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

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
13Marketer 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.

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.

June 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks expresses concern that Verizon's data feeds might only be accessible to major players, potentially leaving many in the dark. He notes that Verizon seems to be primarily engaging with ESPs and platforms like 250ok, implying that obtaining this data will incur costs, unlike free tools like Google Postmaster Tools and SNDS.

August 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Subscriber Community suggests that building trust with subscribers will become more important. Brands that are transparent about their data practices and provide value will be more successful in the long run.

April 2024 - Email Subscriber Community
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that smaller businesses might struggle with Verizon Media's data access fees. This could create an uneven playing field, where larger companies can afford better insights while smaller ones are left behind.

October 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketers from Email Geeks discuss Verizon's decision to gate off data while simultaneously discouraging the use of open pixels. Brian finds it "a bit shady" that users now have to pay for data. Evan notes that Google is taking similar steps to limit third-party tracking, albeit without a direct cost.

February 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that businesses need to explore alternative data sources and analytics methods. This change could spur innovation in privacy-respecting measurement techniques.

January 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing News suggests that Verizon Media's changes challenge traditional personalization methods. Marketers must find ways to personalize content effectively without relying on granular tracking data.

August 2021 - Email Marketing News
Marketer view

Email marketer from Marketing Land states that marketers need to adapt to new metrics beyond open rates and click-through rates. This requires focusing on conversion rates and overall customer engagement.

February 2024 - Marketing Land
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Content Strategy Blog indicates that focusing on creating high-quality, engaging email content will be critical. Brands will need to invest in compelling content that resonates with their audience to drive results.

March 2022 - Email Content Strategy Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks highlights a key line from Verizon Media, stating `We believe that tracking our customers is wrong.` He suggests this indicates a shift in the industry where open/link tracking is viewed as an invasion of privacy. He also suspects that VTO (View Time Optimization) involves displaying the email at a specific time.

July 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Optimization Blog suggests that the future of email marketing will require more sophisticated A/B testing and segmentation strategies. Marketers will need to test more variables and refine segmentation to send relevant emails.

May 2021 - Email Optimization Blog
Marketer view

Marketers from Email Geeks suggest that 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).

April 2021 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
2Expert 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.

September 2024 - 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.

September 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
6Technical 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.

October 2024 - 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.

February 2024 - Mailgun
Technical article

Documentation from DMA discusses the significance of adhering to privacy regulations. The Data & Marketing Association is highlighting the critical importance of complying with data regulations and ethical marketing practices.

June 2021 - DMA
Technical article

Documentation from Litmus explains how marketers should adapt email analytics strategies. The platform is pushing for marketers to evolve beyond simple open tracking and to embrace more comprehensive methods of measuring engagement and conversions.

August 2022 - Litmus
Technical article

Documentation from Verizon Media Postmaster explains the introduction of performance feeds. Verizon Media intends to provide aggregate data on email performance, allowing senders to understand deliverability without tracking individual users.

October 2024 - Verizon Media Postmaster
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost answers about the importance of email deliverability. The platform emphasizes how deliverability strategies must adapt to shifting privacy landscapes, encouraging marketers to prioritize robust authentication and sender reputation management.

May 2024 - SparkPost