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EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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EMAIL TRENDS
AND BENCHMARKS
Q2 2019
1EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY							 2
BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS				 3
	 Non-bounce rates, open rates and click-through rates		 4
	 Unique open and click-through rates				 5
	 BAU metrics by message type	 6
TRIGGERED EMAIL TRENDS	 7
EMAIL TRENDS BY INDUSTRY					 9
	 Automotive								 10
	 Business products							 12
	 Consumer and business publishing	 14
	 Consumer products CPG	 16
	 Consumer products pharmaceutical	 18
	 Consumer services	 20
	 Financial services CC/banks	 22
	 Financial services general	 24
	 Retail	26
	 Travel/hospitality services	 28
METHODOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS					 30
2EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We compile and analyze aggregated data from billions of emails each quarter to help you assess
your performance and improve your digital messaging strategy.
In this report, we’ll compare Q2 2019 metrics to YoY (Q2 2018) performance and prior quarter
(Q1 2019) performance. Please note that this benchmark data should be used as a guideline.
Think of the metrics as how the average company in the category performs.
BAU open rates (30.7%) and click rates (2.9%) in Q2 2019 are slightly lower than last quarter
(33.5% and 3.3%, respectively), but some industries are doing better than others. Five of the 10
industries we track saw a YoY increase of over 5% in their unique open rates.
Overall, email engagement has remained consistent over the last couple of years—but we’re
expecting improvements soon. With an increased focus on personalization, relationship
building and technology like machine learning, marketers have spent much of 2019 developing
plans to deliver more custom email experiences for each consumer. This should contribute to an
increase in engagement and channel performance as brands execute over the next 18–24 months.
Learn more about
creating deeply
personal, highly
relevant emails
with Epsilon Agility
Harmony
Visit us online
or call 800 309 0505
BUSINESS-AS-USUAL
EMAIL TRENDSThe Q2 2019 email trends and benchmarks report analyzed
performance trends by industry and message type for BAU
email. This study was compiled from 19.3 billion emails sent
between April and June 2019, across multiple industries and
to approximately 170 Epsilon clients on the Agility Harmony
platform. These metrics offer insight into the performance of
the average company’s email campaigns.
4EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS
With 4.3% more messages delivered in Q2 over Q1 2019, we saw slight drops in both open and click
rates. This could be an indication that we’ve reached the tipping point for consumers and email volume.
More email doesn’t necessarily mean more opens and clicks. Instead, you should create a highly relevant
experience for each recipient with each communication.
Q2 2019 BAU non-bounce rates, open rates and click-through rates
Non-bounce rate Open rate Click-through rate
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
97.8%
33.5%
3.3%
97.5%
34.1%
3.1%
97.4% 98.9%97.6% 97.8% 97.3% 97.3% 96.9%
31.3% 30.7%33.8% 31.2% 32.1% 33.1% 31.2%
3.3% 2.9%3.0% 3.1% 3.5% 3.8% 3.4%
Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18
Q2 2019 BAU non-bounce
rates, open rates and
click-through rates
Open rates:
The Q2 2019 open rate (30.7%)
is slightly lower than last quarter
(33.5%), more in line with
Q2 2018 (31.2%).
Click-through rates:
Click rates also fell slightly from
last quarter (3.3%), ending the
quarter at 2.9%.
Consider the full customer
experience when measuring
success for your email
program. Many brands are
finding that as they optimize
personalization in the inbox,
consumers are being more
direct by going straight to the
brand’s website—instead of
opening and clicking through
the email.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
5EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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Q2 2019 BAU unique open
and click-through rates
Unique open rates:
20.6%, an increase over Q2 of last
year (19.4%) but slightly lower than
Q1 of 2019 (21.7%).
Half of our 10 industries saw a
YoY increase of over 5% in unique
open rates.
Unique click-through rates:
2.0%, a slight decrease over prior
quarter (2.3%) and YoY (2.3%).
Marketing content continues to
represent the majority of email
communications but has some of
the lowest performance metrics.
Stand out in a crowded inbox
and better serve the customer
by becoming more of a trusted
advisor. Do this by focusing on
what the consumer wants—
and not just what your brand
wants to say. Provide a more
relevant experience in each
person’s inbox, starting with
the subject line and pre-header
text, and carry it all the way
through unique content and calls-
to-action. You’ll add more value
and create more goodwill
than with just another email in
their inbox.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
Q2 2019 BAU unique open and click-through rates
2.4%
20.2%
2.1% 2.0%2.0% 2.2% 2.5% 2.6% 2.3%
19.3% 20.6%19.0% 19.9% 20.2% 20.5% 19.4%
Unique click-through rate Unique open rate
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2.3%
21.7%
Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18
BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS
6EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Unique open
rate
Unique click-
through rate
Unique click-to-
open rate
Percent delivered
in Q2 19
Editorial/newsletter 11.2% 2.6% 23.3% 13.8%
Legal 16.7% 1.2% 7.1% 2.0%
Marketing 12.0% 0.7% 5.8% 80.5%
Reactivation/reengagement 11.3% 1.2% 10.8% 0.02%
Research/survey 13.9% 1.8% 12.7% 0.2%
Service 38.2% 5.5% 14.3% 1.9%
Other 33.2% 2.2% 6.5% 1.7%
Q2 2019 BAU metrics by message type
BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS
Q2 2019 BAU metrics by
message type
80% of emails delivered through
Agility Harmony were described as
marketing messages, which is con-
sistent with last quarter (80%) but
slightly lower than Q2 2018 (83%).
Q1 2019 BAU metrics by
message type
80% of emails delivered through
Agility Harmony were tagged as
marketing messages, which is only
slightly lower than last quarter
(82%).
