Modernizing your messaging programs (without the overwhelm)

You don’t need to send more messages.
You need to send the message only your brand can send.

Overwhelmed by the idea of leaving your legacy ESP? You’re not alone.

Over the last few years, I’ve worked with brilliant marketers and IT teams who know it’s time for a change, but feel stuck. Moving from a legacy platform like SFMC or Oracle, consolidating channels, and activating modern personalization strategies can feel like a mountain of unknowns.

More channels. More content. More data.
Does it all just mean… more hassle?

I get it. Many teams are exhausted by the batch-and-blast grind and over-customized tech stacks that barely hold together. But evolving your program doesn’t require a complete rebuild. You can modernize with less lift and more impact, scaling your best ideas with automation, personalization, and real-time signals.

Why your legacy ESP is holding you back

Legacy platforms and dated workflows weren’t built for today’s customer expectations. Your team is putting in real effort to deliver modern campaigns, but with tools that slow you down.

You know one-size-fits-all doesn’t work anymore. You’ve got the foundation, the strategy, the brand voice. What you need now is a platform that lets you move faster, smarter, and more dynamically.

While many platforms help you send more, Cordial helps you send better—smarter, more relevant messages that are unmistakably yours.

Why migration feels hard (and why it doesn’t have to be)

We hear it all the time: “I know our legacy ESP isn’t working, but I have no idea how to untangle what we’ve built.”

Migration paralysis is real—and valid. It’s not just about moving contacts and templates. It’s:

• Spaghetti-bowl customer journeys with dozens of forks and fragments
• Dozens of hand-coded templates with inconsistent logic
• Channel silos that don’t talk to each other
• Segment logic written in a language only one person on the team understands
• Tech debt that’s been duct-taped for years

But modernizing doesn’t mean starting over. It means taking a phased, intentional approach that 

builds on what’s working and unlocks new capabilities, and allows your team to be more strategic within their frame of work.

The new standard: Messaging that reflects the shopper and the brand

Your shoppers don’t need more emails. They need messages that respond to what they’ve done, what they need, and where they are in the moment.

Imagine these real-time signals automatically shaping your next message:

• Purchased (finally)
• Browsed, but didn’t buy
• Ghosted your emails for 120+ days
• Left a product review (five-stars!)
• Contacted your support team

Your program should reflect every one of these signals, across email, SMS, mobile push, and more. Even transactional messages can become meaningful brand moments: tailored to the customer’s behavior and delivered in the right channel at the right time.

This is where Cordial’s platform shines. We combine your first-party data with AI-powered capabilities like:

• Channel propensity
• Likelihood to churn
• Next-best product recommendations
• Unstructured signal ingestion (product reviews, customer service interactions, social content, clienteling interactions)

The result? You combine this with your carefully crafted brand and create messages that only your brand can send—messages that sound like you, feel like you, and convert like never before.

See the shift in action

You don’t have to start from scratch. You just need to start smart.

Many brands tell me the same thing: “We know we’ve outgrown our current ESP, but we can’t even picture how to move everything over.”

Between disconnected channels, fragmented customer data, rigid templates, and a mess of one-off journeys, it can feel impossible to untangle.

Here’s the good news: Cordial meets you where you are.

We can help you:

• Inventory and prioritize what’s working
• Identify low-lift migration wins
• Launch quick-turn automations with existing creative
• Build toward a modular, scalable, signal-driven program

This isn’t a “rip and replace” strategy. It’s a guided evolution—with a team of experts who’ve done this before.

Real results from smarter migration

A national retailer recently partnered with Cordial to migrate from SFMC. Instead of rushing into an all-at-once rebuild, they focused first on strategy: governance, frequency optimization, and reducing manual effort.

Within one quarter post-migration:

• They saw a 20% lift in revenue
• Shifted several high-performing campaigns to automation
• Increased triggered sends by 10%
• Launched AI-powered product recommendations and send-time optimization (STO) with Cordial Edge
• Achieved a $5M annual lift in their first year

Collaboration. No guesswork. Just smart steps, in the right order, with Cordial as an extension of their team.

A migration partner, not just a platform

At Cordial, we don’t just flip the switch and say “good luck.”

Our migration methodology includes:

• A dedicated Solutions Consultant and Architect
• Collaborative data mapping and content migration planning
• Phased trigger and batch campaign rollout
• Hands-on QA and testing support
• Available strategic guidance on how to unlock value fast—then scale it

We’re here to co-create, not just implement.

What smart migration can unlock early

Brands often see results within weeks of switching to Cordial by:

• Replacing static messages with dynamic blocks
• Increasing click-throughs with AI-driven product recommendations
• Automating formerly manual sends like price drops or back-in-stock alerts
• Reducing production hours by modularizing batch emails
• Improving retention with behavior-based journeys

The lift doesn’t just come later—it comes early and often.

The path forward

Modern messaging isn’t about more work. It’s about less effort, greater agility, and smarter outcomes.

You already have the voice, strategy, and creative. Cordial helps you bring it to life—at scale, across channels, and with the intelligence to adapt in real time.

So ask yourself:

What’s one message in your program today that could do more, perform better, and reflect your brand more clearly?

Let’s talk about how to make that message—and every one after it—the kind only your brand can send.

Let’s start the conversation.