EMEA’s focus on transparency and consent has fostered trust-focused audience building, leading to an 8% growth in marketing list subscribers – and this foundation perfectly positions marketers in the region to set the global standard for cross-channel tactics such as personalised email follow-ups and targeted automation.
That’s according to the 2025 Global Benchmark Report from Dotdigital, which also reveals that marketers in EMEA get some of the highest email engagement metrics globally. The region has a world-leading email open rate of 47%, and click-through rates (CTR) of 3.5%, far exceeding global averages and APAC’s 2%.
Other key insights from EMEA included:
- Responsible marketing pays off: With GDPR driving transparency around consent and preferences, email lists in the region grew by 8%, proving the value of trust-focused audience-building. This growth places EMEA marketers in an excellent position to embrace cross-channel tactics like personalised email follow-ups and targeted automation.
- Automation unlocks higher engagement: The report reveals abandoned cart campaigns in EMEA achieved a click-to-open rate (CTOR) of 16%, the highest across all global regions. This demonstrates the growing appetite for more tailored, data-driven customer journeys.
Dotdigital’s Chief Marketing Officer Juliette Aiken said: “It’s clear that marketers across EMEA excel at email, getting open and click through rates that are well above the global average. This trust-driven success has translated into 8% list growth, highlighting the value of GDPR-compliant marketing practices.
“What’s especially exciting is the role of automation, especially in abandoned cart campaigns, in EMEA delivering another global-leading click-to-open rate. By combining automation, segmentation, and retargeting, marketers in the region are sustaining engagement, reducing churn, and setting the global standard for modern marketing strategies”
The report draws from tens of billions of emails, hundreds of millions of SMS campaigns, and automation workflows sent across 40+ industries. It covers multiple global regions, including Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC).
To download the full report visit https://dotdigital.com/global-benchmark-report/
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