1.7%
Other
80.5%
Marketing
Legal
2.0%
13.8%
Editorial/
newsletter
1.9%
Service .2%
Research/survey
.02%
Reactivation/
reengagement
Delivered
in Q2 2019
TRIGGERED
EMAIL TRENDSTriggered email trends are compiled from approximately 4.1
billion triggered emails sent between April and June 2019,
across multiple industries. These were sent as a result of
consumer activities such as signups and purchases. Because of
the lower volumes reported, we expect quarterly fluctuations
as brands market to consumers in different ways throughout
the year.
8EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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Q2 2019 triggered
non-bounce, open and
click-through rates
Triggered messages:
Accounted for just 2.1% of total
volume as our overall email volume
increased, in line with what we saw
in Q1 2019 and for last year.
Non-bounce rates:
Continued to drive strong results
for Agility Harmony clients, only
2.5% lower than BAU (doesn’t
account for inbox delivery)
Triggered open rates:
65.7% higher than BAU, mostly in
line with YoY lift (64.3% over BAU).
Triggered click-through rates:
Continues to perform well at 7.5%,
more than double BAU (2.9%) at
a 161.3% lift.
Think bigger. Your goal for
the next 12–24 months should
be to get triggered email
to about 50% of your email
volume—with a long-term
goal of driving most of your
email communications to
behaviorally triggered dialogs
with your customers.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
TRIGGERED EMAIL TRENDS
Triggered emails perform significantly better (on average) than BAU communications. Why? Because
personalized timing is just as important as personalized content. Unfortunately, triggered emails
account for only 2.1% of email volume in Q2 2019—and has been hovering at this level for the last few
years. Most brands only aspire for it to be about 20% of their total email volume.
Triggered email activity rate trends
96.4%
50.9%
7.5%
96.2.%
51.1% 51.7%
96.4%
55.5%
96.5%
52.3%
96.5%
50.8%
94.6%
52.9%
95.2%
51.3%
7.3%6.4% 6.1% 6.6% 7.3% 8.2%
Open rate TRG
Click-through rate TRG Click-through rate BAU
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Non-bounce rate TRG
Open rate BAU
% of total delivered
6.9%
53.5%
8.8%
Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
95.8% 95.2%
EMAIL TRENDS
BY INDUSTRYWhere do you excel? Where should you focus your efforts
for improvement?
We examined the email performance of 10 industries and found
that half saw a YoY increase of over 5% in unique open rates.
Consumer Products Pharmaceutical saw an increase of all three
response rates measured (open, click, click-to-open) YoY,
whether in aggregate or uniquely.
See how your email performance stacks up against others
in your industry.
AUTOMOTIVE
Automotive saw substantial YoY increases in click rate,
click-to-open and unique click rate. Marketing emails accounted
for 78% of their delivered messages, while Other, including
dealer communications, is second at nearly 17%.
Includes automobile sales and service
11EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Marketing 23.6% 1.9% 8.2% 78.2%
Reactivation/reengagement 54.1% 12.8% 23.7% 0.02%
Research/survey 38.7% 11.5% 29.7% 0.04%
Service 36.8% 11.5% 29.7% 0.04%
Other 32.1% 2.4% 7.6% 16.6%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 2.3% 97.7% n/a
Non-bounce 91.7% 97.2% (5.7%)
Open 51.2% 48.0% 6.7%
Click 10.7% 4.1% 161.%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
97.2%
Open
rate
48.0%
Click
rate
4.1%
Click-to-open
rate
8.3%
Unique
open rate
29.4%
Unique
click rate
3.0%
Unique click to
unique open rate
9.5%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
AUTOMOTIVE
BUSINESS
PRODUCTS
& SERVICES
Business Products and Services saw an increase in both open
and click rates—but a drop in click-to-open. This category is
well above the overall average for triggered emails delivered
(17% vs 2.5%), but there’s still room for growth toward the
ideal 50%.
Includes a wide array of businesses,
from enterprise software to industrial goods
13EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 4.0% 0.3% 7.6% 0.6%
Marketing 10.5% 0.7% 6.5% 92.4%
Research/survey 8.6% 0.9% 10.2% 1.9%
Other 20.5% 1.9% 9.4% 5.1%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 17.1% 82.9% n/a
Non-bounce 96.6% 97.7% (1.1%)
Open 49.6% 28.2% 75.7%
Click 3.9% 3.0% 29.7%
Unique
open rate
16.3%
Unique
click rate
1.9%
Unique click to
unique open rate
9.8%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
97.7%
Open
rate
28.2%
Click
rate
3.0%
Click-to-open
rate
9.9%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
BUSINESS PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CONSUMER
& BUSINESS
PUBLISHING
Consumer and Business Publishing has experienced YoY
increases in open rate, click rate and unique open rate,
while click-to-open and unique click to unique open rates
have declined. Not surprisingly, this industry has the highest
percentage of editorial and newsletter content (81%), with
trigger performance much stronger.
Includes publishers of consumer or
business-oriented material—such as trade
and lifestyle publications
15EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 11.2% 2.7% 24.3% 81.7%
Marketing 12.4% 0.5% 4.1% 17.7%
Reactivation/reengagement 7.4% 0.4% 5.0% 0.1%
Research/survey 7.4% 1.3% 17.7% 0.1%
Service 11.6% 1.2% 10.5% 0.3%
Other 23.0% 1.2% 5.1% 0.1%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 4.5% 95.5% n/a
Non-bounce 98.5% 96.8% 1.7%
Open 41.2% 25.2% 63.8%
Click 8.8% 3.6% 143.9%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
96.8%
Open
rate
25.2%
Click
rate
3.6%
Click-to-open
rate
12.7%
Unique
open rate
18.2%
Unique
click rate
2.4%
Unique click to
unique open rate
11.5%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
CONSUMER & BUSINESS PUBLISHING
CONSUMER
PRODUCTS
(CPG)
CPG is one of the industries delivering the most marketing
emails (92%), 15% higher than the aggregate. But they’re
seeing weaker results. Open rate (17%) falls just over half
the aggregate (31%). Click rates are also falling short
(1.8% vs 2.9% aggregate).
