Acoustic has released its 2025 Marketing Benchmark Report: Measure How You Stack Up and Learn Tips to Improve Your Strategy. This report offers an in-depth analysis of current trends in email marketing, automation, and personalisation. It emphasises email’s continued dominance as a critical engagement tool despite the rise of new digital channels. Email remains one of the most effective and measurable marketing channels, and AI-driven automation and first-party data strategies are reshaping brand-consumer interactions.
“The latest Acoustic marketing benchmark report underscores the value of highly personalized, timely communications based on customer behaviour,” says Meetal Patel, Sr. Director of Customer Marketing & Success Programs at Acoustic. “Because consumers are inundated by marketing messages across channels, quality is key to standing out. As marketing resources continue to constrict, email is a reliable and powerful means to boost customer engagement and retention, particularly when brands implement behavior-based personalization.”
Email marketing continues to be a powerful tool, with global email users expected to reach 4.89 billion by 2027. With an impressive average return of $36 for every $1 spent, email remains one of the most cost-effective ways for brands to engage customers and drive business impact.
Personalisation drives higher engagement
The report highlights that emails tailored to customer preferences and behaviours consistently achieve higher engagement rates. Automated and transactional emails, triggered by specific customer actions such as cart additions or completed purchases, outperform general marketing emails in click-through and click-to-open rates.
This is mainly because automated emails are timely, relevant, and directly linked to customer activity, making them more valuable to recipients. In contrast, generic marketing blasts often fail to achieve the same level of engagement due to their broad, less targeted nature.
Automation enhances performance but comes with challenges
While automation helps increase click-through rates, ineffective use can contribute to higher unsubscribe and bounce rates. The report attributes these trends to inbox saturation, stricter data hygiene practices, and evolving privacy regulations. With email providers like Gmail and Apple Mail introducing new unsubscribe options, customers can now opt out more easily than ever. To remain relevant, brands must prioritise personalized, meaningful content rather than relying on high-volume automated campaigns that risk overwhelming subscribers.
Additionally, the report finds that regularly updated email lists yield lower bounce rates, as they contain engaged users who interact with the brand. Conversely, industries like finance, software, and business services experience higher bounce rates, likely due to corporate anti-spam filters. To maximise inbox placement and avoid inflated email metrics caused by bots, brands must continuously refine their email lists and stay informed on shifting inbox provider rules.