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What are the implications of Verizon Media's approach to email tracking and data access?

Summary

Verizon Media's approach to email tracking and data access, particularly its shift away from traditional open and click tracking in favor of aggregated, anonymized data feeds (such as View Time Optimization or VTO), represents a significant shift in the email deliverability landscape. This strategy, rooted in a strong stance on user privacy, has profound implications for how senders measure campaign performance and manage their sender reputation, especially for those targeting Yahoo and AOL users. The move pushes marketers to re-evaluate their reliance on pixel-based tracking and consider alternative methods for understanding recipient engagement.

What email marketers say

Email marketers have expressed a mix of concern and pragmatism regarding Verizon Media's stance on email tracking. Many recognize the broader industry shift towards privacy, yet grapple with the practical challenges of losing traditional engagement metrics. The introduction of paid data feeds raises questions about fairness and access, particularly for smaller organizations. There's a clear consensus that the landscape of email performance measurement is evolving, requiring new strategies and a willingness to adapt.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that their colleague raised a valid point about Verizon Media potentially reordering email delivery in the inbox based on what they believe is best for the user, rather than chronological order. This raises questions about how real-time engagement data is processed and presented to the end-user.

8 Apr 2020 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from The Brand Hopper highlights that Verizon is expanding its marketing strategies beyond just connectivity, focusing on customer-centric approaches. This suggests a broader company shift that influences their email policies to prioritize user experience and trust.

20 Aug 2023 - The Brand Hopper

What the experts say

Industry experts largely view Verizon Media's approach as a reflection of a broader, inevitable paradigm shift towards greater user privacy and less intrusive data collection. While acknowledging the challenges this poses for traditional email measurement, they also see it as an opportunity for marketers to embrace more ethical and effective strategies. Concerns remain about the accessibility and cost of the new data feeds, and whether this creates an uneven playing field.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that the most revealing line in Verizon Media's announcement is their belief that 'tracking our customers is wrong'. They suggest this is a clear sign of a paradigm shift in email marketing, where privacy experts are increasingly viewing open and link tracking as an invasion of recipient privacy.

8 Apr 2020 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise asserts that the current shift away from third-party cookies and direct tracking is a necessary evolution for digital advertising and email. They advise marketers to embrace first-party data strategies to build more sustainable and privacy-compliant relationships with their audience.

1 Apr 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

Official documentation from Verizon Media (now Yahoo/AOL Postmaster) explicitly outlines its privacy-first philosophy, which underpins its approach to email tracking. This documentation serves as the authoritative source for understanding their policies regarding user data and the availability of performance insights. It details their commitment to building consumer email applications without relying on traditional tracking, instead offering anonymized data feeds for senders to gauge performance.

Technical article

Postmaster @ Yahoo, AOL, Verizon documentation states that at the core of their mail team's mission is building the best consumer email applications for Yahoo, AOL, and Verizon users. This foundational principle drives their decisions regarding email policies and tracking.

8 Apr 2020 - Postmaster @ Yahoo, AOL, Verizon

Technical article

Postmaster @ Yahoo, AOL, Verizon documentation clarifies their belief that tracking their customers is wrong, and they have taken proactive steps to prevent it, aiming to make email better and safer for everyone. This outlines their ethical stance on user data.

8 Apr 2020 - Postmaster @ Yahoo, AOL, Verizon

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