• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, November 11, 2016

So here's a secret that people in email marketing probably already know, particularly if they read this column. While we're all told that the areas to watch are programmatic display, mobile video, native content -- and of course, the darling of digital marketers, social media -- the thing is that every time social is compared to email, it simply cannot compete on ROI. 

However, where email truly comes into its own is not just with overall ROI. It's actually a great way of reaching that demographic that digital marketers love to obsess about --- Millennials. Anyone who reads this column regularly will know we have already covered this. However, the really exciting point we can now make is that this this love affair is actually deepening. 

First off, however, the fact that we already know is that Millennials cite email as their preferred medium for dealing with brands. Adobe research claims this applies to 58% of Millennials, while Adestra research puts the figure at nearly three in four. When you think about this generation's high usage pattern of messaging software, it becomes clear that this generation is hoping to keep messaging software as the exclusive preserve for friends and family. That leaves email as the preferred means of contact between young people and brands.

Now for the part we have not covered before. Nearly half of Millennials told Epsilon researchers that they have been checking branded emails more in the past six months than before. That compares to an average of around one in three among the general digital population.

So if you are ever having that conversation with the money people at your organisation or those gurus within digital marketing that believe everything begins and end with Facebook et al, just remind them of three things. Email always knocks the spots off social in terms of ROI, it is Millennials' preferred mode of communication channel with brands -- and here's the clincher again -- interaction with brands over email is increasing faster than any other demographic.

It's worth remembering that Facebook is about to launch advertising on Messenger and it's in hot water with the UK authorities over sharing data with WhatsApp. The drive to monetise messaging is going to come up against regulatory knock-backs and runs counter to the initial use that Millennials chose a messaging service for.

Email, to the contrary, is a very clear proposition. You give a brand your email address and they send you stuff. If you don't like it, you can ignore or unsubscribe. Which side would you want to be on right now? The transparent channel widely accepted by Millennials who are using it more than ever to engage with brands, or part of a move to infiltrate the messaging services they signed up to have a private conversation away from brands? No comparison really, is there?