Email Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Getting Smarter.

In an age where marketing channels are multiplying and customer expectations keep rising, it’s easy to get distracted by the next big thing. As a lifelong merchant and now as a consultant, I find a number of brands view email in a negative light as an "old school" digital marketing tactic that does not have the allure of social media or other, more recent marketing tactics.

But let’s be clear: email isn’t going anywhere. In fact, according to Acoustic’s 2025 Marketing Benchmark Report, email continues to outperform newer channels in both reach and reliability. It’s not just surviving — it’s thriving. The reason? Smarter strategies, better data, and a shift from batch-and-blast to hyper-personalized engagement.

As merchants and as marketers, we’ve got to stop asking if email still works and start asking how well we’re using it.

What’s Driving Email’s Staying Power?

Here are a few takeaways from Acoustic’s data that really hit home with me:

• Automation and AI are redefining efficiency. Triggered messages tied to real-time behaviors — cart abandonment, post-purchase, loyalty actions — are now table stakes. What’s new is the ability to scale those touchpoints with AI, using predictive content and dynamic segmentation that meets customers in their moment.

• Deliverability is under pressure — and precision matters. The report makes it clear: inbox placement is a moving target, especially with Google, Yahoo, and Apple tightening up privacy controls. List hygiene, sender authentication (think BIMI, DMARC), and one-click unsubscribe are now mission-critical.

• First-party data is non-negotiable. With third-party cookies on life support, brands are doubling down on behavioral and first-party insights to tailor their campaigns. This isn’t just about privacy compliance — it’s about building trust and relevance at every step.

• Segmentation isn’t just smarter. It’s essential. We’re well past the days of splitting your audience by gender or ZIP code. Leading marketers are leaning into behavioral intelligence — using what customers actually do to drive content, timing, and offers.

• The metrics are changing — and so should our mindset. Open rates are increasingly unreliable due to pixel-blocking, so top performers are layering in click-to-open rates (CTOR), engagement signals, and downstream actions like purchases, app activity, and loyalty behaviors.

Best Practices That Matter in 2025

The report is full of data-backed insights, but here are a few best practices I’d highlight for any brand serious about elevating its email game:

• Use automation for more than just efficiency. Done right, it can improve customer experience across the lifecycle — not just save time.

• Test everything. Subject lines, send times, CTAs, visuals — the brands getting ahead are the ones that never stop experimenting.

• Let go of the unengaged. Suppressing inactive contacts isn’t just good etiquette — it’s a necessity for performance and deliverability.

• Respect the opt-out. A simple, visible unsubscribe isn’t a threat to your list — it’s a safeguard for your brand reputation.

• Invest in your preference center. Allowing subscribers to control the frequency and content not only enhances trust and retention but also enables your segmentation engine to operate more efficiently.

Final Thought

For those of us who have been in the omnichannel retail game for a while, it’s tempting to think of email as “mature.” However, the truth is that we’re just beginning to see what’s possible when we treat email not as a standalone channel, but as the connective tissue throughout the customer journey.

If you’re seeking consistent ROI, measurable engagement, and a channel that grows with your ambitions, this lifelong retail merchant believes that email still deserves a front-row seat in your strategy.