Email Pulls High Promotion Redemption Rates, Study Finds

Email ranks almost last in performance among channels used for promotion.

Yet email "continues its digital resurgence, as marketers become smarter about tailoring personalized content -- including offers -- to their most engaged customers," states the Promotions Benchmark Report, a study released Wednesday by RevTrax.

The study shows that email pulls an overall redemption rate of 21%.

Not bad, but search generates 28%, with brand websites at 27%, affiliates at 25% and social at 22%. About the only channel email beats is display, which achieves 9%.

Email looks better when studying the individual verticals. For example, email is the top performer in the baby & kids sector, achieving a redemption rate of 26%. Websites draw 24%, and other channels generate 25%.

In addition, email generates a rate of 27% for healthcare promotions, right in line with the overall average. It is bested only by search (31%) and websites (28%).

And it enjoys a 24% redemption rate in the house & home category, versus 28% for websites, 23% for pet promotions and 22% in food and beverages.       

Although email trails other channels in the latter two areas, its rates are still high, the study notes.

Search is first in the food and beverage business, with a 36% rate. Websites are second, with 25% and email third, with 22%. Email ranks a distant second in personal care promotions, with 17% compared to 28% for websites.

Overall, the sectors achieve the following redemption rates across all channels:

  • Health — 27%
  • Pets — 25%
  • Baby & kids — 14%
  • House & home — 24%
  • Personal care — 23%
  • Food & beverage—19%

“Promotions integrated in the Email channel deliver results, and smart brands are riding this wave to great success,” the study concludes.

It continues: “When a customer receives an email with a personalized promotion, they’re more likely to engage. So brand categories delivering dynamic email promotions see the best results.” 

The company studied millions of aggregated and anonymized data points across millions of customers and hundreds of brands. 

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