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Stuart O'Brien

EMAIL MARKETING MONTH: Omnichannel Integration – How email is evolving alongside SMS, social, and push notifications
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Email marketing is rarely a standalone channel – it’s more often a core component of a broader, integrated omnichannel strategy. Brands are increasingly combining email with SMS, WhatsApp, in-app messaging, and social media retargeting to deliver a personalised customer experience across multiple touchpoints. With consumer expectations rising for real-time, relevant interactions, marketers are embracing platforms and strategies that ensure coordinated messaging – regardless of the channel. Here’s how omnichannel integration is shaping the future of email marketing…

1. Email as the Anchor in Omnichannel Journeys

Email continues to offer one of the highest ROI channels, ideal for longer-form communication, promotions, and content delivery. But in the age of channel switching and micro-moments, brands are positioning email as the anchor—the central hub that connects other channels.

✔ Automated journeys now link email with SMS for urgent updates or reminders.
✔ Email content dynamically adapts based on engagement with other platforms (e.g. clicking an Instagram ad).
✔ Behavioural triggers from website visits or app usage initiate follow-up emails in near real-time.

By using email as a foundation for wider engagement, brands can ensure consistency while boosting conversion across channels.

2. SMS and WhatsApp for Timely, High-Engagement Messaging

SMS and WhatsApp are proving highly effective for time-sensitive communications like flash sales, appointment reminders, and delivery updates. These channels offer higher open rates and are ideal complements to email:

✔ SMS is used to reinforce or remind recipients of email content.
✔ WhatsApp campaigns offer rich media previews, quick replies, and conversational customer support.
✔ Both channels support opt-in personalisation, respecting GDPR requirements while maintaining relevance.

When integrated with email, SMS and WhatsApp improve the likelihood of message delivery and action, particularly during key campaign windows.

3. In-App and Push Notifications for Real-Time Engagement

For brands with mobile apps, push notifications and in-app messaging create instant, context-aware touchpoints that reinforce email communication:

✔ Push notifications prompt users to complete actions started via email (e.g. finishing a checkout).
✔ In-app messages deliver personalised recommendations, often seeded by data from email click behaviour.
✔ Combined analytics help build a 360° view of customer engagement, informing future campaign strategies.

This multi-layered approach helps brands stay top of mind while respecting platform preferences and engagement timing.

4. Social Media Retargeting and Email Synergy

Brands are also integrating email with social media retargeting, ensuring consistent messaging across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn:

✔ Email non-openers are served complementary ads to boost awareness.
✔ Social interactions trigger follow-up emails tailored to user interests.
✔ Unified campaign dashboards track performance across both email and social.

This blend reinforces messaging and maximises reach, particularly for audience segments who favour visual content or social-first interactions.

Successful digital marketing hinges on cohesive, customer-centric communication. By strategically integrating email with SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and social retargeting, UK brands are creating fluid omnichannel experiences that increase engagement, loyalty, and conversions—without overwhelming the customer.

Are you searching for Email Marketing solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Brand trust issues among Gen Z impacting conversion rates
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A poll of over 1,500 consumers by Wunderkind in its latest Consumer Insights Report revealed that lack of trust in a brand was the top reason one in three (28%) Gen Z shoppers would abandon a purchase when shopping direct with a retailer online, indexing +9 percentage points higher than the average UK customer.  Trust issues were also a core driver for cart abandonment for over a quarter (26%) of the Millennial shoppers polled.

The role of reputation and trust continues to be a growing consideration within purchasing decisions, with Forter’s Consumer Trust Premium report suggesting UK consumers would spend +44% more, on average, with retailers they trust, while a further 73% said they were more loyal to brands they perceive to be authentic.

And this growing need for authentic brand experiences is also evolving channel choices and preferred customer engagement among younger Gen Z shoppers specifically, with a quarter (25%) saying they would choose to shop on a retailer’s DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) website as their top ‘trusted channel’.  Gen Z is also now almost twice as likely than other shopper demographics to value brand name recognition (16% vs 9%), emphasising the role of reputation and trust in their purchasing decisions.

