Report:

A: This research evaluates 13 email marketing service providers across 24 criteria grouped into three categories: current offering (campaign management, dynamic content, reporting and analytics, data, privacy, security, distributed business model support, artificial intelligence, and full-service support), strategy (product vision, innovation roadmap, market approach, performance, partner ecosystem, and commercial model), and market presence (email marketing revenue, globalization, and email employees). The evaluation focuses on vendors serving B2C enterprises with substantive business (at least $10 million in revenues for 2020) and broad industry support.

A: This research should be used by B2C marketers at enterprise companies who are evaluating email marketing service providers. It helps marketers understand the differences in foundational capabilities, dynamic content options, and professional services models across vendors. The report is particularly useful for marketers looking to assess campaign management capabilities, data integration flexibility, AI-powered personalization, and full-service versus self-service support options. Buyers can use the Excel-based vendor comparison tool to adapt criteria weightings to their specific needs and circumstances.

A: All vendors included must: 1) Sell proprietary technology for delivering promotional emails, 2) Serve a broad range of B2C industries (not exclusively B2B or single-vertical), 3) Support enterprise clients with at least 25% of their client base having 1,000+ employees, and 4) Demonstrate substantive business with at least $10 million in revenues for calendar year 2020.

A:

• Vendor primarily serves B2B enterprises rather than B2C marketers
• Vendor focuses on only one vertical industry
• Vendor has limited enterprise client base (less than 25% of clients with 1,000+ employees)
• Vendor has insufficient revenue scale (less than $10 million in 2020)
• Vendor shows declining growth or limited sales momentum
• Vendor does not offer proprietary email delivery technology

A:

• Foundational capabilities: Assess email deployment, deliverability support, and campaign management features - look for user-friendly interfaces with templates, in-line guidance, and predictive performance
• Dynamic content: Evaluate beyond basic cart abandonment to advanced options using contextual cues (weather, inventory, propensities) and metadata-based targeting
• Professional services model: Determine if you need tech services for onboarding or full-service agency support for strategy, analytics, creative, and operations (81% of clients use these services)
• Campaign management sophistication: Look for orchestration engines with prebuilt journeys, marketer-friendly labeling, and ease of use
• Data model flexibility: Consider vendors' ability to ingest and use real-time data, support for NoSQL models, and integration capabilities
• AI and predictive capabilities: Evaluate in-line guidance, predictive segmentation, and automated optimization features
• Privacy and security practices: Assess data privacy management at granular levels and security practices baked into product design
• Scale and global support: Consider vendor size, geographic presence, and ability to support distributed or franchise business models
• Self-service vs. full-service: Match vendor's service model to your internal resources and expertise

A:

• Email marketing importance increased during COVID-19 pandemic (65% of clients report increased importance)
• Surging email volume requiring better data management and preservation of email addresses
• Evolution from basic email deployment to multichannel orchestration and execution
• Growing demand for dynamic content beyond shopping cart abandonment to contextual personalization using weather, inventory, and propensities
• Increased adoption of AI-powered predictive guidance and performance optimization
• Rising importance of data privacy management and ethical data use
• Growing need for professional services support (81% of reference clients use vendor agency services)
• Real-time data ingestion and event-based messaging capabilities
• Integration of email with broader customer experience and commerce platforms

A: Current Offering evaluates a vendor's existing product capabilities and functional strengths including campaign management, dynamic content, data integration, AI, and service support. It measures what the vendor can deliver today. Strategy evaluates a vendor's future direction and market positioning through product vision, innovation roadmap, market approach, financial performance, partner relationships, and pricing models. It measures where the vendor is headed and how well-positioned they are for future success.