What we're talking about this month — how CRM and creative teams can collaborate better, the best new Braze features, and more! ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏    ͏      Welcome to the June edition of Cutting Edge: the monthly newsletter for marketers who use Braze! This month, we’re addressing a tale as old as time (or at least as old as ESPs): CRM vs. Creative. One wants to A/B test subject lines five times — the other wants to ensure the subject line embodies the newest brand platform just right. Both are right. Both are exhausted. Let’s be honest. “Collaboration” often feels more like chaos. CRM briefs are too vague. Creative files come in the wrong format. Rounds of revisions pile up and everyone is just trying to hit “send” before the moment passes. We’re here to help you break that cycle. What we're talking about this month: 🎨 An exclusive first look at our very comprehensive guide to CRM and Creative collaboration 💅 How pretty can power performance 📌 Braze tips & tricks 🛠️ The most relevant updates from Braze’s most recent release 🪡 Resources you can use to hone your craft CRM x CREATIVE GUIDE How to be better, together 👯 Too many great ideas get lost in translation between CRM and creative teams. We’ve seen it firsthand, and we’re here to change that. From smarter briefs to streamlined handoffs, we are sharing the exact strategies, tools, and templates that high-performing teams use to create faster, more effective campaigns. This very comprehensive guide is your new playbook for working better together and delivering creative that converts. STITCH IN TIME Pretty, meet performance: creative & CRM partnerships 🤝 Pretty is cute, but performance is everything. In a world where everyone’s fighting for a split-second of attention in the inbox or on your phone screen, the work can’t just be eye-catching. It has to perform. The best creative and CRM partnerships don’t stop at checking boxes or getting assets out the door. They own the outcome together. That means pulling creative into post-campaign recaps. Showing what landed, what flopped, and what’s worth building on. Letting the numbers tell a story and using that story to spark the next big idea. Not as a critique, but as creative fuel. If you want to stand out, performance has to be the priority from day one. A lot of CRM and creative teams aren't leading with a performance and results mindset because they simply don't have time. Whether you're a tiny but mighty team of two, or a full squad of ten, Braze makes creative performance analysis more accessible than ever. Here’s a crawl-walk-run plan to get you started: Crawl: Dip your toes in by using A/B testing for simple elements, such as subject lines or headlines, to test the basics and optimize open rates. Walk: Start taking strides by moving beyond basics with multivariate testing or experiment paths to test different creative elements within a campaign and see how these different variant combinations perform together. Run: Leverage AI to help you analyze campaign performance and automate insights for continuous optimization. Shameless plug – Stitch’s Marketing Agent (a Braze Amplifiers solution), can help. Creative teams level up when they know what metrics matter. CRM teams scale faster when they’re backed by smart, flexible design. When both teams are invested in results, the process gets less transactional and more powerful. - Rachel Gilliam Client Partner & Amateur Skateboarder PIN IT Braze tips & tricks 📌 To help enhance your creative collaboration, we’re sharing a tip for one of email design’s best pals — Figma. Figma allows you to export at a range of retinas from .5x to 4x. But what’s best for email? And what file format should you use? Use 2x retina PNGs for small assets like logos or icons to keep them sharp and preserve transparency. For large images, such as heroes or banners, import at high resolution and export as 1x JPG to keep file sizes down. PNGs are great for removing backgrounds, but ensure your image is ready for dark mode — consider adding a subtle halo, stroke, or background color for improved readability. - Vinca Swanson Senior Technical Producer & PNW Mountaineer (I’ve summited Mt. Rainier!) PATCHWORK Decoding Braze product updates 🛠️ Here's what caught our team's eye this month. Recommended events [EARLY ACCESS] - Recommended events will provide a standard, consistent structure to capturing common eCommerce use cases. Braze will provide an event template that includes standardized event names and relevant properties. These standardized events unlock pre-built Canvas templates and new action-based triggers for both campaigns and Canvases. Why it matters: The deprecation of the purchase event: All great things must come to an end, and with the release of eCommerce recommended events, purchase events will be deprecated in late 2025. Your team needs to plan accordingly if you are using pre-existing purchase event features, like LTV or revenue reporting in Canvases or campaigns. Data standardization: Consistency in how different user events are tracked and reported keeps development, data, and marketing all on the same page. Pre-built templates and dashboards: New pre-built Canvas templates that leverage recommended events will be released, as well as reporting dashboards that map to the customer lifecycle. If you are creating Canvases based on recommended events, these templates help you avoid starting from scratch, saving you time and headaches. A brief moment of silence for purchase events. Promotion codes for in-app message campaigns [EARLY ACCESS] - You can now deliver promotion codes directly in your in-app messages. All you have to do is insert the promotion code list snippet into the message body of your in-app message campaign. Why it matters: Have you ever downloaded an app and signed up with the promise of a special offer, only to immediately leave the app to search your inbox for your hard-earned promo code? Delivering the promotion via an in-app message creates a smoother, more engaging experience. For example, imagine you're part of a retail brand looking to offer a discount to new users who sign up for your app. When someone signs up and logs into the app for the first time, you can use an in-app message with a code list snippet to display that promo code right in the app — reducing the effort it takes to redeem the offer, and driving engagement and revenue. Entity relationship diagrams for Snowflake and Braze - Calling all Snowflake + Braze users! These interactive diagrams enable you to pan, grab, and zoom into the details of each relationship table, providing a clearer understanding of how your Snowflake data integrates with Braze. There are tables for each of Braze’s different messaging channels, making it easier to understand the nuances of each channel and gain a clearer picture of your marketing efforts. Why it matters: Better understanding of data sharing & relationships = clearer and more actionable insights on customer engagement. - Mike Brazitis Solution Architect & Burrito Enthusiast HONE YOUR CRAFT Our top resources this month 🪡 Here are some things to add to your toolkit: 🧑‍🎨 Palette Picks Spark your creativity. Stitch wants to send YOU to Forge 2025 in Las Vegas! Our Innovators Grant will cover flights, accommodations at the Virgin Hotel, and full conference passes for selected recipients. This is your chance to connect, learn, and lead at Forge. Apply now — applications close June 30th. Stick the landing. Braze’s landing pages allow marketers to quickly build low or no-code lead capture tools, opt-in forms, and campaign-specific experiences that are seamlessly integrated with user profiles and Braze Canvases. Learn everything you need to know to get started with Micheal Smoot, one of our Solution Architects and resident landing page expert. 📚 What we're reading/watching From Designer to Developer: an email maker’s D&D-inspired journey - Jessa Moon, Really Good Emails UNSPAM Keynote 2025 Using Campaigns to Stretch Your Brand - Emily Kramer How Sandwich Scales Creativity with a Team of Four - LucidLink Magic Hour   LOOSE ENDS This month's VIP (very important pet) 🐾 Click the image above for a special surprise. Stitch, 830 Massachusetts Ave Floor 3, Suite 9, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA Unsubscribe Manage preferences