Migration d’Actito vers Salesforce Marketing Cloud pour Etam

Actito to Salesforce Marketing Cloud migration for Etam

Etam, a leader in lingerie and fashion, migrated its CRM from Actito to Salesforce Marketing Cloud to modernize and optimize marketing campaigns and customer communication, also impacting the group’s Undiz, Livy, Ysé and Maison 123 brands.

  • Client
    Etam
  • Technologies
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud
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Background and objectives

5 brands, 1 migration, 1 challenge

Background

The Etam group, made up of five influential fashion and lingerie brands, faced major challenges, especially around multilingual management. Each language required a separate email, which made maintenance more complex and increased costs. Multiple versions of the same email existed with no synchronization: changes made to a French email were not automatically replicated in the Spanish version.

Storing and editing emails in HTML also required a developer every time, which significantly reduced the autonomy of business teams. This technical constraint limited the group’s ability to evolve its communications, at odds with the dynamism the brands were looking for.

Objectives

Ensure a smooth migration of all emails and automations from Actito to SFMC with no service interruption, targeting an initially iso-functional setup to guarantee zero downtime and a transition that customers would not notice.

Migrate around 100 emails per brand and between 20 and 40 customer journeys into SFMC. Then leverage SFMC’s advanced capabilities to optimize communication flows and improve email design, in line with the dynamism and evolving needs of the group’s brands.

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Solution

A LEAN approach for a CLEAN migration

To meet the Etam group’s needs, the first step was to extract all HTML emails and graphic assets (images, GIFs) hosted on Actito. Each HTML file was then cleaned by hand to remove unused code and replace Actito-specific dynamic code with AMPScript, the language used by SFMC, so variables and personalization would work on the new platform.

To keep the migration smooth and on schedule, we imported the emails into SFMC as HTML first, then transformed them into visual templates in a second phase.

Tools

Integrating and uploading assets was made easier by an SFMC API connection, which automated the upload of HTML and graphic elements. This automation was crucial: it allowed every asset URL path to be rewritten towards the SFMC CDN.

Approaches and innovations

For multilingual management, we merged the different versions of the same email, improving localization on SFMC. Customer journeys and automations were recreated manually in SFMC using Journey Builder and Automation Studio.

Collaboration and training

Once the HTML migration was done, emails were turned into editable assets in SFMC with Content Builder. This let the group’s teams take ownership of email content, update it and edit it. To support the transition, we ran workshops with business teams on Content Builder, template and block principles, and the basics of the SFMC language.

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Solution

A zero-downtime migration

The zero-downtime migration was carried out with the brand’s IT teams by changing API request routing to point to SFMC instead of Actito. This gradual switch made it possible to roll out the new journeys with no service interruption, with integration tests throughout the process.

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Implementation

8 steps in the right direction

1. Asset recovery

Extraction of HTML emails and graphic assets (images, GIFs) from Actito.

2. Graphic asset import

Integration of graphic assets into SFMC.

3. HTML cleanup and rewrite

Manual HTML cleanup and replacement of Actito dynamic code with the AMPScript used by SFMC.

4. HTML import into SFMC

Import of HTML emails into SFMC, then merging of translated versions for better multilingual management.

5. Turning HTML into editable emails

Conversion of HTML emails into editable assets in SFMC using Content Builder.

6. Journeys and automations

Manual creation of customer journeys and automations in Journey Builder and Automation Studio.

7. End-to-end tests

End-to-end tests to check the integrity of emails and customer journeys.

8. Progressive rollout via API rerouting

Progressive rollout of the new journeys by changing API routing to SFMC, ensuring a transition with no interruption.

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Implementation

Challenges, coordination and tests

Challenges

Stepping into a project that was already late, we had to work fast and automate time-consuming tasks such as HTML cleanup, rewriting and asset uploads. Training teams on SFMC in a very short time was a challenge. Fortunately, the teams’ availability, their active participation in workshops and their deep knowledge of the existing emails made the process easier.

Coordination and communication

To keep coordination tight, a team was deployed on site at the client’s offices. This proximity enabled fluid, efficient exchanges with the client’s teams and made it easier to manage the different project phases.

Testing and validation

Rigorous test suites were put in place: email integration tests using tools such as Litmus and Email on Acid to check compatibility across devices and platforms; end-to-end journey tests using Postman, also checking API endpoints.

Validation by a QA team

A QA team set up by the client validated every email and every journey before production, ensuring the quality and reliability of the migrated assets.

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Results

A delay caught up, a tightly run project

  • Quantitative results:
    The migration was a success, with every group brand’s emails fully integrated into SFMC and zero downtime — an invisible transition for end users. More than 100 emails and 20 journeys were migrated on schedule.

  • Qualitative results:
    Client feedback was extremely positive. After the migration, Etam asked us to support email evolution projects, including AMPScript improvements for the loyalty program and a new abandoned-cart email flow — a feature that did not exist on Actito. Business teams quickly mastered the new templates and SFMC, increasing their autonomy and efficiency.

  • Other benefits:
    The new platform unlocked new initiatives such as abandoned-cart emails and a more dynamic loyalty program thanks to AMPScript. A notable increase in open rates was also observed, reflecting stronger user engagement.

0+Emails migrated

0+Journeys migrated

0sZero downtime

Need help with your Salesforce Marketing Cloud migration?

The CRM migration from Actito to Salesforce Marketing Cloud for the Etam group was a clear success. Careful planning, rigorous execution and close collaboration with the client’s teams ensured a transition with no interruption, while significantly improving each brand’s marketing capabilities.

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