You may not be aware of this but Pardot is a house divided. There are 2 separate camps – Camp 1 feels their heart ache every time someone erroneously calls a Pardot Program a Pardot Campaign and Camp 2 has no idea what Camp 1 is talking about or that a separation ever occurred.

We’re here to set the record straight- There is a difference between a Pardot Campaign and a Pardot Program and that one word really does matter.

It’s like nails on a chalkboard when we see an “expert” use the wrong terminology. We feel a duty to keep these terms straight and hope this quick guide helps.

(yes, we’re being a little hyperbolic but we swear there is a difference you should know…)

Pardot Campaign:

• marketing elements are associated to it
• used for reporting
• thematic touchpoints
• the first piece of marketing collateral, which the prospect interacted with ( Google Ad, banner, webpage, etc…)
• each prospect is associated with only one
• not the same as lead source
• not the same as a segmentation list
• not the same as a Salesforce Campaign, although they can overlap
• 
  

Pardot Program:

• Drip Program or Engagement Studio Program
• also commonly referred to as a lead nurturing program
• send emails at specific intervals based on time or prospect activities
• send targeted emails based on real-time buyer behavior and rules

In many ways they seem similar. A Campaign may include emails but it doesn’t always. A Program is actually built using Email Templates set under a Campaign and the name of the Campaign and Program could match, but often don’t.

If all of that sounds confusing and pointless to you, that’s okay. The important part is that your Pardot expert knows the difference and uses the correct terminology. If they can’t correctly identify a Pardot Campaign vs a Pardot Program, they are not a Pardot expert. We hope you keep that in mind when choosing who to partner with for your next onboarding or Pardot tune-up. 😉