I had the opportunity to participate in a one-day design sprint, aimed at creating use cases for a new implementation of Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization. Together with strategist Kenny Van Beeck, we challenged a group of creative minds to push boundaries and create innovative ideas. This design sprint focused on brainstorming for ways to use personalization to better connect with B2B audiences, and believe me, it was an exciting crash course in creativity, strategy, and teamwork. That morning, I woke up with the idea of being merely an assistant-facilitator, guiding the team with my experience in Marketing Cloud Personalization. However, it turned into a personal learning experience that pushed me to grow and evolve as a strategic consultant.
Diving into Personalization
We kickstarted the day with a brief introduction to the Marketing Cloud Personalization platform and discussed why, in today’s competitive market, integrating personalization into your business strategy is no longer optional. It’s a non-negotiable for building stronger customer relationships, driving engagement, and achieving long-term success. All these factors are especially important in the B2B world, where decision-making processes are long and complex. With that context in mind, we were ready to get down to business. Here’s a recap of the rest of the day and the key takeaways I brought home.
Starting with the Basics: Audience and Assets
First, we asked for more information about their target audience. Who are these businesses we’re trying to engage with? What challenges are they facing? Which parts of their target audience are they not reaching yet?
This part of the sprint set the foundation for everything else. While asking about the target audience seems like a simple question, answering it is often much easier said than done. It also reminded me that, when facing a challenge, it’s necessary to take a step back and look at it from a holistic perspective.
Next, we reviewed the content assets we already had at our disposal, such as FAQ content, videos, social media channels, and emails. Knowing what tools we could use to build personalized experiences, helped keep the ideas grounded and actionable.
This is where the magic happens
Once the groundwork was set, we finally dove into the most exciting part of the day: the eight ball technique. This brainstorming method challenges the team to come up with eight distinct ideas or solutions within a fixed amount of time. It’s fast-paced, structured, and designed to push creativity.
By the end of the session, we had a variety of unique customer journey concepts adapted to our B2B audience. Each journey leveraged personalization capabilities to deliver smarter, more engaging experiences, from dynamic content based on user behavior or customer lifecycle to automated triggers that guide prospects through their decision-making processes. It was incredible to see how quickly the team turned abstract ideas into actionable strategies.
What I learned (and loved)
This design sprint was my first time being part of such a collaborative, high-energy session, and I walked away with a few key lessons:
- Structure fuels creativity. At first, I thought the rigid timeline, somewhat vague assignments, and techniques like the eight ball might hinder creativity, but it turned out to be the opposite. It gave the team the focus they needed to think outside the box without getting stuck. It’s essential to let go and allow creativity to flow.
- Collaboration is everything. Seeing how ideas snowballed from one person to another showed me the magic of teamwork. When people bring their unique perspectives to the table, it leads to ideas that one person alone might never think of.
- Audience-first thinking wins the day. Every decision we made was grounded in understanding the needs and behaviors of the audience. This wasn’t just about making something cool, but about creating something that resonates and delivers value to businesses.
The journey continues…
Participating in this session aligned perfectly with my personal growth plan, especially with my background in Marketing Cloud Personalization. Not only did I assist and observe an experienced facilitator and strategist in action, but I also learned so much about leading a design-sprint workshop, creative problem-solving, and the power of bringing together a diverse group of individuals. It was inspiring to watch people come together with a common goal, to create something meaningful in just one day.
My biggest takeaway? Great ideas don’t just happen; they’re built. And when you bring together the right people, tools, and approach, the possibilities are endless.
