Big news landed in our inboxes this week: Braze has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Salesforce, in a deal worth around $5.66bn. If your LinkedIn feed looks anything like ours, it's already full of hot takes on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. We're not going to add another one. Instead, here's what you need to know.
First things first: nothing changes today
Deals like this don't happen overnight. The acquisition is expected to close in Braze's and Salesforce's fiscal year 2028 (which starts on 1st February 2027). It still needs approval from shareholders and regulators.
Until then:
- Braze and Salesforce remain separate, independent companies.
- Your Braze contacts stay the same, and current agreements carry on as normal.
- Braze will keep building as Braze, with Bill Magnuson staying on as CEO after the deal closes.
Both companies have also said they're committed to an open, composable approach. That means giving brands flexibility across the data, tools, and partners they rely on.
These things happen (and they take time)
Martech acquisitions happen all the time, and the real changes usually come slowly over months and years. So our advice is simple: keep calm and keep sending. Your roadmap, your journeys and your peak-season campaigns all carry on as normal. We'll be watching closely and will let you know when anything changes for you.
Meanwhile, at ActionRocket HQ...
We've been thinking if we could take the best bits of both platforms and stitch them together, here's the monster we'd bring to life.
1. The brain: Salesforce's customer data
Years of CRM data from sales, service and commerce, all brought together in Data 360 (formerly Data Cloud). It's a single view of each customer: who they are, what they've bought and when they last got in touch with support.
2. The nervous system: Braze's real-time engine
Braze was built for streaming data in the moment. When someone abandons a basket, opens the app or hits a milestone, the right message is on its way while it still matters.
3. The hands: Braze Canvas
Journey building that marketers enjoy using. You can drag, drop, branch and test without needing a developer on speed dial.
4. The heart: Salesforce's email pedigree
Marketing Cloud has powered enterprise email for well over a decade. You get deliverability at serious scale, plus AMPscript for when personalisation needs to get properly clever.
5. The voice: Braze's cross-channel reach
Push, in-app messages, Content Cards, SMS and email, all run from one place. Customers get one joined-up conversation instead of five separate ones.
6. The spark: AI from both sides
Every monster needs a bolt of lightning. Ours is Agentforce and BrazeAI working together to decide who to talk to, when to do it and what to say.
Will the real thing look anything like this? We'll have to wait and see. But it's a good reminder of how much there is to love on both sides.
Whatever happens next, we've got you
You might be on Braze, on Salesforce Marketing Cloud, on both, or still weighing up your options. Either way, our team knows these platforms inside out. If you've got questions about what this means for your team, your setup, or you just want a sense-check, get in touch and we'll be happy to help.
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