Consumers often have a relationship with the store where
they shop, not necessarily the product they buy off-the-shelf.
CPG brands need to find new and interesting ways to become
more relevant to the conversation and the inbox.
Includes consumable packaged goods
like food and beverages, tobacco and
cleaning products
17EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
99.1%
Open
rate
17.0%
Click
rate
1.8%
Click-to-open
rate
10.7%
Unique
open rate
12.8%
Unique
click rate
1.4%
Unique click to
unique open rate
10.9%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 17.6% 2.3% 13.1% 7.4%
Marketing 10.1% 1.0% 9.9% 92.0%
Other 16.6% 1.6% 10.0% 0.5%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 0.9% 99.1% n/a
Non-bounce 95.9% 99.1% (3.2%)
Open 62.8% 17.0% 269.1%
Click 13.2% 1.8% 624.1%
To improve your relevance and
your engagement, work to
increase your triggered emails
to known customers—or
choose a marketing partner
that can help you reach more
of your audience with
personalized messages.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
CONSUMER PRODUCTS (CPG)
CONSUMER
PRODUCTS
PHARMACEUTICAL
Compared to Q2 2018, Consumer Products Pharmaceutical
was the only industry to see a yearly increase of at least 5% in
all categories (open, click and click-to-open rates). Although
triggers only account for 2% of their emails, the results are
substantially stronger than BAU—nearly 2x higher for opens
and nearly 4x higher for clicks.
Includes consumable pharmaceutical goods
19EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 28.8% 4.1% 14.2% 1.6%
Marketing 12.4% 1.4% 11.6% 93.9%
Research/survey 12.9% 2.5% 19.1% 0.2%
Other 20.0% 2.5% 12.3% 4.3%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 2.3% 97.7% n/a
Non-bounce 90.9% 95.2% (4.5%)
Open 41.1% 21.1% 94.5%
Click 13.2% 3.6% 266.8%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
95.2%
Open
rate
21.1%
Click
rate
3.6%
Click-to-open
rate
26.0%
Unique
open rate
13.3%
Unique
click rate
1.7%
Unique click to
unique open rate
14.3%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
CONSUMER PRODUCTS PHARMACEUTICAL
CONSUMER
SERVICES
Consumer Services is one of the industries that sends the most
marketing emails to customers (98%), more than 22% higher
than the aggregate (80%). Overall, the industry performed
well on BAU metrics—total and unique open and click rates
improved. But click-to-open rates dropped significantly since
last quarter.
Includes marketers of telecom,
consumer lifestyle, internet services
and hobby/special interest
21EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 3.8% 96.2% n/a
Non-bounce 96.1% 98.5% (2.5%)
Open 42.8% 32.% 30.8%
Click 8.1% 3.6% 123.7%
Make sure to align your key
performance indicators
with the purpose of the
communication—it’s a
critical step that many brands
overlook. If you’re delivering
an e-newsletter that’s self-
contained, there’s no reason for
anyone to click through—and
click-through is an ineffective
metric for success. Always
define the desired outcome for
each communication you send
and align with appropriate KPIs
to measure success.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 28.5% 1.4% 5.3% 0.1%
Marketing 18.7% 1.3% 6.9% 98.4%
Service 43.8% 19.2% 43.7% 0.2%
Other 22.4% 1.6% 7.2% 1.3%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
Non-bounce
rate
98.5%
Open
rate
32.7%
Click
rate
3.6%
Click-to-open
rate
10.4%
Unique
open rate
22.1%
Unique
click rate
2.0%
Unique click to
unique open rate
8.6%
CONSUMER SERVICES
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
CC/BANKS
Banks send more service emails (26%) and are using more
trigger emails (~6%) than other industries—possibly because
marketing emails are heavily regulated. With email performance
metrics mostly flat over the past four years, the industry has a
big opportunity to improve cross-sell and upsell through email
by accurately predicting customer needs and presenting highly
relevant offers. These efforts are largely in their infancy.
Includes credit card issuers and
commercial and retail banks
23EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
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Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 5.6% 94.4 n/a
Non-bounce 97.0% 98.8% (1.8%)
Open 65.8% 51.7% 27.2%
Click 2.9% 3.5% (16.4%)
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 22.0% 1.1% 4.9% 0.2%
Marketing 28.3% 1.6% 5.6% 65.8%
Service 39.5% 5.7% 5.0% 25.9%
Other 40.1% 2.0% 5.0% 8.3%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Non-bounce
rate
98.8%
Open
rate
51.7%
Click
rate
3.5%
Click-to-open
rate
6.9%
Unique
open rate
33.0%
Unique
click rate
2.6%
Unique click to
unique open rate
7.6%
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
We work with our clients to
identify true customer profiles
and capitalize on cross-sell
and upsell opportunities. For
example, we can look at new
checking account openers
(based on age, wealth, status,
etc.) and promote relevant
cross-sell offers.
Rob Liska
Sr. Account Director
Epsilon
THE EXPERT SAYS:
FINANCIAL SERVICES CC/BANKS
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
GENERAL
YoY open rates for Financial Services held steady, while click
rates and click-to-open declined and unique open rate, unique
click rate and unique click-to-open increased. Due to the highly
regulated nature of this industry, legal messages account for
more than 25% of messages delivered.
Includes non-bank financial institutions
that issue mortgages, loans and insurance
25EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 30.6% 3.0% 9.8% 0.1%
Legal 16.7% 1.2% 7.1% 25.7%
Marketing 15.9% 0.6% 3.5% 71.7%
Service 37.0% 4.1% 11.0% 1.5%
Other 28.3% 1.1% 3.8% 1.1%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 0.8% 99.2% n/a
Non-bounce 94.8% 98.2% (3.5%)
Open 57.4% 42.9% 33.7%
Click 3.2% 5.0% (35.6%)
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
Non-bounce
rate
98.2%
Open
rate
42.9%
Click
rate
5.0%
Click-to-open
rate
9.8%
Unique
open rate
24.9%
Unique
click rate
2.6%
Unique click to
unique open rate
12.7%
This industry is in the
beginning stages of setting
themselves up for deeper
personalization and faster
speed to market down the road.
