There is a newer version of this report available: 2018 Email Marketing Industry Census

The 11th annual Email Marketing Industry Census, published in partnership with Adestra, is based on the largest UK survey of email marketers.

The census takes an in-depth look at email practices being adopted, the resources being dedicated to email and the channel’s effectiveness compared to other types of marketing.

Personalisation, marketing automation, optimisation for different devices and the future of email are all themes that are revisited in this year’s Census, and there are also new questions about the use of metrics, the application of artificial intelligence and the impact of Brexit on how companies are approaching the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

With 11 years’ worth of data to assess, this provides an unparalleled opportunity to measure the state of the industry and find out how those at the coalface of email marketing are operating.

Over 1,000 respondents took part in the 2017 Census, which took the form of an online survey in February and March 2017.

What you’ll learn

  • Find out how a variety of trends around email practices, budgets and opinions have changed over 11 years.
  • Discover other marketers’ opinions on what the future of email will look like.
  • Benchmark your own practices with the activities of marketers maximising their email efforts.
  • Understand the challenges organisations are facing in improving their email capabilities.

 

Key findings from the report

  • Marketers get to grips with automation, helped by improved technology
  • Email reigns supreme when it comes to delivering ROI, though companies must do more to measure success
  • Companies are still under-investing in a channel which drove an estimated £29bn in UK online retail sales in 2016
  • Companies continue to adapt to consumer use of different devices
  • True personalisation at scale remains elusive for many businesses, though more companies are starting to reap the benefits
  • Census shows signs of inertia and lack of understanding around EU data law changes
  • Segmentation continues to deliver
  • Responsibility for email shifts from the individual to the team
  • Artificial intelligence can improve email marketing performance

 

Expert insight

The 80-page 2017 report contains insight and comment from leading experts in the email marketing world and associated digital sectors, including:

  • Andrew Campbell, Martech Director, First 10
  • Chris Combemale, Group CEO, DMA
  • Riaz Kanani, Joint MD and Co-Founder, Radiate b2b
  • Dave Littlechild, Email, Ecommerce and Sales & Marketing Consultant
  • Kath Pay, Founder and Senior Consultant, Holistic Email Marketing
  • Jordie van Rijn, eCRM and Email Marketing Consultant, eMailMonday
  • Philip Storey, Email Marketing and CRM Strategy Consultant, CEO at Enchant Agency
  • Tim Watson, Email Marketing Consultant, Zettasphere

 

Features of the report

  • Approach to email
  • Email effectiveness
  • Place in the organisation
  • Optimising for different devices
  • Personalisation
  • Marketing automation
  • Improving email marketing for the future