Summary
Verizon Media's evolving approach to email tracking and data access marks a significant shift towards prioritizing user privacy, necessitating a comprehensive reassessment of traditional email marketing strategies. The changes include a move away from reliance on open and click-through rates, with potential limitations for smaller businesses due to the costs associated with accessing data feeds. This landscape calls for exploration of alternative data sources, privacy-respecting measurement techniques, and robust deliverability strategies. Emphasis on building trust with subscribers through transparent practices, high-quality content, sophisticated A/B testing and segmentation, and adhering to privacy regulations becomes paramount. The industry may face increased scrutiny from ISPs, spurring innovation in tracking avoidance techniques and requiring senders to prioritize data quality, list hygiene, and permission-based mailing practices to ensure long-term sustainability.
Key findings
- Privacy Prioritization: Verizon Media's approach signals a strong emphasis on user privacy and a move away from traditional tracking methods.
- Data Access Disparity: The cost of accessing Verizon Media's data feeds could create a competitive disadvantage for smaller businesses.
- Metric Evolution: Marketers need to adapt to new metrics beyond open rates and click-through rates, focusing on engagement and conversions.
- Personalization Challenges: Traditional personalization methods are challenged, requiring innovation in privacy-respecting personalization techniques.
- Increased Scrutiny: The email marketing industry may face increased scrutiny from ISPs.
- New Deliverability Landscape: Deliverability strategies must adapt to shifting privacy landscapes.
Key considerations
- Explore Alternative Metrics: Invest in alternative data sources and analytics methods to measure campaign performance effectively.
- Build Trust & Transparency: Foster trust with subscribers through transparent data practices and by providing valuable content.
- Prioritize Content Quality: Invest in creating high-quality, engaging email content that resonates with the target audience.
- Optimize Segmentation & A/B Testing: Implement sophisticated A/B testing and segmentation strategies to improve email relevance and effectiveness.
- Comply with Privacy Regulations: Stay informed about and comply with relevant privacy regulations to maintain ethical and legal standards.
- Data Quality & List Hygiene: Prioritize data quality, list hygiene, and permission-based mailing practices for long-term success.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
Verizon Media's shift towards prioritizing user privacy and limiting email tracking has significant implications for email marketers. Key changes include reducing reliance on open and click-through rates, potentially limiting smaller businesses due to costs associated with data feeds, and forcing the exploration of alternative data sources and privacy-respecting measurement techniques. Adapting to these changes requires a focus on building trust with subscribers, creating engaging content, and employing sophisticated A/B testing and segmentation strategies to maintain effective personalization.
Key opinions
- Privacy Shift: Verizon Media's stance against tracking is pushing the industry towards greater privacy.
- Data Access Costs: Access to Verizon Media's data feeds may be expensive, creating a potential disadvantage for smaller businesses.
- Metric Adaptation: Marketers need to move beyond traditional metrics like open rates and focus on engagement and conversions.
- Personalization Challenges: Traditional personalization methods based on granular tracking data are becoming less viable.
- Google Similar: Google also takes steps to limit third-party tracking, albeit without a direct cost.
Key considerations
- Alternative Metrics: Explore alternative data sources and analytics methods to measure campaign performance effectively.
- Trust & Transparency: Build trust with subscribers through transparent data practices and by providing valuable content.
- Content Quality: Invest in creating high-quality, engaging email content that resonates with the target audience.
- Segmentation & A/B Testing: Implement sophisticated A/B testing and segmentation strategies to improve email relevance and effectiveness.
- VMG Value: While the pricing is not outrageous for the features offered, the services are most valuable to brands with a decent market who use VMG (Verizon Media Group).
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailGeek.net responds that Verizon Media's shift towards privacy, showcased in their statements against tracking, could force marketers to find new methods of campaign measurement beyond pixel tracking and rely more on aggregate data feeds.
15 May 2022 - EmailGeek.net
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that the cost of Verizon Media's data feeds is substantial enough that only major players will be able to take part.