Start by developing a testing
strategy and standardized
architecture templates, but
don’t forget the basics—like
a clear call-to-action.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
FINANCIAL SERVICES GENERAL
RETAIL
Retailers saw YoY performance decreases across the board.
With triggers accounting for just 1% of the emails they
deployed, there is huge upside potential. Opens for triggers
were about 2.5x higher than BAU, while click rates were 3x
greater than BAU.
This category includes multichannel retailers
and cataloguers
27EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 10.7% 1.1% 10.1% 1.4%
Marketing 9.8% 0.6% 6.0% 97.1%
Research/survey 14.8% 1.9% 12.6% 0.2%
Service 17.0% 1.4% 8.1% 0.1%
Other 33.4% 2.6% 7.9% 1.2%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 1.1% 98.9% n/a
Non-bounce 97.1% 99.1% (2.0%)
Open 51.6% 20.1% 156.6%
Click 6.9% 1.6% 326.1%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
Non-bounce
rate
99.1%
Open
rate
20.1%
Click
rate
1.6%
Click-to-open
rate
9.1%
Unique
open rate
14.7%
Unique
click rate
1.2%
Unique click to
unique open rate
8.6%
Retail customers expect
marketing to be personalized
and tailored to the individual—
from cadence to content.
Make sure to use both offline
and online data to drive your
email campaigns. There’s
nothing more annoying than
getting an abandoned browse
email about a jacket that you
just bought in-store.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
With declining foot traffic,
many retailers look to increase
in-store traffic through email
to keep their brick-and-mortars
afloat. One suggestion is to
try testing more detailed and
conversational “from” lines to
supplement subject lines. For
example, a from line could be
“BrandCo | New Arrivals”
with subject line “You’ve
Gotta Get Here! 1000s of
New ARRIVALS.” This allows
consumers to determine the
focus of the message at a glance.
Meagan Shelah
Client Account Director
Epsilon
THE EXPERT SAYS:
RETAIL
TRAVEL &
HOSPITALITY
Travel and Hospitality saw YoY declines across the board in
Q2 2019. While there’s been growth in tourism, the industry
is facing challenges from increases in both globalization and
demand for highly personalized communications. Privacy
regulations further complicate the global landscape.
Includes marketers of travel products
and services such as airlines, hotels and
travel sites
29EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
*Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating
the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company.
*Message type Open
rate
Click
rate
Click-to-open
rate
% of total delivered
in industry
Editorial/newsletter 13.5% 0.9% 6.6% 0.8%
Marketing 15.3% 1.1% 7.3% 95.9%
Reactivation/reengagement 38.9% 7.5% 19.4% 0.1%
Other 17.6% 0.9% 4.9% 3.2%
Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type
Q2 2019 triggered email performance
Q2 2019 Triggered
Business
as usual
Difference
% delivered in quarter 1.1% 98.9% n/a
Non-bounce 96.7% 98.3% (1.7%)
Open 61.6% 23.4% 163.1%
Click 7.4% 2.3% 226.4%
Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates
Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year.
Non-bounce
rate
98.3%
Open
rate
23.4%
Click
rate
2.3%
Click-to-open
rate
8.6%
Unique
open rate
16.4%
Unique
click rate
1.3%
Unique click to
unique open rate
7.4%
Get ahead of more stringent
privacy regulations like the
California Consumer Privacy
Act (CCPA). Know the rules
and the impact, and develop
a collaborative plan with your
partners to build automations
that ensure scalable compliance.
TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
With high growth rates in leisure
and outbound business travel
from EMEA and especially APAC,
it’s more important than ever
to develop email marketing
campaigns that are personalized
by market, location and language.
As with any personalized
marketing, there’s effort and
investment, but don’t try to bite
off everything at once. Instead,
create some priority around
impact to business and ease of
implementation to determine
the best path toward achieving
of efficient and effective
globalization of your program—
the ultimate goal.
Michael Cox
Sr. Account Director
Epsilon
THE EXPERT SAYS:
TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
METHODOLOGY
& DEFINITIONS
31EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents
«
METHODOLOGY
The performance metrics in this report examine averages across all companies within a category. The averages are unweighted and don’t
reflect mail volume for any one company. They’re a measure of average company performance in the category, removing the effect that
large mailers can have on category averages.
Note that this benchmark data should only be used as a guideline, as individual results will vary. Unless otherwise stated, all results
are aggregated.
Metrics used in this report are defined as follows:
Message type used in this report are defined as follows:
BAU: Business-as-usual messages
Triggered: Emails that were sent as a result 		
of consumer activities, and include messages 	
such as a welcome, thank you and confirmation
Bounce rate: Bounced and undelivered emails 	
divided by emails sent
Non-bounce rate: 1 minus bounce rate; calculation
doesn’t include ISP or inbox filtering
Open rate: Total opens divided by emails delivered
Unique open rate: Unique opens divided by emails delivered
Click-through rate: Total clicks divided by emails delivered
Unique click-through rate: Unique clicks divided by
emails delivered
Unique clicks: Unique clickers in the Harmony platform
Click-to-open rate: Total clicks divided by total opens
Acquisition: Used to acquire new email addresses
Editorial: Consists primarily of articles, critiques, 		
commentary, news or opinions
Legal: Contains legal information or notification
for clients (e.g. product recall notice)
Marketing: Contains merchandise information and 		
incentives for purchasing
Newsletter: Contains a regularly distributed publication, 	
generally about one main topic
Other: Content that doesn’t fit any other categories
Research/surveys: Conducts research on subscribers;
the template may contain a survey
Service: Provides subscriber-requested information,
such as bank statements or service reminders
ABOUT EPSILON
At Epsilon, we empower brands to transform ordinary customer experiences into
meaningful, human experiences. Our connected suite of products and services
combine industry-leading identity management technology, deep data science
and proven brand intelligence gained over five decades. Using human-powered,
data-led marketing, we deliver depth, breadth and scale that helps brands turn
meaningful human interactions into real business outcomes.
