To assist its clients in developing token-based loyalty programs, customer relationship management software company Salesforce has introduced Salesforce Web3, an #NFT administration platform.

In addition to monitoring blockchain activity and seeing real-time customer data, businesses can now mint and sell NFTs using Salesforce Web3, which just went live with subscription levels. The launch follows a 257,000-transaction test program with Salesforce customers including the toy manufacturer Mattel, the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels, the whiskey brand Crown Royal, and the apparel line Scotch & Soda.

Adam Caplan, GM of Web3 at Salesforce:

“One of the most interesting and powerful things is access to first-party data. As regulations shift and Apple changes the rules around cookies, Facebook and brands don’t want to spend all this money with some of these organizations—the crypto wallet becomes really powerful so I can directly engage with a customer and have access to that first-party data.”

He echoes Salesforce #Web3 lead Marc Mathieu, who stated to Decrypt at NFT Paris last month that he thought cryptocurrency wallets were the new cookies. Although, Salesforce is aware of the potential effects on user privacy.

Caplan continued:

“We’ve built in consent of privacy tools to enable wallet owners to share all their information if they want or just a little information.”

According to Mattel, its Hot Wheels NFT Garage Series had 215,000 NFTs of digital automobiles, some of which allowed users to win actual Hot Wheels merchandise. As Crown Royal produced over 20,000 claimed digital artifacts connected to the brand providing care packages of Crown Royal alcohol to active military personnel, Scotch & Soda and Salesforce launched their free NFT loyalty program Club Soda 3.0.

Caplan said:

“A couple years ago, brands thought of [NFTs] as a revenue generator, and that is true to some extent still—Mattel sold out in 12 hours, it was a huge success. But a lot of brands are seeing this as engagement as well, maybe there isn’t revenue and we should just giveaway these NFTs to drive personalization, community, excitement of our brand and target a younger audience.”

Salesforce Web3, according to Caplan, is "#blockchain agnostic" and solely supports proof-of-stake chains. Most Salesforce users, according to him, utilize #Ethereum or #Polygon .

“A lot of our brands want to pay the gas fees for the end consumer, they don’t want the consumer to even understand there are gas fees or need to know what that is.”

Caplan mentioned the costs related to doing transactions on blockchain networks like Ethereum.

According to the Salesforce Web3 GM, the business likes to avoid utilizing industry lingo like "blockchain" and "NFT" because of the baggage they carry in addition to avoiding unnecessary friction.

“There's so much passion around it for good and bad, especially over the past couple years with all the craziness that’s happened, so we tend not to use the words. Because it doesn’t matter, it’s about the customer experience.”

Although neither company is presently a subscriber to Salesforce Web3, Caplan noted Nike and Starbucks as two Salesforce clients who are making commendable strides in the Web3 customer loyalty arena. With its new NFT management software, Salesforce views brands in the media, fashion, and retail and consumer goods industries as its primary priorities.

In February of last year, more than 400 Salesforce staff members signed a petition against the company's plans to roll out NFT programs. Together with its consulting partners including Accenture and Deloitte Digital, AE Studio, Media Monks, TIME, and Vayner3, Salesforce has subsequently created its own Web3 Advisory board and Ethical Usage Advisory Council.

“We got fantastic feedback from employees and took that super seriously; we engaged with the employees who had concerns and those who were passionate. It really impacted our roadmap and our approach.”