The consulting firm needed clearer visibility into how marketing influenced the customer journey while meeting GDPR requirements.
UTDS connected UTM tracking, Account Engagement, and Salesforce to deliver reliable multi-touch attribution and clearer campaign performance data.
About the client
The organisation is a well-established management consulting firm operating across multiple European markets and serving enterprise clients across diverse industries. Digital marketing plays an important role in generating qualified leads, with thought leadership and content supporting its client acquisition strategy. Operating within the EU, the firm also needed marketing tracking and attribution to provide clear insight into the customer journey while meeting strict GDPR requirements.
Challenge
Reliable UTM Tracking
The client needed a consistent way to capture and retain all five standard UTM parameters, rather than losing valuable campaign information when prospects converted.
Multi-Touch Attribution
The existing setup focused on the final conversion touchpoint, limiting visibility into how earlier awareness and engagement activities influenced the customer journey.
Salesforce Attribution Data
Attribution data needed to be available across relevant Salesforce Lead, Contact, and Campaign Member records to provide a structured view of the customer journey.
Automated Data Flow
UTM data captured through Account Engagement needed to flow automatically into Salesforce, reducing manual work and ensuring consistent attribution data for reporting.
GDPR-Compliant Tracking
Marketing tracking needed to depend on explicit consent, with Salesforce recording consent status and supporting the removal of tracking data when consent was withdrawn.
Reporting and Visibility
The marketing team needed Salesforce reports and dashboards to show how campaigns contributed to awareness, engagement, and conversion.Custom UTM Tracking
UTDS developed a UTM tracking system that captures all standard UTM parameters. Tracking is activated only when users provide marketing consent, allowing the client to collect attribution data while respecting GDPR requirements.
Account Engagement Integration
Custom fields, forms and form handlers were configured in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement to capture and store UTM information when prospects submit their details. Automation rules and completion actions then move this data into Salesforce automatically, removing the need for manual attribution tracking.
Multi-Touch Attribution
UTDS created a Salesforce data structure across Lead, Contact and Campaign Member records to retain UTM touchpoints. This allows the marketing team to understand how different campaigns and interactions contribute throughout the customer journey, rather than relying only on the final interaction before conversion.
GDPR-Compliant Data Management
Consent management was integrated directly into the tracking solution. The system records when marketing consent is provided and automatically removes tracking data if consent is withdrawn, giving the client the necessary privacy controls while maintaining useful attribution information.
Reporting & Marketing Visibility
The attribution data was connected to custom Salesforce reports and dashboards, giving marketing leadership a clear view of how campaigns contribute to awareness, engagement, and conversion. This created a consistent foundation for campaign analysis and marketing decisions.
Training & Documentation
UTDS provided administrator training, marketing-team training and technical documentation to help the client manage the solution, analyse attribution data and maintain the system going forward.
Results
The new attribution framework captures marketing touch points and multiple UTM parameters in Salesforce, giving the team a clearer view of the customer journey. Campaign analysis that previously took days can now be completed in minutes through Salesforce reporting, while consent-based tracking ensures GDPR compliance.
Salesforce
