In profiling a dozen or so companies that have implemented SFMC for orchestrating marketing campaigns or other communications, there seems to be a pattern in that SFMC seems to be using pre-segmented data even though it is capable of creating segments and target audiences using tools like MC's own audience builder, SQL, recency/frequency/monetary filters to group contacts etc.
The pattern I refer to is where the segmentation (grouping of target customers) seems to be done before-hand within say, a CDP or sometimes, in a segmentation platform like Unica or epiphany, and then brought into SFMC in batch SFTP or API and stored in data extensions. SFMC then uses its capabilities in Email Studio, Journey Builder, Content Builder to segment, design, preview and communicate/fulfils the messaging via activation channel.
QUESTION : I wanted to check if this observation holds true always ? Or are there instances have, where SFMC actually also stores and models all of its customer, transactional, analytical data in its contact model and then uses Automation Studio, Email Studio, Journey Builder to direct personalized and targeted outbound communications via activation channels?