Epsilon: Q2 marketing e-mail opens up 18% over 2008

Marketing e-mail open rates were up 18.2% year-over-year for the second quarter, according to a report by Epsilon that was released October 6. The period was the fourth consecutive one that open rates increased.

Fourteen out of 16 industries measured saw a jump in opens, with pharmaceuticals and financial services seeing the greatest growth, with 6.3% and 7.2% year-over-year rises, respectively.

The report also found that overall click rates remained the same - 5.9% - as in 2008.

The study helps to justify the e-mail marketing channel as a whole in terms of return on investment, explained Kevin Mabley, SVP of strategic and analytic consulting for Epsilon.

“Marketers are realizing that e-mail is a highly ROI-positive channel and that they can quickly get a read on whether their campaigns are successful,” he said. “So more and more of them are allocating budget dollars toward the channel.”

Mabley added that pharma and finance saw an increase in opens this year because marketers in those verticals are more often communicating direct to the consumer.

“Previously, pharma companies were more about TV, branding and sales reps, but now they're delving more into digital e-channels to more effectively reach their targets,” he said. Mabley added that financial services firms are using more triggered campaigns and service messages.

Marketers are also sending more marketing e-mails, according to the report. The average volume per client increased 10% from Q1 2009 and 20% from Q2 2008.

The study was compiled from 6.5 billion e-mails sent by Epsilon between April and June across 16 industries and approximately 200 clients.

Mabley predicts that, as in years past, retailers will increase their e-mail marketing volume in Q4 due the holidays.