Case Study: Encyclopaedia Britannica achieves digital transformation and stronger customer intimacy with Salesforce DMP

A trusted educational leader embraces its digital future with Salesforce

Encyclopaedia Britannica, a 244-year-old reference publisher, stopped printing in 2012 and repositioned itself as a digital education company selling primarily to K–12 schools and libraries. The shift from high-priced print sets to lower‑cost digital subscriptions required new product models, real‑time content updates, and a more scalable way to manage far larger customer volumes—challenges that exposed limits in the company’s homegrown CRM and back-office systems.

Britannica implemented Salesforce (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Chatter, the Salesforce Platform, and Pardot) to integrate sales, service, marketing, and back-office data. The platform improved support efficiency, enabled real‑time customer feedback to drive product changes, and supported targeted onboarding and renewal journeys; the company reports subscription renewal rates above 95%, an 8% increase in profit margins, and 17% year‑over‑year profit growth in the digital learning group.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Michael Ross

Senior Vice President