Does Constant Contact separate Apple MPP 'machine' opens?

Key findings

• Unified reporting: Constant Contact counts all opens, including those generated by Apple MPP, as legitimate engagements within their standard reporting metrics.
• No separation: The platform does not provide a distinct category or filter to differentiate between human-initiated opens and privacy-protected (machine) opens.
• Inflated metrics: This approach can artificially inflate overall open rates, making it harder for marketers to get an accurate view of subscriber interaction, particularly for audiences using Apple Mail.
• Industry trend: This practice is common among many ESPs, requiring a broader shift in how marketers analyze engagement post-MPP, as discussed in our guide on how MPP affects tracking.

Key considerations

• Adjusting expectations: Marketers should recognize that reported open rates from Constant Contact, especially for segments using Apple Mail, may not reflect true engagement.
• Focus on other metrics: To accurately measure campaign performance, prioritize metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and direct replies over raw open rates. This aligns with advice on how MPP and ITP affect click tracking.
• Segmentation: Consider segmenting your audience based on estimated email client usage to analyze engagement trends more realistically. (Read more about Apple MPP open rate tracking.)
• Content and calls to action: Optimize email content for immediate value and clear calls to action to drive measurable interactions beyond just an open.

Key opinions

• Reporting discrepancies: Many marketers note that their ESPs do not distinguish between real and MPP-generated opens, leading to confusion and inflated numbers.
• Impact on engagement metrics: The inability to separate MPP opens makes it difficult to assess true subscriber interest and overall email campaign effectiveness. This is a common challenge for many platforms, including how Mailchimp approaches Apple privacy.
• Shift in focus: Marketers are increasingly looking beyond open rates to other indicators of engagement, such as clicks, conversions, and replies.
• Platform limitations: Some marketers express frustration with ESPs that have not updated their reporting dashboards to account for MPP's impact.

Key considerations

• Re-evaluating strategies: Email marketers must adapt their campaign measurement and optimization strategies in light of MPP, understanding that traditional open rate metrics are now less reliable. This may involve revisiting how to increase email click through rate.
• A/B testing adjustments: Open rate-based A/B tests (e.g., subject line tests) become less conclusive for Apple Mail users, necessitating a shift towards click-based metrics.
• Audience understanding: It's crucial to understand the proportion of your audience that uses Apple Mail to anticipate the potential impact on your reported open rates.
• Data interpretation: Marketers are encouraged to look at trends over time and compare segments, rather than focusing on absolute open rate percentages, as explored in our article how to estimate real open rates.

Key opinions

• Data inflation: Experts confirm that MPP inflates email open data across the board, making it challenging to gauge how a target audience truly engages.
• Shift to clicks: The focus for evaluating campaign success should increasingly shift to click rates and conversion metrics, as opens are no longer a reliable indicator of engagement.
• Deliverability impact: While opens are inflated, the underlying deliverability to the inbox is still crucial. Proxy opens may confirm inbox delivery but not necessarily engagement.
• Industry adaptation: ESPs and marketers must adapt to these changes by refining their tracking and reporting methodologies.

Key considerations

• Engagement strategy: Develop strategies that encourage measurable actions beyond just opening an email, such as clicks to website, form submissions, or purchases.
• Alternative metrics: Explore other metrics to assess email performance, including scroll depth, time spent, or website activity initiated from email links.
• IP warmup implications: Apple MPP affects how IP warmup strategies need to be approached, as initial 'opens' might not signify genuine engagement patterns, as discussed in our article on how MPP affects IP warmup.
• Adaptation period: Recognize that the industry is still adapting to MPP, and consistent monitoring of deliverability and engagement trends is key for long-term success.

Key findings

• Automatic preloading: Apple MPP's core function is to automatically download all email content, including tracking pixels, through a proxy server.
• IP address masking: The feature also masks the recipient's IP address, preventing location tracking.
• Impact on open metrics: Documentation from various ESPs indicates that this automatic preloading leads to inflated open rates because the tracking pixel fires whether or not the user actually views the email.
• User control: Users have the option to enable or disable MPP in their Apple Mail settings, giving them control over their privacy.

Key considerations

• Rethinking engagement: Marketers are advised by documentation to pivot away from open rates as a primary engagement metric and focus on more reliable indicators like click-throughs and conversions.
• Data accuracy: ESPs often explain that their systems register all pixel loads, and separating them poses significant technical challenges or is not a current feature.
• Privacy compliance: Understanding MPP helps marketers align their practices with evolving consumer privacy expectations, as detailed on Apple's privacy features page.
• Adapting analytics: Documentation suggests that adapting analytical approaches is crucial, as traditional email client market share data may also be skewed by MPP, making it difficult to understand how accurate email client market share data is.