This document is intended solely for distribution by Epsilon. Do not copy, distribute or otherwise share.
©2019 Epsilon Data Management, LLC. All rights reserved. All names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective owners.

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eBook: Epsilon Q2 2019 Email Trends and Benchmarks

  • 1. EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Q2 2019
  • 2. 1EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS 3 Non-bounce rates, open rates and click-through rates 4 Unique open and click-through rates 5 BAU metrics by message type 6 TRIGGERED EMAIL TRENDS 7 EMAIL TRENDS BY INDUSTRY 9 Automotive 10 Business products 12 Consumer and business publishing 14 Consumer products CPG 16 Consumer products pharmaceutical 18 Consumer services 20 Financial services CC/banks 22 Financial services general 24 Retail 26 Travel/hospitality services 28 METHODOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS 30
  • 3. 2EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We compile and analyze aggregated data from billions of emails each quarter to help you assess your performance and improve your digital messaging strategy. In this report, we’ll compare Q2 2019 metrics to YoY (Q2 2018) performance and prior quarter (Q1 2019) performance. Please note that this benchmark data should be used as a guideline. Think of the metrics as how the average company in the category performs. BAU open rates (30.7%) and click rates (2.9%) in Q2 2019 are slightly lower than last quarter (33.5% and 3.3%, respectively), but some industries are doing better than others. Five of the 10 industries we track saw a YoY increase of over 5% in their unique open rates. Overall, email engagement has remained consistent over the last couple of years—but we’re expecting improvements soon. With an increased focus on personalization, relationship building and technology like machine learning, marketers have spent much of 2019 developing plans to deliver more custom email experiences for each consumer. This should contribute to an increase in engagement and channel performance as brands execute over the next 18–24 months. Learn more about creating deeply personal, highly relevant emails with Epsilon Agility Harmony Visit us online or call 800 309 0505
  • 4. BUSINESS-AS-USUAL EMAIL TRENDSThe Q2 2019 email trends and benchmarks report analyzed performance trends by industry and message type for BAU email. This study was compiled from 19.3 billion emails sent between April and June 2019, across multiple industries and to approximately 170 Epsilon clients on the Agility Harmony platform. These metrics offer insight into the performance of the average company’s email campaigns.
  • 5. 4EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS With 4.3% more messages delivered in Q2 over Q1 2019, we saw slight drops in both open and click rates. This could be an indication that we’ve reached the tipping point for consumers and email volume. More email doesn’t necessarily mean more opens and clicks. Instead, you should create a highly relevant experience for each recipient with each communication. Q2 2019 BAU non-bounce rates, open rates and click-through rates Non-bounce rate Open rate Click-through rate 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 97.8% 33.5% 3.3% 97.5% 34.1% 3.1% 97.4% 98.9%97.6% 97.8% 97.3% 97.3% 96.9% 31.3% 30.7%33.8% 31.2% 32.1% 33.1% 31.2% 3.3% 2.9%3.0% 3.1% 3.5% 3.8% 3.4% Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18 Q2 2019 BAU non-bounce rates, open rates and click-through rates Open rates: The Q2 2019 open rate (30.7%) is slightly lower than last quarter (33.5%), more in line with Q2 2018 (31.2%). Click-through rates: Click rates also fell slightly from last quarter (3.3%), ending the quarter at 2.9%. Consider the full customer experience when measuring success for your email program. Many brands are finding that as they optimize personalization in the inbox, consumers are being more direct by going straight to the brand’s website—instead of opening and clicking through the email. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
  • 6. 5EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « Q2 2019 BAU unique open and click-through rates Unique open rates: 20.6%, an increase over Q2 of last year (19.4%) but slightly lower than Q1 of 2019 (21.7%). Half of our 10 industries saw a YoY increase of over 5% in unique open rates. Unique click-through rates: 2.0%, a slight decrease over prior quarter (2.3%) and YoY (2.3%). Marketing content continues to represent the majority of email communications but has some of the lowest performance metrics. Stand out in a crowded inbox and better serve the customer by becoming more of a trusted advisor. Do this by focusing on what the consumer wants— and not just what your brand wants to say. Provide a more relevant experience in each person’s inbox, starting with the subject line and pre-header text, and carry it all the way through unique content and calls- to-action. You’ll add more value and create more goodwill than with just another email in their inbox. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES Q2 2019 BAU unique open and click-through rates 2.4% 20.2% 2.1% 2.0%2.0% 2.2% 2.5% 2.6% 2.3% 19.3% 20.6%19.0% 19.9% 20.2% 20.5% 19.4% Unique click-through rate Unique open rate 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2.3% 21.7% Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18 BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS
  • 7. 6EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Unique open rate Unique click- through rate Unique click-to- open rate Percent delivered in Q2 19 Editorial/newsletter 11.2% 2.6% 23.3% 13.8% Legal 16.7% 1.2% 7.1% 2.0% Marketing 12.0% 0.7% 5.8% 80.5% Reactivation/reengagement 11.3% 1.2% 10.8% 0.02% Research/survey 13.9% 1.8% 12.7% 0.2% Service 38.2% 5.5% 14.3% 1.9% Other 33.2% 2.2% 6.5% 1.7% Q2 2019 BAU metrics by message type BUSINESS-AS-USUAL (BAU) EMAIL TRENDS Q2 2019 BAU metrics by message type 80% of emails delivered through Agility Harmony were described as marketing messages, which is con- sistent with last quarter (80%) but slightly lower than Q2 2018 (83%). Q1 2019 BAU metrics by message type 80% of emails delivered through Agility Harmony were tagged as marketing messages, which is only slightly lower than last quarter (82%). 1.7% Other 80.5% Marketing Legal 2.0% 13.8% Editorial/ newsletter 1.9% Service .2% Research/survey .02% Reactivation/ reengagement Delivered in Q2 2019
  • 8. TRIGGERED EMAIL TRENDSTriggered email trends are compiled from approximately 4.1 billion triggered emails sent between April and June 2019, across multiple industries. These were sent as a result of consumer activities such as signups and purchases. Because of the lower volumes reported, we expect quarterly fluctuations as brands market to consumers in different ways throughout the year.
