• by Jess Nelson , September 22, 2015

Compared to the previous year, emails sent in Q2 2015 were 33% less likely to be clicked, and 9% less likely to be opened.  

Emails overall -- including all industries in the study -- were 3% more likely to be opened in Q2 2015, compared to the previous year.

Experian analyzed over 20,000 emails in Q2 2015 across six key industries: B2B, cosmetics, fashion retail, financial services, media and entertainment and travel.

Whereas the cosmetics industry saw the biggest drop in return of investment, the financial services industry saw the highest increase from the year prior with emails 20% more likely to be opened and 30% more likely to be clicked

The cosmetics industry’s downgrade is likely associated with the 29% increase in volume of emails sent. The increased number of emails does not necessarily equate to more sales for marketers.  

Thanks to Big Data and more detailed customer profiles, consumers now expect a certain level of personalized attention with every ad they receive and interact with. Consumers expect marketing to match their individual needs and too many emails, especially if deemed irrelevant, will likely only equate to an increased number of unsubscribes.

Some countries now even have legal ramifications for the misuse of emails, such as Canada’s anti-spam legislation.