---
schema_version: "1"
id: 640e12766ec2739b8760da999fe7344a17b43449408eab9ca26d33af4e9f493b
title: Is This Data Foundation Solution Kit Right for My Organization?
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/data/264-0-0/c360_a_mcdf_right_for_org.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_mcdf_right_for_org.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: dfb6c1fc855a17b0768b0cf68aa26cf2e0244530b6543d6d1872311b31df402b
description: You can establish a data foundation in Marketing Cloud Engagement in multiple ways. Each customer implementation is unique and has different factors to consider. Use this grid to help guide your decision on which data foundation pattern makes sense for your organization. Your needs might require a hybrid approach and a combination of aspects from multiple patterns.
products:
  - Data 360
release: "264"
---
# Is This Data Foundation Solution Kit Right for My Organization?

You can establish a data foundation in Marketing Cloud Engagement in multiple ways. Each customer implementation is unique and has different factors to consider. Use this grid to help guide your decision on which data foundation pattern makes sense for your organization. Your needs might require a hybrid approach and a combination of aspects from multiple patterns.

This solution kit describes only how to use Data 360 as the primary data foundation within Marketing Cloud Engagement.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small " summary="
        Considerations
      ">
      <caption>
        Considerations
      </caption>
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:20%">
        <col style="width:20%">
        <col style="width:20%">
        <col style="width:20%">
        <col style="width:20%">
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d178759e55">&nbsp;</th>
          <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d178759e57"><span>Data 360</span> Marketing
            Cloud Engagement Data Foundation </th>
          <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d178759e62">Other Marketing Cloud Engagement Data
            Foundations</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e55 ">
            <strong>Implementation Strategy Overview</strong>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Data 360 Marketing Cloud Engagement Data Foundation" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e57 ">
            <ul>
              <li>Use <span>Data 360</span> to activate core audiences to Marketing Cloud
                Engagement, and then connect the resulting data extensions to the Engagement
                Contact Model. </li>

              <li>Core data extensions contain commonly used attributes that can be used for
                content personalization and decisioning across many different Journey Builder use
                cases. </li>

            </ul>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e62 ">
            <ul>
              <li>To activate core audiences to Marketing Cloud Engagement, use Synchronized Data
                Sources, your own external systems, or third-party tools. Then connect the
                resulting data extensions to the Engagement Contact Model. </li>

              <li>Core data extensions contain commonly used attributes that can be used for
                content personalization and decisioning across many different Journey Builder use
                cases. </li>

            </ul>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e55 ">
            <strong>Implementation Pattern Overview</strong>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Data 360 Marketing Cloud Engagement Data Foundation" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e57 ">
            <p>
              <strong>Core Audience Model</strong>
            </p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Use <span>Data 360</span> to
              activate two core data extensions containing your full audience and all required
              attributes. One data extension is for Individuals, and the other is for Unified
              Individuals. Then connect these core data extensions to the Engagement Contact
              Model.</p>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Other Marketing Cloud Engagement Data Foundations" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e57 ">
            <p>
              <strong>Collective Core Audience Model</strong>
            </p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Use <span>Data 360</span> to activate multiple core data extensions containing your
              full audience and all required attributes. Create multiple data extensions for
              Individuals, and one or more for Unified Individuals. Then connect the multiple core
              data extensions to the Engagement Contact Model. </p>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e62 ">
            <p>
              <strong>Synchronized Data Sources</strong>
            </p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Use
              <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_co_marketing_cloud_connect.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">Marketing Cloud Connect</a>
              to establish a data foundation by syncing CRM contact and attribute data directly
              from Salesforce CRM and into the Engagement Contact Model. Then separately use CRM
              data in <span>Data 360</span> for detailed insights, segmentation, and
              retargeting.
            </p>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e62 ">
            <p>
              <strong>External Systems</strong>
            </p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;"> Use your own external systems or
              third-party tools to establish a data foundation by building core data extensions
              and connecting them to the Engagement Contact Model. Then separately use data in <span>Data 360</span> for detailed insights, segmentation, and retargeting.
            </p>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e55 ">
            <strong>Customer Traits and Considerations</strong>
          </td>

          <td data-label="Data 360 Marketing Cloud Engagement Data Foundation" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e57 ">
            <p>Your organization:</p>
            <ul>
              <li>Wants to remove or minimize existing processes for importing data directly to
                Marketing Cloud Engagement</li>
              <li>Is confidently able to import and harmonize required data within <span>Data 360</span>
              </li>
              <li>Understands that the data foundation refreshes from <span>Data 360</span>
                to Marketing Cloud Engagement occur every 12+ hours</li>
              <li>Has organizational experience with customer data platforms</li>
              <li>Doesn’t have or fully use Marketing Cloud Connect to sync CRM contacts into
                Marketing Cloud Engagement</li>
            </ul>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e62 ">
            <p>Your organization: </p>
            <ul>
              <li>Uses Salesforce Sales, Service, or Industries Cloud products</li>
              <li>Uses the Synchronized Data Sources feature</li>
              <li>Creates Engagement contacts as Salesforce CRM contacts</li>
              <li>Has an intentional CRM contacts strategy for anonymous messaging, such as
                anonymous mobile app users, SMS subscribers who sign up by texting JOIN, or email
                subscribers who register with only an email address</li>
              <li>Wants to supplement but not replace this pattern with some attributes from <span>Data 360</span>, such as Calculated Insights</li>
            </ul>
          </td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d178759e62 ">
            <div>
              <p>Your organization; </p>
              <ul>
                <li>Is in the early onboarding or implementation stages with <span>Data 360</span></li>
                <li>Has little expertise with <span>Data 360</span></li>
                <li>Has already successfully established a Marketing Cloud Engagement data
                  foundation using an external source</li>
                <li>Is able to keep managing the external imports to Marketing Cloud Engagement in
                  near-term</li>
                <li>Has imported core data extensions with foreign keys to join</li>
                <li>Wants only to supplement this pattern with some attributes from <span>Data 360</span>, such as Calculated Insights</li>
                <li>Has near real-time latency needs for refreshing data in the Marketing Cloud
                  Engagement data foundation</li>
                <li>Has internal strategies that require consent and preference data to be
                  directly imported into Marketing Cloud Engagement instead of or in addition to
                  <span>Data 360</span>
                </li>
              </ul>
            </div>
          </td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>