  • 9. 8EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « Q2 2019 triggered non-bounce, open and click-through rates Triggered messages: Accounted for just 2.1% of total volume as our overall email volume increased, in line with what we saw in Q1 2019 and for last year. Non-bounce rates: Continued to drive strong results for Agility Harmony clients, only 2.5% lower than BAU (doesn’t account for inbox delivery) Triggered open rates: 65.7% higher than BAU, mostly in line with YoY lift (64.3% over BAU). Triggered click-through rates: Continues to perform well at 7.5%, more than double BAU (2.9%) at a 161.3% lift. Think bigger. Your goal for the next 12–24 months should be to get triggered email to about 50% of your email volume—with a long-term goal of driving most of your email communications to behaviorally triggered dialogs with your customers. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES TRIGGERED EMAIL TRENDS Triggered emails perform significantly better (on average) than BAU communications. Why? Because personalized timing is just as important as personalized content. Unfortunately, triggered emails account for only 2.1% of email volume in Q2 2019—and has been hovering at this level for the last few years. Most brands only aspire for it to be about 20% of their total email volume. Triggered email activity rate trends 96.4% 50.9% 7.5% 96.2.% 51.1% 51.7% 96.4% 55.5% 96.5% 52.3% 96.5% 50.8% 94.6% 52.9% 95.2% 51.3% 7.3%6.4% 6.1% 6.6% 7.3% 8.2% Open rate TRG Click-through rate TRG Click-through rate BAU 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% Non-bounce rate TRG Open rate BAU % of total delivered 6.9% 53.5% 8.8% Q1 19 Q2 19Q2 17 Q3 17 Q4 17 Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 95.8% 95.2%
  • 10. EMAIL TRENDS BY INDUSTRYWhere do you excel? Where should you focus your efforts for improvement? We examined the email performance of 10 industries and found that half saw a YoY increase of over 5% in unique open rates. Consumer Products Pharmaceutical saw an increase of all three response rates measured (open, click, click-to-open) YoY, whether in aggregate or uniquely. See how your email performance stacks up against others in your industry.
  • 11. AUTOMOTIVE Automotive saw substantial YoY increases in click rate, click-to-open and unique click rate. Marketing emails accounted for 78% of their delivered messages, while Other, including dealer communications, is second at nearly 17%. Includes automobile sales and service
  • 12. 11EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Marketing 23.6% 1.9% 8.2% 78.2% Reactivation/reengagement 54.1% 12.8% 23.7% 0.02% Research/survey 38.7% 11.5% 29.7% 0.04% Service 36.8% 11.5% 29.7% 0.04% Other 32.1% 2.4% 7.6% 16.6% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 2.3% 97.7% n/a Non-bounce 91.7% 97.2% (5.7%) Open 51.2% 48.0% 6.7% Click 10.7% 4.1% 161.% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 97.2% Open rate 48.0% Click rate 4.1% Click-to-open rate 8.3% Unique open rate 29.4% Unique click rate 3.0% Unique click to unique open rate 9.5% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. AUTOMOTIVE
  • 13. BUSINESS PRODUCTS & SERVICES Business Products and Services saw an increase in both open and click rates—but a drop in click-to-open. This category is well above the overall average for triggered emails delivered (17% vs 2.5%), but there’s still room for growth toward the ideal 50%. Includes a wide array of businesses, from enterprise software to industrial goods
  • 14. 13EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 4.0% 0.3% 7.6% 0.6% Marketing 10.5% 0.7% 6.5% 92.4% Research/survey 8.6% 0.9% 10.2% 1.9% Other 20.5% 1.9% 9.4% 5.1% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 17.1% 82.9% n/a Non-bounce 96.6% 97.7% (1.1%) Open 49.6% 28.2% 75.7% Click 3.9% 3.0% 29.7% Unique open rate 16.3% Unique click rate 1.9% Unique click to unique open rate 9.8% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 97.7% Open rate 28.2% Click rate 3.0% Click-to-open rate 9.9% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. BUSINESS PRODUCTS & SERVICES
  • 15. CONSUMER & BUSINESS PUBLISHING Consumer and Business Publishing has experienced YoY increases in open rate, click rate and unique open rate, while click-to-open and unique click to unique open rates have declined. Not surprisingly, this industry has the highest percentage of editorial and newsletter content (81%), with trigger performance much stronger. Includes publishers of consumer or business-oriented material—such as trade and lifestyle publications
  • 16. 15EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 11.2% 2.7% 24.3% 81.7% Marketing 12.4% 0.5% 4.1% 17.7% Reactivation/reengagement 7.4% 0.4% 5.0% 0.1% Research/survey 7.4% 1.3% 17.7% 0.1% Service 11.6% 1.2% 10.5% 0.3% Other 23.0% 1.2% 5.1% 0.1% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 4.5% 95.5% n/a Non-bounce 98.5% 96.8% 1.7% Open 41.2% 25.2% 63.8% Click 8.8% 3.6% 143.9% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 96.8% Open rate 25.2% Click rate 3.6% Click-to-open rate 12.7% Unique open rate 18.2% Unique click rate 2.4% Unique click to unique open rate 11.5% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. CONSUMER & BUSINESS PUBLISHING
  • 17. CONSUMER PRODUCTS (CPG) CPG is one of the industries delivering the most marketing emails (92%), 15% higher than the aggregate. But they’re seeing weaker results. Open rate (17%) falls just over half the aggregate (31%). Click rates are also falling short (1.8% vs 2.9% aggregate). Consumers often have a relationship with the store where they shop, not necessarily the product they buy off-the-shelf. CPG brands need to find new and interesting ways to become more relevant to the conversation and the inbox. Includes consumable packaged goods like food and beverages, tobacco and cleaning products
