SFMC Profile Attribute Mapping

This explanation describes how profile attribute mapping between Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) and Salesforce CRM works, particularly when using personalization strings in emails. Here's a simplified breakdown:

Scenario:

• In Email Studio, you can map Profile Attributes (data stored in SFMC) to fields in Salesforce Contact or Lead objects.

• When you do this, the mapped attribute values in SFMC are pulled from Salesforce (CRM) for subscribers who exist in both systems (in the All Subscribers list).

Key Points:

1. System of Record:
   When an attribute in SFMC is mapped to a field in Salesforce, Salesforce becomes the "system of record." This means that the values for that attribute will no longer be stored in Marketing Cloud but will be fetched directly from Salesforce.

2. Substitution Strings (e.g., %%Attribute%%):
   When you use a substitution string (like %%Attribute%%) in an email, it pulls data from one of two sources:

   • If the substitution string is based on data stored in a Salesforce Data Extension (DE) used for sending, it pulls the value from that DE.

   • If it's not part of a Salesforce DE, it falls back on the SFMC profile attribute value, which may not always be accurate, since Salesforce is the official source.

3. Data Discrepancy Risk:
   If the substitution string refers to a mapped attribute, but you're not sending from a Salesforce DE, SFMC might pull outdated or incorrect data from its profile store because the up-to-date value is stored in Salesforce.

Resolution:

To avoid potential discrepancies and ensure the data is always current:

• Option 1: Import updated data from Salesforce into SFMC (e.g., into the Email Demographics).

• Option 2: Use a Sendable Data Extension that includes the up-to-date field values from Salesforce, ensuring the field name matches exactly what you are using in your Personalization String.

By doing this, the correct Salesforce data will be used during email sends.

Let's say if you create profile attribute 'City'. To ensure the 'City' attribute is populated for subscribers, you need to map the data correctly when importing or updating subscriber data. This could be done through:

     - **Manual import**: If you're importing a CSV or other file formats, make sure that your file has a column for 'City' and that you map this column to the 'City' attribute in SFMC during the import process.

     - **Data Extension Mapping**: If you're sending emails from a data extension, you can use the 'City' field in the data extension and map it to the 'All Subscribers' list by including it in the send definition (e.g., Journey Builder or Email Studio send).

To ensure the customer's city is properly mapped in 'All Subscribers' for email sends, you need to import updated values to Email Demographics or target a Sendable Data Extension with the field name exactly as it is in the Subscriber Profile/Personalization

Source document: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000391145&type=1

What's happening:

• Marketing Cloud (SFMC) and Salesforce share customer information.

• Some data (like profile attributes) in SFMC is linked directly to fields in Salesforce, meaning the real data for those fields is stored in Salesforce, not in SFMC.

When you send an email:

1. If you use a Personalization String (like %%FirstName%%) to pull in data (e.g., a customer’s first name), SFMC needs to know where to get that data from.

2. If the email is based on a Salesforce Data Extension (DE) (which contains the latest data from Salesforce), SFMC pulls the correct data (e.g., the real first name from Salesforce).

3. But, if you’re not using a Salesforce DE for your email send and the data is still mapped to Salesforce, SFMC might use an old or incorrect value stored in SFMC’s profile because Salesforce is the "master" where the correct data is stored.

The problem:

• If SFMC uses its own older data instead of the fresh Salesforce data, it might send outdated or incorrect information in the email.

Solution:

• Option 1: Regularly import the latest Salesforce data into SFMC so the profile attributes stay up to date.

• Option 2: Use a Sendable Data Extension that directly pulls the right data from Salesforce during the email send, ensuring the email shows the correct information.