Are Pardot & Marketing Cloud Account Engagement the Same?

The news is out! Salesforce has announced that Pardot will be changing its name to Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. We’re already receiving lots of questions about this major change from clients and subscribers, so I thought I’d address the most frequently asked here. 

Firstly, if you’re concerned that the Pardot platform is about to drastically change, you can relax. I can confirm that Pardot and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement are the exact same. At this stage, the change is in the name and the name alone. 

Initially, this name change will be updated across the current Pardot website and marketing communications. Then, later in 2022, we’ll start to see the changes appear within the platform, support channels and certifications.

Of course, if we hear any differently we’ll let you know right here on the blog or in our emails, so if you’re not already a MarCloud subscriber, sign up below.

So, we’ve addressed the question of whether Pardot and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement are the same (to reiterate - yes they are) but I’m sure you still have questions. Read on for some straightforward answers and links to other resources about the name change.

When did Pardot become Marketing Cloud Account Engagement?

Salesforce announced that the Pardot platform will officially be referred to as Marketing Cloud Account Engagement at the Salesforce World Tour in Sydney, on 6th April 2022. Within a day of this announcement, the legacy pardot.com website has already been redirected to a page on the salesforce.com site for Marketing Cloud Account Engagement’ instead.

The rest of the name change rollout will be staged over the coming months.

How will this change the way I use the platform?

Nothing about the way you use the platform will change. The format and functionality stays exactly the same. Basically, same platform—new name!

Why did Pardot change its name?

We know the change from Pardot’ to Marketing Cloud Account Engagement’ might take a bit of getting used to, but it’s actually a smart move for the product. For years, users have been confused by the many individually named products within the Salesforce ecosystem, many of which were existing tools acquired by the company. 

In particular, customers were torn between Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Pardot - both marketing automation software with similar features.

By renaming Pardot to Marketing Cloud Account Engagement and bringing it under the Marketing Cloud umbrella, Salesforce aims to simplify their vocabulary and unite all of their products under a single source. From Salesforce Customer 360 (often referred to as Salesforce CRM), teams will be able to access all products from a single place and achieve a unified view of the customer.

Is Marketing Cloud Account Engagement still owned by Salesforce?

Yes, Marketing Cloud Account Engagement is still a Salesforce product and ownership of the platform hasn’t changed. 

Do I need to do anything?

Nope! Essentially, nothing about the way you use the platform, or ownership of the product has changed—just the name! So there's nothing you need to do right now.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on things as they evolve and will provide you with updates and information shared by Salesforce as they move through this transition.

In the meantime, feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about how to make the most of the Marketing Cloud Account Engagement platform for your business.