  • 18. 17EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 99.1% Open rate 17.0% Click rate 1.8% Click-to-open rate 10.7% Unique open rate 12.8% Unique click rate 1.4% Unique click to unique open rate 10.9% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 17.6% 2.3% 13.1% 7.4% Marketing 10.1% 1.0% 9.9% 92.0% Other 16.6% 1.6% 10.0% 0.5% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 0.9% 99.1% n/a Non-bounce 95.9% 99.1% (3.2%) Open 62.8% 17.0% 269.1% Click 13.2% 1.8% 624.1% To improve your relevance and your engagement, work to increase your triggered emails to known customers—or choose a marketing partner that can help you reach more of your audience with personalized messages. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES CONSUMER PRODUCTS (CPG)
  • 19. CONSUMER PRODUCTS PHARMACEUTICAL Compared to Q2 2018, Consumer Products Pharmaceutical was the only industry to see a yearly increase of at least 5% in all categories (open, click and click-to-open rates). Although triggers only account for 2% of their emails, the results are substantially stronger than BAU—nearly 2x higher for opens and nearly 4x higher for clicks. Includes consumable pharmaceutical goods
  • 20. 19EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 28.8% 4.1% 14.2% 1.6% Marketing 12.4% 1.4% 11.6% 93.9% Research/survey 12.9% 2.5% 19.1% 0.2% Other 20.0% 2.5% 12.3% 4.3% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 2.3% 97.7% n/a Non-bounce 90.9% 95.2% (4.5%) Open 41.1% 21.1% 94.5% Click 13.2% 3.6% 266.8% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 95.2% Open rate 21.1% Click rate 3.6% Click-to-open rate 26.0% Unique open rate 13.3% Unique click rate 1.7% Unique click to unique open rate 14.3% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. CONSUMER PRODUCTS PHARMACEUTICAL
  • 21. CONSUMER SERVICES Consumer Services is one of the industries that sends the most marketing emails to customers (98%), more than 22% higher than the aggregate (80%). Overall, the industry performed well on BAU metrics—total and unique open and click rates improved. But click-to-open rates dropped significantly since last quarter. Includes marketers of telecom, consumer lifestyle, internet services and hobby/special interest
  • 22. 21EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 3.8% 96.2% n/a Non-bounce 96.1% 98.5% (2.5%) Open 42.8% 32.% 30.8% Click 8.1% 3.6% 123.7% Make sure to align your key performance indicators with the purpose of the communication—it’s a critical step that many brands overlook. If you’re delivering an e-newsletter that’s self- contained, there’s no reason for anyone to click through—and click-through is an ineffective metric for success. Always define the desired outcome for each communication you send and align with appropriate KPIs to measure success. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 28.5% 1.4% 5.3% 0.1% Marketing 18.7% 1.3% 6.9% 98.4% Service 43.8% 19.2% 43.7% 0.2% Other 22.4% 1.6% 7.2% 1.3% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. Non-bounce rate 98.5% Open rate 32.7% Click rate 3.6% Click-to-open rate 10.4% Unique open rate 22.1% Unique click rate 2.0% Unique click to unique open rate 8.6% CONSUMER SERVICES
  • 23. FINANCIAL SERVICES CC/BANKS Banks send more service emails (26%) and are using more trigger emails (~6%) than other industries—possibly because marketing emails are heavily regulated. With email performance metrics mostly flat over the past four years, the industry has a big opportunity to improve cross-sell and upsell through email by accurately predicting customer needs and presenting highly relevant offers. These efforts are largely in their infancy. Includes credit card issuers and commercial and retail banks
  • 24. 23EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 5.6% 94.4 n/a Non-bounce 97.0% 98.8% (1.8%) Open 65.8% 51.7% 27.2% Click 2.9% 3.5% (16.4%) *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 22.0% 1.1% 4.9% 0.2% Marketing 28.3% 1.6% 5.6% 65.8% Service 39.5% 5.7% 5.0% 25.9% Other 40.1% 2.0% 5.0% 8.3% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Non-bounce rate 98.8% Open rate 51.7% Click rate 3.5% Click-to-open rate 6.9% Unique open rate 33.0% Unique click rate 2.6% Unique click to unique open rate 7.6% Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. We work with our clients to identify true customer profiles and capitalize on cross-sell and upsell opportunities. For example, we can look at new checking account openers (based on age, wealth, status, etc.) and promote relevant cross-sell offers. Rob Liska Sr. Account Director Epsilon THE EXPERT SAYS: FINANCIAL SERVICES CC/BANKS
  • 25. FINANCIAL SERVICES GENERAL YoY open rates for Financial Services held steady, while click rates and click-to-open declined and unique open rate, unique click rate and unique click-to-open increased. Due to the highly regulated nature of this industry, legal messages account for more than 25% of messages delivered. Includes non-bank financial institutions that issue mortgages, loans and insurance
  • 26. 25EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 30.6% 3.0% 9.8% 0.1% Legal 16.7% 1.2% 7.1% 25.7% Marketing 15.9% 0.6% 3.5% 71.7% Service 37.0% 4.1% 11.0% 1.5% Other 28.3% 1.1% 3.8% 1.1% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 0.8% 99.2% n/a Non-bounce 94.8% 98.2% (3.5%) Open 57.4% 42.9% 33.7% Click 3.2% 5.0% (35.6%) Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. Non-bounce rate 98.2% Open rate 42.9% Click rate 5.0% Click-to-open rate 9.8% Unique open rate 24.9% Unique click rate 2.6% Unique click to unique open rate 12.7% This industry is in the beginning stages of setting themselves up for deeper personalization and faster speed to market down the road. Start by developing a testing strategy and standardized architecture templates, but don’t forget the basics—like a clear call-to-action. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES FINANCIAL SERVICES GENERAL
  • 27. RETAIL Retailers saw YoY performance decreases across the board. With triggers accounting for just 1% of the emails they deployed, there is huge upside potential. Opens for triggers were about 2.5x higher than BAU, while click rates were 3x greater than BAU. This category includes multichannel retailers and cataloguers
