Background
A global data and analytics company was in the midst of digital transformation. With over a thousand employees worldwide and deep expertise in AI-driven insights, the organization supported Fortune 500 companies across industries like technology, consumer goods, life sciences, and financial services. Despite its advanced capabilities, the internal marketing team struggled with a fragmented tech stack and inefficient processes.
The company relied heavily on Salesforce as its primary system of record but was still using a separate marketing automation tool, creating silos between marketing and sales. As they scaled operations and prepared for continued growth, the team needed a partner to streamline their systems, build internal knowledge, and set a foundation for long-term success.
The problem
The challenges fell into three categories:
Disjointed systems and manual processes
The organization used a fragmented stack, including Salesforce and a legacy marketing platform. This setup created disconnects between marketing and sales teams, with customer data spread across different platforms. Manual processes slowed productivity, leaving the team without the agility they needed.
Complex data integration and governance
Salesforce integration was the top priority. The team needed a bi-directional sync to track marketing activity in Salesforce, while carefully managing contact limits, API calls, and data governance. Without a clear strategy, there was a risk of syncing irrelevant data, duplicating records, and missing critical insights.
Limited team bandwidth and expertise
The client’s team was busy, with limited availability to dedicate to onboarding. A new team member joined during the process and needed training to get up to speed. Without a clear roadmap, the marketing strategy lacked direction, making it difficult to align with broader organizational goals.
The solution
The consultant took a strategic and hands-on onboarding approach designed to empower the client’s team while addressing the most urgent integration challenges.
Strategic integration and data governance
- Guided the client through setting up HubSpot–Salesforce sync rules.
- Created an inclusion list to ensure only relevant contacts were shared between systems.
- Implemented monitoring processes to keep marketing contact limits in check.
Workflow automation and training
- Delivered project-based, hands-on training to help the team create forms, landing pages, and email templates directly in HubSpot.
- Introduced workflows to automate lead nurturing, manage marketing contacts, and deliver resources (like gated PDFs) automatically.
Content and tool consolidation roadmap
- Outlined next steps for consolidating tools, including moving the company blog from WordPress to HubSpot CMS.
- Provided training on SEO tools, content strategy, and campaign setup to equip the team with the building blocks for growth.
The results
- Integrated system in place: Salesforce and HubSpot were successfully integrated, providing a clean data flow and eliminating silos between marketing and sales.
- Improved data management and efficiency: Automated workflows replaced manual processes, reducing errors and saving time for the marketing team.
- Empowered team with skills and roadmap: Team members learned how to run campaigns, manage contacts, and set up workflows, giving them ownership of the system. They also had a roadmap to expand into SEO, content marketing, and advanced features.
Conclusion
This case study illustrates how even a highly sophisticated analytics company can face challenges when internal marketing systems are fragmented. By focusing first on critical integration with Salesforce and layering in automation, training, and a strategic roadmap, the consultant helped the client transition from manual, siloed processes to an integrated and scalable platform.
The result was not only immediate efficiency gains but also a stronger foundation for digital transformation, positioning the company to fully leverage modern marketing tools in alignment with its broader AI-driven mission.
