About Trendline
Now in its seventh year as one of the world’s premier email-marketing agencies, Trendline’s founders and team members have decades of combined experience using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) to create and manage incredibly complex email programs for some of the biggest brands around.
With the agency’s deep expertise both in the then-current iteration of SFMC, as well as a thorough understanding of (and input on) new features available in rapidly approaching updates, Trendline’s Chester Bullock (VP of Solutions Consulting) and Mark Pollard (Senior Platform Architect) are uniquely positioned to provide expert insight on helping marketers get most from SFMC.
This book is the result of a joint (and sustained) effort among SFMC’s product developers, marketing managers, Chester, Mark, and the whole team at Trendline.
About the Authors
Chester Bullock holds a degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In his role as Trendline’s Vice President of Solutions Consulting, he leverages his eight years of experience with the ExactTarget/Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform to bring a technical perspective to the art of marketing.
A recognized Salesforce MVP, Chester has sent millions of emails to audiences of popular brands and has presented solutions to practical problems at several high-profile conferences. Prior to Trendline, he held consulting roles with Ticketmaster, Merkle, and AAA. He lives in Colorado with his amazing, supportive wife and has three marvelous daughters who patiently listen to him talk about marketing.
Mark Pollard is a Senior Platform Architect at Trendline Interactive and has worked in a variety of roles related to digital marketing since the turn of the century. Mark has worked with several email service providers and has been using ExactTarget/Salesforce Marketing Cloud for over eight years. In 2016, Mark was among the first group of marketers to earn a certification as a Salesforce Marketing Cloud Consultant.
Mark currently works with several well-known brands, helping to solve the technical challenges that come with operating enterprise-level digital marketing programs.
Mark resides in New Jersey with his wife and sons.
Dedications
To my wife and family. Michelle has been supportive of any crazy idea I’ve put in front of her, such as writing a book. Natalie, Taylor, and Megan help me keep things in perspective. All four inspire me to do my best. I am forever grateful to all of them. And, to the SolCon team at Trendline — Mark, Amy, Elise, Mollie, and Bryan — thank you for everything you do.
— Chester Bullock
To my wife, Rachel. Without her love, encouragement, and support, I doubt I would’ve found myself in a place where writing this book was a possibility. To Joseph and Adam, you amaze me every day. To colleagues present and past, thank you for the inspiration and encouragement.
— Mark Pollard
Authors' Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Amy Fandrei and Susan Pink, our editors at Wiley. They did a superb job at helping us stay on track and motivated to get this book into your hands. Amanda Cross was critical in our ability to get our thoughts and experiences into a working guide on how to use this marketing platform. Justine Jordan at Litmus deserves a big shout out for her insights on rendering and related topics. We've been fans of her work at ExactTarget and Litmus for some time.
Due to the rapidly changing nature of software, it was essential to get input from longtime product shepherds at Salesforce, including Brian Brames, Dawn DeVirgilio, Eric Hannon, Kara Schoeler, and Joanna Milliken, all of whom provided invaluable resources and expertise. And to Scott Thomas, thank you. We couldn’t have done this without you.
No book about SFMC would be complete without special thanks to a few people who have had a tremendous effect on our careers over the last several years. Joel Book — you’ve been retired for only a short time, but your legacy will go on forever. You are an inspiration to everyone who has wanted to drive success via a marketing platform.
Scott McCorkle — a lot of what we cover in this book came out of your mind. Your vision, combined with your willingness to hear us out in that conference room at Lake Mary so many years ago, made us customers for life. To the legions of “Forever Orange” people who have put up with us on support calls, at Connections, or during sales pitches: Thank you. Keep Orange alive.
Lastly, our greatest thanks to the family we have at Trendline. Morgan Stewart and Andrew Kordek have assembled one of the most talented — yet selfless — teams of people we have ever been a part of. It’s truly an honor to work alongside each and every one of you.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Executive Editor: Amy Fandrei
Project Editor: Susan Pink
Copy Editor: Susan Pink
Proofreader: Debbye Butler
Editorial Assistant: Owen Kaelble
Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Production Editor: G. Vasanth Koilraj
Cover Image: © marigold_88/iStockphoto