Tech On Me: Apple Intelligence could change the face of email marketing

In the rapidly evolving media landscape, email marketing has long been a staple for brands seeking direct consumer engagement. However, the launch of Apple iOS 18 is set to redefine this space, offering both challenges and opportunities for marketers. 

Globally, Apple Mail dominates email clients with a 56% usage share, surpassing Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail. This dominance is particularly relevant given the reported 62% year-over-year increase in US email marketing budgets. We do not have a similar statistic for Asia, but given the volume of email marketing in the region, Apple Mail updates will present challenges for B2B marketers seeking to leverage this widespread usage.

So, what are the new features that marketers should be paying attention to?

AI-Powered features: AI-generated email summaries will replace preheader text, shifting the focus from catchy subject lines to concise, informative summaries. Smart Replies and Writing Tools further personalise the user experience, requiring marketers to tailor their messaging accordingly. Priority flagging will therefore, be crucial for time-sensitive communications.

Email categorisation: iOS 18 will categorise emails into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, similar to Gmail's system. While this sorting will declutter inboxes and offer a chronological view, the default segmentation will force marketers to fight for attention in an increasingly fragmented inbox landscape.

Digest view: This will allow users to see all messages from a company in a single view, making it easier for them to browse through emails quickly. While this could enhance user experience, it also pressures brands to ensure consistency across all emails and build a solid profile. In this format, branding and content must stand out in snippets to capture user attention and encourage engagement.

In my view, iOS 18's email updates are a reckoning for marketers.

The era of mass, untargeted email blasts is over. With users sifting through an average of 121 emails daily, only the most relevant and personalised content will break through.

Forget catchy subject lines, they alone won't work; iOS 18 demands immediate content value. AI-powered summaries and priority flagging will force marketers to deliver compelling content from the outset. For me, Digest View will further raise the bar, requiring consistent branding and cohesive storytelling across all email touchpoints.

To thrive in this new landscape, e-mail marketing must prioritise:

• Personalisation and segmentation: Data-driven insights are crucial for crafting messages that resonate with individual user needs.
• Content optimisation: Email summaries, snippets, and overall content must deliver immediate value and encourage opens.
• Strategic inbox placement: Earning a spot in the "Primary" tab requires building trust and consistently delivering high-quality content.
• A/B testing: Rigorous testing is essential for optimising content across different mailbox views.

All in all, iOS 18 is a wake-up call. Brands have to shift from quantity to quality and perhaps, leverage AI tools and data-driven insights to create meaningful interactions and deliver truly bespoke experiences. The future will hinge on relevance, value, and a deep understanding of the evolving user landscape.