cloud implementation project, is finalizing the training plan for the initial rollout of the email studio platform. Virtual training sessions will be available in March. Pilot users will receive an invitation to attend specific sessions depending on their role and responsibilities using Marketing Cloud. Training resources are […]

Our vendor – Huron Consulting – for the Salesforce Marketing Cloud email tool implementation was on campus on December 4 to share the results of the first two months of this project. They shared summaries of stakeholder and marketing readiness surveys as well as their recommendations from a governance, martech stack, staffing and business unit […]

Leveraging the results of the survey from email users on campus, a list of features was created, and an RFP process ensued. Several email platform demonstrations were held, and a winning solution chosen. Salesforce Marketing Cloud will be the email platform for SMU. A recording is available if you missed the live demonstration.

To provide guidance in the implementation of a new email marketing system, the Email Solution Implementation Leadership Committee (ESILC for short, we like our acronyms!) was created. It is composed of a cross-functional group of individuals across SMU to provide a representative perspective across campus. This group is advising on new processes, roles and responsibilities, […]

Before selecting an email platform for use across SMU, it was important to understand the needs of email users at SMU, in particular those who send mass communications. A survey was conducted from May 31 to June 14 to gather this information. One hundred twenty-five people representing all schools and units responded. Some of the […]

The transformation of email technology and practices at SMU has its roots in an email audit of alumni and donors conducted during Fiscal Year 2023. SMU hired Blue State Digital – experts in fundraising and digital marketing with long experience with leading universities – to analyze SMU’s existing email communications practices with alumni and donors, both […]