Email Deliverability
Email Experts Round Table Review: 2024’s Impact and 2025’s Potential
minute read
On the last episode of State of Email Live, I had the opportunity to sit down with three incredible minds in the email space: Validity partners Tom Corbett of Iterable, Massimiliano Chiucchiù of Mapp Digital, and Ian Reeves of Flourish.
We had a lively discussion about this ever-changing industry, the many exciting developments we’ve seen over the past year, and what we think might be in store for 2025. While I highly recommend you watch the full discussion, I’ve compiled a few of the highlights from our conversation.
Looking back on 2024
Move over, Spotify Wrapped! Here’s what our panelists had to say about email’s biggest moments of the year.
Tom Corbett on Yahoo and Gmail’s new bulk sender requirements
My initial reaction to the new Gmail and Yahoo requirements was, “Finally!” While most customers were already prepared, this update provided a valuable opportunity for both senders and our team to conduct a thorough compliance review. The list-unsubscribe requirement did generate some confusion initially, but it was encouraging to see Gmail and Yahoo actively engaging in various forums to clarify the changes for senders.
Historically, meeting basic requirements has been sufficient, but with these updated standards, providers have set a higher benchmark for senders. Adhering only to the minimum is no longer enough to maintain a healthy and successful email program. By going beyond compliance, brands can demonstrate respect for recipients and strengthen their long-term deliverability and engagement.
Additional reading:
- Gmail & Yahoo’s New Sender Requirements: Answering the Big Remaining Questions
- New Sender Requirements from Gmail and Yahoo: Ready or Not, Here They Come!
- Tackling Transactional Email Complaints
- Gmail Mitigation: Your ‘Get Out of Email Jail Free’ Card
- Yahoo’s Take on Key Email Developments in 2024
Ian Reeves on Apple Mail Categorization
Apple Intelligence and email summaries are among the most-discussed changes with our clients. Gmail and Yahoo had already added the ability to summarize emails, however Apple’s change seems to have had more of an impact. Apple consistently challenges the norm and shifts behavior, and we believe their introduction of summaries will continue this trend.
To adapt, we need to move beyond standard email design layouts. Instead, we should focus on relevancy—such as placing a CTA at the very top of an email, anticipating that users who read the AI-generated summary and open the email will be at peak interest. Additionally, we’ll need to reconsider the hierarchy of copy in emails and the use of text within images. This is something we are actively testing.
Additional reading:
- Understanding Apple and Yahoo’s New Functionality: What Email Senders Should Know
- Coming to Terms with Tabs: Why Apple Mail Categorization is a Good Thing
Massimiliano Chiucchiù on BIMI adoption
The Common Mark Certificate (CMC) is democratizing BIMI adoption. While many in the email space recognize the benefits of BIMI, its adoption has been limited by the need for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which requires a brand trademark and can be costly. The introduction of the CMC offers a more affordable alternative, making BIMI accessible to smaller businesses without trademarks. Already used by over 3,000 companies, mark certificates meet the needs of multiple departments, including IT, marketing, and finance. Dean Coclin from DigiCert noted that while CMC is new, it’s already successful, with widespread adoption expected next year.
Additional reading:
Of course, these are just a few of the topics we covered. From new postmaster tools and email accessibility measures to a record-breaking Black Friday season, there was no shortage of industry developments to discuss—time flew by during the session! Planning this webinar was its own whirlwind; the sheer volume of topics made it a challenge to stay organized. To bring some order to the chaos, I created the timeline of events shown below.
Looking ahead to 2025
With 2024 coming to an end, I thought it was the perfect time to ask our panelists to gaze into their crystal balls for what we might see in the 2025 email space.
Tom Corbitt’s predictions for 2025
The rise of AI-generated email summaries will push brands to create more concise, relevant content. Long, irrelevant emails will lead to long summaries—something no recipient wants. As a result, emails will likely become shorter and more focused, prioritizing quality over quantity.
Ian Reeves’ predictions for 2025
I think we’ll see email design changing, moving away from the standard templates we see today. Everyone should question the content of their emails. For example, why include social media icons in the footer when they consistently get less than 0.1 percent click-through rates?
AI will likely be a major topic of discussion. For us, AI enables more powerful decision-making, allowing us to create more personalized journeys at scale. The most exciting part for me is the ability to automate channel selection and integrate email, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, and offline channels based on individuals’ interactions.
Massimiliano Chiucchiù’s predictions for 2025
Next year, we may face the challenge of balancing Artificial and Human Intelligence. While we and other ESPs are already integrating AI into our platforms, this shift could turn the product into a self-service tool. As a result, clients might feel isolated, and we risk losing the personal connection with them. Although this might sound “old-fashioned,” in Italy, clients are accustomed to frequent and even in-person interactions with us.
These insights gave us plenty to think about as we wrap up 2024 and are the perfect prelude to our upcoming State of Email webinar in January where we will dive even deeper into 2025 predictions.
Thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing their expertise. For more must-hear insights, check out the on-demand recording of our conversation.