Meanwhile, when it came to content engagement, authentic brand storytelling indexed +5 percentage higher for Gen Z consumers (15%) compared to the average UK shopper (10%) when it came to encouraging them to visit a brand’s website frequently, with the role of reviews and User Generated Content (UGC) also ranking +9 percentage higher for Gen Zers (48% vs 39%), showcasing the role of social proof in building credibility in buying journeys.

“As Gen Z’s global spending power skyrockets, set to grow to $12trillion by 2030, this represents a significant opportunity for retailers to acquire, engage and retain younger cohorts of consumers who seek more meaningful and authentic interactions with the brands they buy from,” Wulfric Light-Wilkinson, General Manager International of Wunderkind, commented.  “Compelling content plays a pivotal role in driving repeat visits to brand websites and apps.  By helping consumers connect with products, trust brands and find value in their interactions, the right content fosters engagement and loyalty, allowing brands to deepen connections and maximise reach.”

RESEARCH: Only 30% of IT leaders at global brands involve marketing in UX decisions
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A survey of 200 IT leaders from global brands regarding how they plan website development projects shows that while 21% wouldn’t change anything about their planning process, 79% realise it could be better.

The data from Storyblok indicates that on the surface, website development planning seems to be working well for most companies because projects are planned months in advance. 29% plan projects 1-2 months in advance, 26% between 2-3 months ahead of time, and 18% are planning more than 3 months before development. The largest percentage typically develop a proof of concept in 1-2 weeks (31%), with 18% delivering one in less than a week.

Despite that, the fact that an overwhelming majority of IT leaders say they know their planning process could be better points to issues with how the time is spent and who’s involved in the collaboration. While 66% say they work closely with the marketing team on structural page and content changes for websites, only 30% involve them in making UX decisions. 34% acknowledge they need to do a better job of collaborating with the marketing team when planning projects.

To help developers and marketers plan digital projects together, Storyblok is introducing the Concept Room as part of Storyblok Labs, a place for users to test its latest features. The Concept Room is a digital whiteboard where you can visually map out your project structure. The concepts can be linked to components within Storyblok, which makes getting a project started fast and easy.

Dominik Angerer, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyblok, said: “Collaboration between developers and marketers continues to be a struggle for most companies. As this data shows, IT teams like to think they’re working well with their marketing colleagues, but their actions prove otherwise. We built the Concept Room to make planning digital projects in Storyblok as collaborative and joyful as building them.”

April is Digital Printing Month here on Digital Marketing Briefing – Here’s how to get involved!
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Each month on Digital Marketing Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on different parts of the marketing sector – and in April we’ll be focussing on Digital Printing solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help marketing industry professionals find the best products and services available today.

So, if you specialise in Digital Printing and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Kerry Naumburger on k.naumburger@forumevents.co.uk.

Here’s our features list in full:-

April 2025 – Digital Printing
May 2025 – Social Media
June 2025 – Brand Monitoring
July 2025 – Website Analytics
Aug 2025 – Conversion Rate Optimisation
Sept 2025 – Digital Signage
Oct 2025 – Printing
Nov 2025 – Creative & Design
Dec 2025 – Online Strategy
Jan 2026 – Content Management
Feb 2026 – Lead Generation & Tracking
Mar 2026 – Email Marketing

EMAIL MARKETING MONTH: Navigating data privacy regulations in 2025
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Staying compliant with evolving data privacy regulations is more critical than ever when it comes to email comms. Brands must navigate the complexities of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the UK Data Protection Act, and emerging digital privacy trendswhile ensuring their email marketing strategies remain effective. With stricter opt-in requirements, zero-party data collection strategies, and heightened scrutiny on email tracking, brands must adapt to stay compliant and maintain customer trust. Here’s how marketers are successfully managing email compliance while optimising performance…

1. Strengthening Consent and Opt-In Strategies

One of the fundamental aspects of GDPR compliance in email marketing is ensuring explicit, informed consent before sending marketing emails. To comply with UK regulations in 2025, businesses are:

✔ Using double opt-in mechanisms – After users sign up, they receive an email requiring them to confirm their consent, reducing the risk of non-compliance.
✔ Providing clear opt-in checkboxes – Pre-checked boxes are no longer allowed; instead, brands must ensure customers actively opt-in to receive emails.
✔ Segmenting and documenting consent – Keeping detailed records of when and how a user gave consent helps in the event of an audit.

