Salesforce (CRM) is strengthening ties with Sprout Social (SPT), a cloud-based social media management platform, to bring major social media channels directly into CRM’s Digital Engagement platform. This move aims to help brands respond more quickly to customers and connect social media with CRM data for a complete view of client interactions.
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Importantly, the move comes as 73% of consumers are willing to switch brands over slow social media responses.
Potential Benefits of the Deal
Under this deal, major social channels, including Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, will be directly integrated into Salesforce, allowing customer service teams to manage digital, voice, and social interactions from a single workspace.
This approach also gives agents direct access to Salesforce’s AI tools and workflows, allowing them to resolve issues faster and deliver more intelligent support.
Beyond customer support, the deal allows marketing, sales, and product teams to use real customer conversations and social insights to improve messaging and drive business growth.
Salesforce Grapples with Data Breaches
Salesforce’s efforts to strengthen AI offerings come at a time when the company is facing cybersecurity issues after a wave of data theft attacks that targeted its CRM systems.
A hacking group known as ShinyHunters has breached multiple Salesforce instances, including one used by Google (GOOGL), stealing customer contact data and using it for extortion. The other victims reportedly include major brands like Adidas (ADDYY), Cisco (CSCO), and Louis Vuitton (LVMUY), with at least one company paying $400,000 in Bitcoin to prevent a leak.
These breaches reflect growing concerns about third-party data security and the vulnerability of cloud-based CRM platforms.
Is CRM a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, CRM stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 33 Buys, nine Holds, and two Sells assigned in the last three months. At $351.59, the average Salesforce stock price target implies a 47.21% upside potential.
