Chapter 3

Email trends and emerging technologies

In a fast-paced industry, marketers who don’t stay ahead of the latest trends and technology risk becoming obsolete.

Yet it can be difficult for marketers to distinguish long-term trends that will add value to their programs from those that will burn out quickly.

Despite the buzz surrounding AI in marketing, our data shows that only 31 percent of respondents are focused on AI-powered email marketing. This could be due to several factors: Marketers may feel overwhelmed by the complexity of AI tools or simply be skeptical about AI’s ability to deliver timely results. Other marketers may be unaware that AI is already present in the technology they use.

Which of the following trends are relevant to your email program right now?

It’s also important to note that AI and data privacy are intertwined—particularly for European senders, who may delay implementing AI because of concerns about legality. (This is why Apple Intelligence hasn't yet been released in the European Union.)

Indeed, the majority of respondents (43 percent) said data privacy, transparency, and trust were top of mind. Throughout 2024, governments and private companies alike made moves toward stricter data privacy policies—and it's clear that marketers are responding to both tightening regulations and growing customer demand for secure, responsible data practices.

Branding with BIMI

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email authentication standard that allows brands to display their logos in the recipient's inbox next to authenticated emails.

What are your plans for adding BIMI to your email program?

Senders who use BIMI enjoy increasedrecognition and trust, increased open rates (up to 38 percent according to some research), improved brand recall, and greater likelihood that customers will purchase the products and services being promoted. These benefits usually translate into stronger deliverability and security.

But since BIMI’s introduction in 2021, adoption has been relatively limited—and only six percent of our respondents have implemented BIMI.

Why? Many marketers are still hesitant to do the groundwork required to implement BIMI—likely due to perceived complexity, lack of resources, or insufficient proof of its bottom-line impact. Cost is a concern as well: Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs), which validate a sender’s legal right to use a specific logo, are expensive—especially for those who manage multiple brands.

However, new developments like Gmail supporting Common Mark Certificates (CMCs) as an alternative for VMCs will likely accelerate BIMI adoption in the coming months.

On a related note, Apple recently introduced Branded Mail in October ’24 as part of its Apple Business Connect (ABC) offering. Branded Mail now lets brands add their logos and names to business emails. While Branded Mail won’t replace BIMI, our experts predict that Apple Branded Mail will rapidly become a standard that customers expect to see from the businesses they interact with.