University of Arizona Marketing Cloud Consolidation Plan

The Consolidation Plan

Starting July 1, 2025 (FY26), Marketing Cloud users will manage and send content from a new Marketing Cloud Business Unit (BU) structure. By default, all users have access to the Standard BU, with an Advanced BU for automation and complex marketing segmentation*. To meet the project deadline, existing users will be trained and transitioned in cohorts on a monthly basis. To locate your cohort, see the calendar below. New users are already onboarding in the Standard structure.

Project Benefits

  1. Simplified User Experience 
    This consolidation will enable a more unified approach for everyone. By aligning your marketing efforts in fewer business units, you can create a streamlined, cohesive framework for collaboration.
  2. Focused Resources
    Consolidating business units allows you to focus on eliminating redundancies and creating a stronger, more targeted approach to reaching university audiences.
  3. Continued Assessment and Improvement
    As we move through this transition together, we will continue evaluating the university's needs to ensure Marketing Cloud resources will have the flexibility to be used as efficiently and effectively as possible. 
     

Timeline and Next Steps

Step-by-Step Migration to a Unified Structure

Business unit (BU) consolidation will occur in phases, with monthly milestones guiding the gradual transition to 10 business units by July 1, 2025. Impacted users will be informed and supported throughout the process, with training and regular communication to ensure a smooth transition.

Each active BU will transition to Standard BU through a cohort-based schedule, see below:

Cohort Timeline for Transition

  • Cohort 1: January/February 2025
    • Graduate Center, Arizona Athletics, A Center, Arizona Arts, Shared Governance
  • Cohort 2: February/March 2025
    • Business Affairs, College of Medicine Tucson, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, University of Arizona Health Sciences
  • Cohort 3: March/April 2025
    • College of Applied Sciences, College of Information Sciences, College of Humanities, College of Law, Student Services, Undergraduate Student Services, UCATT, Honors College
  • Cohort 4: April/May 2025:
    • Arizona International, College of Veterinary Sciences, Campus Services, RII, ALVSCE, Arizona Online Distance and Continuing Education, College of Optical Sciences, College of Engineering
  • Cohort 5: May/June 2025
    • Central Marketing and Communications, CIO Division, UA Libraries
  • Cohort 6: June/July 2025
    • College of Science, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Education, CAPLA, Eller College of Business

Due to licensing costs, our BU limit will be reduced on July 1st, 2025. Access to historical Business Unit structure will need to be disabled at that time. If you have questions or concerns, contact Trellis.

What you need to know

The Trellis team will contact you a few weeks before your scheduled transition date to communicate more details. If you would like to plan ahead, below are suggestions for a smooth transition:

Users are encouraged to “start fresh” as much as possible in the Standard BU. However, we know that is not feasible for all scenarios. To streamline consolidation, Trellis will ensure the existing content of your choice is available in Standard BU. A specific folder will be shared with users to move email they wish to migrate prior to the established deadline. Before training, selected content will be duplicated in the new BU for users to resume working with.

If you manage an archive of past sends on your website, evaluate the method used to link content. Marketing Cloud web URLs expire two years after send, and redirecting to an expired link will load an error message. For a sustainable longterm approach, consider linking to saved PDF or HTML files. Both options will retain referenced images and hyperlinks.

Steps to save as PDF:

  1. Open the HTML page in your web browser.
  2. Right-click and select "Print" or use the shortcut Ctrl + P (or Cmd + P on Mac).
  3. In the print dialog, change the destination printer to "Save as PDF."
  4. Click "Save" and choose a location to save the PDF file.

Steps to save as HTML:

  1. Open the HTML page in your web browser.
  2. Right-click and select "Save As" 
  3. In the save dialog, choose "Webpage, Complete" Format.
  4. Click "Save" and choose a location to save the HTML file.

Sender Profiles (SP) are settings, not files, and therefore cannot be moved between Business Units. You will need to re-create your Sender Profiles as you need them. Many users will operate in Standard BU, collaborate with your wider team to develop naming conventions to keep your SPs organized together within the alphabetical picklist.

Example: Trellis - replies to Ali Jeffords, Trellis - replies to Kim Winchell, etc.

Nothing critical is changing on the Trellis CRM experience! That said, take this opportunity to deactivate obsolete Campaigns. Prior to sending from the Standard BU, existing Campaigns need to be reassigned to the Standard BU and re-saved to Marketing Cloud. Relationship campaigns are not supported* in Standard BU. Training will address how to create point-in-time internal audiences previously managed as Relationship Campaigns and filtered data extensions.

*Relationship Campaigns and filtered data extensions are available in the Advanced BU. Access to Advanced is granted on an individual user basis (not an entire department) based on a measurement of proficiency, and requires a separate training.

All Marketing Cloud users are required to attend a change management virtual training session to learn more about the process. The agenda will address process changes, tips and tricks for easy transition, and expectations in the Standard BU. Training will be offered twice per cohort (and recorded).

  • Reports are still available inside of Trellis for all previous sends using Individual Email Reports (IERs).
  • For analysis across old and new BUs, request the new UAIR Marketing Cloud dashboard

You will be assigned access to the standard business unit, with advanced access provided based on current usage and needs, defined as follows:
  • Standard access is for all Marketing Cloud users who send mass emails, create campaign data extensions, upload lists, and access campaign reports.
  • Advanced access is for Marketing Cloud users who create shared Salesforce data extensions for complex automation and relationship campaign management.