By implementing transparent and ethical opt-in practices, brands build stronger customer relationships and reduce the risk of GDPR violations.

2. Adapting to Changes in Email Tracking and Data Collection

With privacy regulations evolving, tracking user behaviour via open rates, link clicks, and location-based data has become increasingly complex. Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and similar privacy measures mean that brands must:

✔ Shift to engagement-based metrics – Instead of open rates, focus on click-through rates (CTR), website visits, and conversion rates.
✔ Leverage zero-party data – Collect voluntarily shared data from users through preference centres, surveys, and interactive email content.
✔ Offer clear unsubscribe options – Ensure recipients can easily opt out with a one-click unsubscribe option to stay compliant with GDPR and PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations).

3. Strengthening Data Security and Compliance Audits

GDPR mandates strict data protection policies, meaning brands must take proactive steps to secure customer information. Best practices include:

✔ Regular compliance audits – Conduct periodic reviews of data storage, processing, and deletion policies.
✔ Data minimisation – Store only the essential personal information needed for marketing campaigns.
✔ Encryption and secure email delivery – Protect customer data by using TLS encryption for email communications.

Email marketing success is closely tied to GDPR compliance and data privacy best practices. By prioritising explicit consent, privacy-friendly tracking alternatives, and robust data security, UK brands can enhance customer trust, reduce legal risks, and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving digital landscape.

Are you searching for Email Marketing solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

EMAIL MARKETING MONTH: How brands are overcoming spam filters and reaching inboxes
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Email marketing remains one of the most powerful channels for customer engagement, but ensuring that messages actually reach inboxes is becoming increasingly challenging. With advanced spam filters, AI-driven detection algorithms, and stricter email authentication standards, brands must adopt best practices and cutting-edge solutions to maintain strong email deliverability. Here’s how leading marketers at the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit are navigating email authentication, sender reputation management, and engagement-based strategies to ensure their messages land where they belong – in the inbox…

1. Strengthening Email Authentication with DMARC, SPF, and DKIM

Email authentication is critical in preventing phishing attacks, email spoofing, and domain abuse, which can significantly impact a sender’s reputation. To improve deliverability, UK brands are adopting:

✔ Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) – Helps businesses prevent email fraud and provides visibility into how their domain is being used.
✔ Sender Policy Framework (SPF) – Allows organisations to authorise specific email servers to send messages on their behalf, reducing the likelihood of spoofing.
✔ DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) – Adds a cryptographic signature to email headers, helping email providers verify that messages haven’t been altered.

These authentication protocols ensure better inbox placement and stronger brand trust, particularly as email security policies become more stringent.

2. Managing Sender Reputation for Higher Deliverability

Email providers like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo now evaluate sender reputation scores to determine whether an email reaches an inbox or is flagged as spam. Key strategies to maintain a positive sender reputation include:

✔ Keeping bounce rates low – Regularly cleaning email lists to remove invalid, inactive, or spam-trap addresses.
✔ Avoiding spam trigger words – Overuse of phrases like “free trial,” “urgent,” or excessive exclamation points (!!) can lower deliverability rates.
✔ Using dedicated IP addresses – Separating transactional emails from marketing emails helps maintain a stable sender reputation.

A strong sender reputation ensures that ISPs and email clients recognise a brand’s emails as legitimate and trustworthy.

3. Engagement-Based Deliverability: Moving Beyond Open Rates

With Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and other privacy-focused updates, open rates are no longer reliable indicators of engagement. Instead, email providers prioritise:

✔ Click-through rates (CTR) – Encouraging interactive elements, such as surveys or CTA buttons, improves engagement scores.
✔ Reply rates – More conversational, user-friendly emails that encourage replies can boost deliverability rankings.
✔ Inbox placement testing – Using tools like GlockApps or Litmus helps brands understand where emails are landing (inbox, spam, or promotions folder).

Conclusion

In 2025, overcoming spam filters requires a proactive and data-driven approach. By strengthening authentication protocols, maintaining sender reputation, and optimising engagement-based metrics, brands can significantly improve email deliverability. With these best practices in place, email remains a high-performing channel for customer engagement, retention, and revenue generation.