10 Sep 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts agree that Verizon Media's approach to email tracking and data access necessitates a shift in email marketing practices. The move towards privacy could lead to increased scrutiny of senders and the development of new tracking avoidance techniques by ISPs, potentially impacting the long-term viability of email marketing. Therefore, senders need to prioritize data quality, list hygiene, and ensuring they only send emails to recipients who actively want them.
Key opinions
- Increased Scrutiny: The industry will likely face increased scrutiny from ISPs.
- Tracking Avoidance: ISPs will likely develop new tracking avoidance techniques.
- Data & List Importance: Emphasis on data and list quality is crucial.
- Permission-Based Mailing: Mailing only to recipients who want the email is paramount.
Key considerations
- Monitor ISP Changes: Stay informed about evolving ISP tracking avoidance techniques.
- Clean & Verify Data: Regularly clean and verify email lists to maintain data quality.
- Obtain Explicit Consent: Ensure all recipients have explicitly consented to receive emails.
- Relevance & Value: Focus on providing relevant and valuable content to engaged subscribers.
Expert view
Expert from SpamResource explains that the industry will face increased scrutiny and ISPs will keep looking for new tracking avoidance techniques, which may eventually lead to the death of email marketing.
1 Feb 2025 - SpamResource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that the Verizon announcement is another reason for senders to pay attention to their data and lists, and to only mail to people who want the email.
23 Aug 2021 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
Documentation from various sources indicates that Verizon Media's approach necessitates a shift in email marketing towards prioritizing user privacy and adapting to new measurement methods. Verizon Media is introducing performance feeds to provide aggregate data. IETF's RFC 8889 discusses privacy considerations, while Mailgun partners with Verizon Media for View Time Optimization. Litmus encourages evolving analytics strategies. DMA highlights compliance with privacy regulations, and SparkPost stresses adapting deliverability strategies by prioritizing robust authentication and sender reputation management.
Key findings
- Performance Feeds: Verizon Media provides aggregate data on email performance via performance feeds.
- Privacy Focus: Email privacy is a growing concern, as highlighted in IETF's RFC 8889.
- View Time Optimization: VTO aims to improve engagement while respecting user privacy (Mailgun partnership).
- Evolving Analytics: Email analytics strategies need to evolve beyond open tracking (Litmus).
- Regulatory Compliance: Adherence to privacy regulations is increasingly important (DMA).
- Deliverability Adaptation: Deliverability strategies must adapt to new privacy landscapes (SparkPost).
Key considerations
- Utilize Performance Feeds: Leverage Verizon Media's performance feeds for deliverability insights.
- Understand Privacy Regulations: Stay informed about and comply with relevant privacy regulations.
- Explore VTO Opportunities: Investigate View Time Optimization to enhance email engagement.
- Implement Advanced Analytics: Adopt more comprehensive analytics methods beyond simple open tracking.
- Authentication & Reputation: Prioritize robust email authentication and sender reputation management.
Technical article
Documentation from ietf.org responds that RFC 8889 discusses privacy considerations for email. The Internet Engineering Task Force's documentation addresses concerns about user tracking and potential mitigation techniques, providing a context for Verizon Media's privacy moves.
24 Nov 2023 - ietf.org
Technical article
Documentation from Mailgun responds that they describe their partnership with Verizon Media for View Time Optimization (VTO). Mailgun's documentation details how VTO aims to deliver emails at times when recipients are most likely to engage, improving open rates while respecting user privacy.
9 Sep 2022 - Mailgun
How much does Verizon Placement Feed and Campaign Performance Feed cost and who uses it?
Are there any tools available to report on Verizon's new data feeds?
How do I access Verizon Media Group (VMG) postmaster and what is the cost?
How valuable are seed lists for email marketing and what are their limitations?
How useful are Verizon Media's engagement feeds to ESPs and clients?
What are Verizon Media's postmaster tools and DKIM feed recommendations?
