Michelle Dassen
On the basis of 122 billion emails sent in 2021 and 2022, provided by 13 participating ESPs from 69 countries, the Global Data & Marketing Alliance (GDMA) and the Dutch Data & Marketing Association created the GDMA International Email Benchmark. This extensive, interactive dashboard helps you gain valuable insights and test your campaign results.
Which results stand out most?
Which results stand out most?
Trend 1. Higher open rates due to the introduction of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (AMPP)
The increase in Unique Open Rates is a remarkable trend and is due to the introduction of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (AMPP).Since the launch of Apple Mail with iOS15 in September 2021, every email received by an Apple Mail user who has activated AMPP has been registered automatically as ‘open’.
The average open rate world-wide increased dramatically from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2022, a 9-percentage-point increase. This positive shift is clearly visible in all countries that have been included in the International Email Benchmark in the past two years.
Although the open rate has always been the major focus historically, the reliability of these metrics is now called into question.
Support tip
Merely focusing on your open rate may distort the picture. You should look further: the click rate provides relevant insight into the added value of your content. Look at your link map and target groups too: why does a specific link do well? And what can you take along to subsequent campaigns?
Merely focusing on your open rate may distort the picture. You should look further: the click rate provides relevant insight into the added value of your content. Look at your link map and target groups too: why does a specific link do well? And what can you take along to subsequent campaigns?
Trend 2. Privacy rules have an impact on deliverability and engagement levels
The second trend reveals the impact of privacy legislation on deliverability and the recipients’ trust.The figures suggest there is a clear impact of national privacy legislation on deliverability and engagement levels, such as open rates and clicks. Western markets, including those in Europe and the US/Canada, have achieved lower bounce rates in comparison with Latin-American countries.
This difference can be ascribed to national legal provisions and cultural perspectives, where privacy is more standardised and enforced, for instance by the use of feedback loops, double opt-ins and a more general focus on high-quality mailing lists.
In contrast, some Latin-American countries do not exclude hard bounce rates (HBR) altogether from future emails sent. In Europe and the US/Canada, compliance with strict legislation is essential to avoid any economic consequences, such as GDPR fines, or social risks, such as lawsuits.
These regional differences have an impact not only on deliverability percentages but also on engagement metrics, such as open rates and clicks. Especially in West-European countries, the Open Rate, Click Through and Click To Open Rate scores are above average.
Support tip
Taking privacy into account in your communication and using it in a carefully considered way in your strategy definitely has its rewards. Maintain a clean mailing list and focus on added value, segmentation and strong content. This has a clear impact on your deliverability and reputation and on the engagement of your campaigns.
Taking privacy into account in your communication and using it in a carefully considered way in your strategy definitely has its rewards. Maintain a clean mailing list and focus on added value, segmentation and strong content. This has a clear impact on your deliverability and reputation and on the engagement of your campaigns.
About the 2023 GDMA International Email Benchmark
Do you want to have a look at the figures yourself? As from this year, you can navigate the benchmark using interactive functions. Use the filters on the side to filter data, and look at the further details via the navigation at the top. The dashboard is provided here.The data
The results of the 2023 benchmark have been derived from anonymised campaign data from 2022 and 2023 provided by 13 participating ESPs from 69 countries in the regions Canada/US, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe and Latin America.The GDMA International Email Benchmark is an annual survey. Organisations all across the globe are invited to participate and to contribute to its extension. The more campaign data we collect, the more robust, insightful and valuable the benchmark will get. Participation in the survey is free of charge. Are you interested in participation? Contact Robin de Wouters via rdewouters@fedma.org.