  • 28. 27EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 10.7% 1.1% 10.1% 1.4% Marketing 9.8% 0.6% 6.0% 97.1% Research/survey 14.8% 1.9% 12.6% 0.2% Service 17.0% 1.4% 8.1% 0.1% Other 33.4% 2.6% 7.9% 1.2% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 1.1% 98.9% n/a Non-bounce 97.1% 99.1% (2.0%) Open 51.6% 20.1% 156.6% Click 6.9% 1.6% 326.1% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. Non-bounce rate 99.1% Open rate 20.1% Click rate 1.6% Click-to-open rate 9.1% Unique open rate 14.7% Unique click rate 1.2% Unique click to unique open rate 8.6% Retail customers expect marketing to be personalized and tailored to the individual— from cadence to content. Make sure to use both offline and online data to drive your email campaigns. There’s nothing more annoying than getting an abandoned browse email about a jacket that you just bought in-store. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES With declining foot traffic, many retailers look to increase in-store traffic through email to keep their brick-and-mortars afloat. One suggestion is to try testing more detailed and conversational “from” lines to supplement subject lines. For example, a from line could be “BrandCo | New Arrivals” with subject line “You’ve Gotta Get Here! 1000s of New ARRIVALS.” This allows consumers to determine the focus of the message at a glance. Meagan Shelah Client Account Director Epsilon THE EXPERT SAYS: RETAIL
  • 29. TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY Travel and Hospitality saw YoY declines across the board in Q2 2019. While there’s been growth in tourism, the industry is facing challenges from increases in both globalization and demand for highly personalized communications. Privacy regulations further complicate the global landscape. Includes marketers of travel products and services such as airlines, hotels and travel sites
  • 30. 29EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « *Message types are based on emails deployed from Epsilon’s Agility Harmony platform and defined by the person creating the campaigns, which may not be the same at your company. *Message type Open rate Click rate Click-to-open rate % of total delivered in industry Editorial/newsletter 13.5% 0.9% 6.6% 0.8% Marketing 15.3% 1.1% 7.3% 95.9% Reactivation/reengagement 38.9% 7.5% 19.4% 0.1% Other 17.6% 0.9% 4.9% 3.2% Q2 2019 BAU performance by message type Q2 2019 triggered email performance Q2 2019 Triggered Business as usual Difference % delivered in quarter 1.1% 98.9% n/a Non-bounce 96.7% 98.3% (1.7%) Open 61.6% 23.4% 163.1% Click 7.4% 2.3% 226.4% Q2 2019 BAU email performance rates Blue or red text indicates a percentage change—increase (blue) or decrease (red)—by 5% or more over prior year. Non-bounce rate 98.3% Open rate 23.4% Click rate 2.3% Click-to-open rate 8.6% Unique open rate 16.4% Unique click rate 1.3% Unique click to unique open rate 7.4% Get ahead of more stringent privacy regulations like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Know the rules and the impact, and develop a collaborative plan with your partners to build automations that ensure scalable compliance. TIP FROM THE TRENCHES With high growth rates in leisure and outbound business travel from EMEA and especially APAC, it’s more important than ever to develop email marketing campaigns that are personalized by market, location and language. As with any personalized marketing, there’s effort and investment, but don’t try to bite off everything at once. Instead, create some priority around impact to business and ease of implementation to determine the best path toward achieving of efficient and effective globalization of your program— the ultimate goal. Michael Cox Sr. Account Director Epsilon THE EXPERT SAYS: TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
  • 32. 31EPSILON Q2 2019 EMAIL TRENDS AND BENCHMARKS Back to Table of Contents « METHODOLOGY The performance metrics in this report examine averages across all companies within a category. The averages are unweighted and don’t reflect mail volume for any one company. They’re a measure of average company performance in the category, removing the effect that large mailers can have on category averages. Note that this benchmark data should only be used as a guideline, as individual results will vary. Unless otherwise stated, all results are aggregated. Metrics used in this report are defined as follows: Message type used in this report are defined as follows: BAU: Business-as-usual messages Triggered: Emails that were sent as a result of consumer activities, and include messages such as a welcome, thank you and confirmation Bounce rate: Bounced and undelivered emails divided by emails sent Non-bounce rate: 1 minus bounce rate; calculation doesn’t include ISP or inbox filtering Open rate: Total opens divided by emails delivered Unique open rate: Unique opens divided by emails delivered Click-through rate: Total clicks divided by emails delivered Unique click-through rate: Unique clicks divided by emails delivered Unique clicks: Unique clickers in the Harmony platform Click-to-open rate: Total clicks divided by total opens Acquisition: Used to acquire new email addresses Editorial: Consists primarily of articles, critiques, commentary, news or opinions Legal: Contains legal information or notification for clients (e.g. product recall notice) Marketing: Contains merchandise information and incentives for purchasing Newsletter: Contains a regularly distributed publication, generally about one main topic Other: Content that doesn’t fit any other categories Research/surveys: Conducts research on subscribers; the template may contain a survey Service: Provides subscriber-requested information, such as bank statements or service reminders
  • 33. ABOUT EPSILON At Epsilon, we empower brands to transform ordinary customer experiences into meaningful, human experiences. Our connected suite of products and services combine industry-leading identity management technology, deep data science and proven brand intelligence gained over five decades. Using human-powered, data-led marketing, we deliver depth, breadth and scale that helps brands turn meaningful human interactions into real business outcomes. This document is intended solely for distribution by Epsilon. Do not copy, distribute or otherwise share. ©2019 Epsilon Data Management, LLC. All rights reserved. All names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.