• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, 3 hours ago

The hot topic in politically themed emails last year was trade. 

Tariffs were mentioned in 75% of political emails. And 13% of emails overall boasted, “Made in USA,” according to a study by Omnisend. 

"Trade issues are also consumer issues," says Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend, in a statement. "When tariffs affect pricing or availability, shoppers want context. Brands that explain where products are made or why costs change are responding to a more informed and more cautious customer."

Some trends were simply fun. Stanley Cup references constituted 54% of all Tik Tok-related email mentions. Labubu was next, with 19%, and Dubai chocolate, 8%. 

Meanwhile, “protein” was mentioned in 7,663 email campaigns, versus 2,426 listings of “matcha.”

When it came to music, Drake was the artist mentioned the most—in 33% of campaigns. Coldplay was next with 18%, and Beyoncé with 15%.

"Internet trends help brands stay part of the conversation, but only if there's a clear fit," Bauer adds. "Using a viral reference just to sound trendy rarely works. Protein is often used to signal performance, while matcha is tied to wellness and aesthetics. Picking one over the other shapes how customers think about the product, not just what it does."

"Batman" led movie-related mentions, accounting for 19% of campaigns. TV references were roughly split between comfort viewing and darker narratives: "Bluey" generated 29% and "Black Mirror," 17%.

"Pop culture gives brands instant recognition," Bauer continues. "In a crowded inbox, familiar artists, characters, and shows help brands connect without needing to explain the reference. That reliability still matters, even as trends change."

Omnisend analyzed 1.5 million marketing email campaigns sent through its platform last year.