New York-based data solutions provider Return Path this morning released findings based on a head-to-head comparison of email initiatives by the Clinton and Trump campaigns. Using its proprietary Email for President tool, Return Path detected high engagement from Trump supporters, but solid returns on best email practices for Clinton.
Based on signals like list size, open rate, spam rate and complaint rate, Return Path found that:
- The size of Trump’s list—for a long time much smaller than Clinton’s—saw a recent leap in size, giving him a current nine percent advantage. The sudden increase, however, fuels speculation that he expanded his list by buying data, with all the attendant risks of poor quality.
- Trump’s initial attempt to attract donations via email faltered badly when the initial solicitations—from an untested domain—went 60 percent to spam.
- Both Clinton and Trump enjoy an open rate several points higher than the industry average, but Trump lost an early lead here following the spam filter problem.
- Partly because Clinton’s email efforts adhere to best practices—emails are sent, for example, from a single, certified domain—around 96 percent of messages reach intended targets. Her complaint rate is around zero, while Trump’s has reached as high as 20 percent.
Results were based on data drawn from over 2.5 million consumer inboxes.
