• by Ray Schultz , February 3, 2021

A whopping 98% of US retail brands plan to spend more on email marketing this year, according to research by Emarsys.

Over 33% are increasing their email marketing budgets by 50% or more.  

In addition, 32% plan to switch from traditional to digital marketing channels in 2021.

However, 35% have no plans to invest in omnichannel personalization strategies—a mistake, according to Emarsys. 

“Consumer inbox volumes are increasing hugely because all brands are doing more email marketing,” states  Alex Timlin, senior vice president of verticals at Emarsys. “Therefore, retailers must make their campaigns relevant and personalized to stand out.”

Emarsys surveyed over 1,000 marketers at large U.S. retail brands.  

In a paper titled unPrediction: 8 Retail Marketing Priorities for 2021, Emarsys urges ecommerce brands to:

• Not view acquisition as a single purchase: Think about long-term engagement.  
• Change your perspective to customer-first and business-second. 
• Switch from team ownership (sales, marketing, support) to experience ownership.
• Ensure your customer experience is powered by the right infrastructure, covering payment, delivery, returns and service.