Marketing campaigns that include email are far more effective than those without, according to a new study which reveals brands can get the best response rates by linking email with direct mail, and can shifting the dial on brand metrics by combining email with offline media like TV, radio, out-of-home and print.
The new study, published by the DMA, in partnership with Campaigner (a Ziff Davis brand), draws on data from over 300 email campaigns, and over 1,000 cross-channel campaigns overall contained in the DMA’s Intelligent Marketing Databank. It provides insight into the effectiveness of the email channel, as well as how marketers are measuring email effectiveness.
The average campaign including email generates 2.0 response effects and 0.5 business effects. However, email marketing tends to underperform against campaign averages for generating brand effects, yet at the same time it is not totally ineffective in this field, accumulating 0.3 brand effects per campaign on average.
Evidently, it is a less commonly used channel for shifting the dial on brand metrics like brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent, the study says.
The research’s findings show that growth in customer retention activity worked well in 2020, but by 2021, it was clear that there was only so much incremental demand that can be stimulated from existing customers.
In fact, email generates the largest number of effects (3.1 effects per campaign) when used to target new customer acquisitions – compared with 2.6 effects in retention campaigns.
Email is also more effective when part of a multi-channel campaign than when used in isolation. A 29% uplift in the total number of effects is recorded for multi-channel vs solus email campaigns. Double the number of brand effects are also recorded – an important consideration for a channel that generally underperforms in this space.
Even so, a combination of email and advertising mail is most effective at generating a response. Email and offline (TV, radio, out-of-home and print) is the best combination for shifting the dial on brand metrics, while digital display is a good allrounder and boosts the effects of email in both response and brand building.
DMA director of insight Tim Bond said: “The events of the last two years have placed greater importance on the role of the email channel, and indeed all personalised customer comms. With a progressive and active CRM strategy, an up-to-date and replenished email list, and engaging personalised creative, email can deliver the audience engagement that marketers crave.
“There is no use in flying blind, relying on open rates and click-through rates if they cannot be tied back to meaningful commercial outcomes for an organisation. As the original one-to-one digital channel, email has a unique opportunity to get measurement right.
“While predominately used for customer retention, the email channel is also a customer acquisition driver. However, a focus on email contact acquisition is needed by all brands to boost its effectiveness here. By the same token, although primarily used as a direct response platform, email can also have a significant brand impact for organisations – shifting the dial on the attitudinal metrics than are so important in stimulating future demand.”
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