Are you searching for Email Marketing solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by Brian J. Tromp on Unsplash

Research highlights how gamers are using YouTube in 2025
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Video game marketing agency Big Games Machine has released its latest industry report, ‘How Gamers Use YouTube in 2025,‘ providing insights into the habits and motivations of 1,000 US-based gamers on the platform.

The survey reveals that guides and tutorials reign supreme as the most popular form of gaming content on YouTube, with viewers showing a clear preference for mid-sized channels. These insights provide valuable guidance for developers and marketers seeking to engage gamers through video content. 

Key findings: 

  • Content type: Guides and tutorials are the most popular (47%), followed by reviews and funny moments (40%). ‘Core viewers’ (those watching more than 2 hours per week) are twice as likely to engage with long-form content, like video essays. These responses highlight the importance of diversifying content to cater to varying levels of engagement
  • Channel subscriber size: Mid-sized channels with 100k-1 million subscribers (39%) are the most popular, followed by micro-influencers (10k-100k) at 26%. Casual viewers are more likely to favour micro-influencers
  • Genre and channel size: While medium-sized channels lead across all genres, larger channels (over 1 million subscribers) are more prevalent among those who favour action games compared to other genres 
  • Shifting streaming landscape: Gamers embrace a multi-platform approach to live stream viewing. While YouTube remains the clear leader amongst the respondents (79%), the significant audiences engaging with live content on both Twitch (43%) and TikTok (40%) underscore the need for a diversified live streaming strategy
  • Indies and esports fail to attract: YouTube content from indie developers (5%) and esports organisations (10%) ranked the lowest in terms of viewer preferences, indicating that these organisations are failing to develop content that appeals to viewers

James Kaye, co-founder of Big Games Machine, said: “Following on from our game discoverability report last year, lots of people wanted to better understand how gamers use YouTube. What our survey makes clear is that gamers have very varied tastes and preferences depending on demographics and game genre, and the good news is that Creators don’t need millions of subscribers to succeed on the platform. It also shows that indie developers and marketers investing in YouTube can spread their time and budgets across a broader range of channels rather than betting the farm on one of two huge influencers.” 

The full report is available for download here.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

Registration is now open for this July’s eCommerce Forum!
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The next eCommerce Forum will be taking place on July 10th 2025 at the Hilton London Canary Wharf: It could be the most productive day you spend out of the office this year, so act swiftly if you want to join us!

The eCommerce Forum is a focused event that brings key ecommerce and digital managers together with leading solution providers, for focused one-to-one meetings.

The event acts as a valuable source of professional development enabling you to expand your knowledge and stay updated on the latest industry offerings.

Don’t delay! Register here.

You’ll have the opportunity to:-

• Meet with innovative suppliers for a series of face-to-face, pre-arranged meetings based on your own requirements.
• Network with like-minded peers.
• Attend a series of insightful seminar sessions.
• Enjoy complimentary lunch and refreshments.

Would you like to join us? Register today!

LEAD GENERATION & TRACKING MONTH: How AI and automation are lending a helping hand
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AI and automation are transforming lead gen processes. Digital marketers are turning to machine learning-powered solutions to streamline the prospecting process and enhance lead quality. AI-driven tools such as chatbots, predictive analytics, and automated email campaigns are making lead generation more efficient, personalised, and data-driven. Here’s how AI is reshaping lead prospecting and what businesses need to know to stay ahead…

1. AI-Powered Lead Identification and Scoring

Traditional lead generation often relies on manual prospecting and guesswork, leading to wasted time on low-quality leads. AI eliminates this inefficiency by:

✔ Identifying high-intent prospects – AI algorithms analyse search behaviour, engagement patterns, and demographic data to pinpoint leads most likely to convert.
✔ Predictive lead scoring – Machine learning ranks leads based on real-time interactions, previous conversion patterns, and customer profiles, ensuring sales teams focus on high-value prospects.
✔ Data enrichment – AI pulls insights from multiple sources (social media, web activity, CRM data) to create detailed prospect profiles, enhancing personalisation.

AI-driven lead identification boosts accuracy and efficiency, allowing marketing teams to allocate resources effectively.

