Marketing Cloud Intelligence vs Marketing Intelligence:
Who’s Running Your Data Playbook?

Salesforce Marketing Intelligence empowers businesses to unlock actionable insights, but how does it compare to Marketing Cloud Intelligence? While both platforms harness the power of Salesforce’s ecosystem, they cater to distinct needs—from advanced analytics to AI-driven decision-making. This article breaks down their key differences, helping you determine which solution aligns best with your marketing goals.

Let’s rewind to 2013. Datorama was this tiny, scrappy startup tucked away in a cramped office in the Iron District. At the time, I was working for a media holding company when my CEO casually introduced me to their CSO.

“If you like them, we’ll do business. If not, send them home.”

No pressure, right?

I had already met with dozens of vendors, all making big promises. But after just three quick meetings, I knew Datorama was different. Fast forward, Salesforce swoops in, buys them, and here we are—still talking about its impact a decade later.

Salesforce just leveled up with the launch of Salesforce Marketing Intelligence—the next evolution of the platform. It’s a bold rebrand with bigger ambitions, building on everything that worked in MCI, while still keeping the standalone Marketing Cloud Intelligence platform alive for the data purists who want full control.

So, the big question: Which one is right for you? Let’s break it down.

Marketing Cloud Intelligence (MCI, Formerly Datorama)

This is the OG. If you’re looking for raw power, customization, and the ability to wrangle marketing data from every possible source, MCI is still a beast.

What It Does Well:

• Data Integration on Steroids – It connects with hundreds of platforms—ad networks, CRMs, analytics tools—you name it. The king of media ingestion.
• TotalConnect – Think of Marketing Cloud TotalConnect as delivering API-level functionality—without the need for a developer team.
• Advanced Visualizations – Highly customizable dashboards using D3, HighCharts, and Smart Lens (though Smart Lens has limitations).
• Serious Automation – Cleans, normalizes, and harmonizes data quickly.
• Enterprise-Level Scalability – Works for small businesses but really shines in complex marketing stacks.
• Media Transparency Center – Great for managing IOs, ad spend, and revenue tracking.
• Visual Customization Heaven – Full support for CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, so you can theme and brand your reports however you want.
• Predictable Pricing – Starts at $3,000/month for 5M data rows, making it a solid value for what it offers.
• Custom Calculations & Metrics – Create your own KPIs and rules.
• Real-Time Alerts – Often overlooked feature. Email or SMS alerts based on data changes.

Where It Falls Short:

• Learning Curve – If you don’t have data chops, MCI may feel overwhelming.
• Costs Stack Up – Large-scale use can get pricey, and data row calculations can be confusing.
• Setup Takes Effort – The initial integration may require some lifting.
• Salesforce Integration Isn’t Seamless – You’ll need TotalConnect and SOQL to integrate with other Salesforce products.
• AI is Basic – While you can embed custom widgets using Co-pilot or GPT-like functionality, out-of-the-box reporting insights are limited.
• Innovation is Slowing – Updates are mostly new connectors, not big product upgrades.
• Action Center Never Took Off – A great idea that never saw full development.

Salesforce Marketing Intelligence (The New Solution)

This is Salesforce’s fresh take on marketing analytics—built directly on Data Cloud and designed for simplicity, speed, and AI-powered insights.

What It Brings to the Table:

• Seamless Salesforce Integration – It’s built to work with Data Cloud, and the entire Salesforce stack—no extra tools needed.
• AI & Predictive Analytics – Einstein AI + AgentForce give you forecasting, (triggered) actions and smarter recommendations.
• User-Friendly – The UI is simplified, making it easier for non-data experts to navigate.
• Attribution Tracking – First and last-touch attribution built in.
• Faster Integrations – Supports data enrichment, pattern recognition, identity resolution, and audience activation.
• Migration Path for MCI Users – Salesforce may offer a way to transition from MCI to Marketing Intelligence.
• Tableau-Powered Visualizations – Tableau Next is the engine behind its reporting.
• Instant Dashboards – AI auto-generates dashboards based on your data sources.
• Benchmarking Capabilities – Pull in third-party benchmarks to improve goal-setting.

Where It’s Still a Work in Progress:

• Customization is Limited (for Now) – Compared to MCI, you may have fewer options to tweak dashboards and reports.
• Action Center is WIP – Right now, you can pause Meta Ads, and that’s about it.
• Theming & Branding? TBD – It’s unclear if Lightning Design System will allow custom UI styling.
• Where’s Media Transparency? – Unlike MCI, there’s no clear support for ad spend transparency yet.
• Third-Party Connectors are Sparse – Native Salesforce integrations are solid, but external data sources may be limited (for now).
• New Kid on the Block – It hasn’t been battle-tested at scale yet.
• Pricing is Murky – You’ll need to factor in Marketing Intelligence, Data Cloud, and possible consumption credits for audience creation.

So…Which One Should You Pick?

It depends.

Go with Marketing Cloud Intelligence (Datorama) if you’re managing complex marketing data across multiple brands, need serious customization, and aren’t afraid of some technical setup.

Go with Salesforce Marketing Intelligence if you’re already deep in the Salesforce ecosystem, want AI-powered insights and automation, and prefer a simpler, more intuitive platform.

Concerned about cost? For now, MCI may still be the better deal for mid-market businesses because of its predictable pricing model. See your Salesforce Account executive for details.

Final Thoughts

MCI (Datorama) is still the powerhouse for serious data teams. It’s got over a decade of innovation, deep customization, and is still one of the most powerful marketing analytics platforms available.

But Salesforce Marketing Intelligence? It looks very promising. As Salesforce continues the investment, it could quickly outgrow its predecessor—especially with the rise of Data Cloud and Agentforce.

We see a potential data renaissance coming. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you need now vs. what you’ll need in the future. Keep an eye on Salesforce’s roadmap, Marketing Intelligence could very well become the new standard for marketing analytics.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect the official stance of Salesforce.