2. Chatbots and Conversational AI for Lead Engagement

Modern consumers expect instant, personalised engagement, and AI-powered chatbots are meeting this demand. In 2025, chatbots are:

✔ Qualifying leads in real-time – Conversational AI engages visitors on websites, collects data, and determines interest level before passing leads to sales teams.
✔ Personalising responses – AI chatbots adapt their communication based on past interactions, offering tailored solutions that align with customer needs.
✔ Operating across multiple channels – From social media DMs to website live chat, AI-powered assistants ensure consistent engagement 24/7.

By automating initial interactions, chatbots reduce response time, improve lead conversion rates, and free up human agents for complex queries.

3. AI-Driven Email Campaigns for Lead Nurturing

Email marketing remains a powerful lead nurturing tool, but AI has elevated personalisation and timing. In 2025, AI-powered email platforms:

✔ Analyse recipient behaviour to determine the best time and content for engagement.
✔ Generate dynamic email content tailored to individual preferences and past interactions.
✔ Automate follow-ups, ensuring consistent communication throughout the lead nurturing process.

AI-driven email automation increases engagement and conversion rates, making prospect nurturing more efficient and effective.

4. The Future of AI in Lead Generation

Looking ahead, AI will continue to refine lead generation through:

✔ Voice and image recognition for deeper customer insights.
✔ AI-generated content for personalised ad campaigns.
✔ Predictive trend analysis to anticipate consumer needs before they arise.

AI and automation are reshaping lead generation, providing businesses with smarter, faster, and more personalised ways to engage prospects. By adopting AI-driven lead scoring, chatbots, and automated email campaigns, UK marketers can increase efficiency, improve conversion rates, and stay ahead of the competition.

Are you searching for Lead Generation & Tracking tools? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

LEAD GENERATION & TRACKING MONTH: Choosing the best solutions to boost conversions and improve efficiency
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With multiple touchpoints across websites, social media, email, and paid ads, businesses need robust lead tracking solutions that provide real-time analytics, seamless CRM integration, and automation capabilities. However, selecting the right tool requires careful consideration of functionality, scalability, and compliance with data protection laws like GDPR. Here’s a guide to choosing the best lead tracking solution for your business in 2025…

1. CRM Integration: Ensuring a Unified Sales and Marketing Approach

A strong lead tracking solution should integrate seamlessly with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to ensure real-time visibility into lead activity and smooth handover between marketing and sales teams. Look for a tool that:

✔ Syncs lead data automatically between marketing platforms and CRM systems.
✔ Enables lead scoring and segmentation to prioritise high-quality prospects.
✔ Offers bidirectional data flow, ensuring sales teams can update lead status while marketing continues nurturing efforts.

Platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM offer deep integration with lead tracking tools, allowing for efficient pipeline management.

2. Real-Time Analytics for Smarter Decision-Making

Today’s digital landscape demands instant insights into lead behaviour and campaign performance. A good lead tracking system should:

✔ Monitor website activity, tracking which pages leads visit and how long they engage.
✔ Provide multi-channel attribution, showing which marketing touchpoints contribute to conversions.
✔ Use AI-driven analytics to predict lead intent and suggest follow-up actions.

Real-time dashboards help marketing teams quickly identify successful lead sources and optimise budget allocation for maximum ROI.

3. Automation Capabilities for Lead Nurturing

Automation streamlines the lead tracking process, ensuring that potential customers receive timely and relevant engagement. Key automation features include:

✔ Automated email follow-ups triggered by lead activity.
✔ AI-powered chatbots that qualify leads in real time.
✔ Lead routing workflows that assign leads to the right sales reps based on behaviour and intent.

Automating repetitive tasks saves time and improves conversion rates, allowing teams to focus on high-value interactions.

4. GDPR Compliance and Data Security

With strict GDPR regulations, UK businesses must ensure their lead tracking tools adhere to data privacy laws. Essential compliance features include:

✔ Explicit consent management for lead data collection.
✔ Secure data encryption and access controls.
✔ Audit logs and transparency in data processing.

Choosing GDPR-compliant lead tracking software protects your organisation from legal risks while maintaining customer trust.

Conclusion

Selecting the right lead tracking solution in 2025 requires a balance of CRM integration, real-time analytics, automation, and GDPR compliance. By investing in a system that offers seamless data flow, AI-powered insights, and automated lead nurturing, digital marketing leaders can boost conversions, improve efficiency, and drive long-term success.

Are you searching for Lead Generation & Tracking tools? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash