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Email Performance Strong, Execution Still Falling Short
Sinch Mailgun, part of Sinch, has released its Email Impact Report 2026, unveiling new industry benchmarks across 10 high-volume email-sending sectors and exposing a widening gap between email performance and execution.
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Drawing from more than 400 billion emails sent in 2025 and a global survey of over 1,200 email senders, the report confirms that email remains one of the most effective digital channels. However, poor deliverability continues to erode returns, with nearly 18% of emails failing to reach inboxes, placing up to one-fifth of potential ROI at risk.
Email Remains Business-Critical, Despite Revenue Leakage
According to the report, 78% of respondents say email is critical to business success, underscoring its central role in sales, customer loyalty, and engagement. Yet, many organisations struggle to translate performance potential into real results due to weak measurement frameworks, inconsistent deliverability practices, and uneven application of artificial intelligence (AI).
The findings highlight a clear disconnect: while email performance indicators remain strong, execution gaps are preventing organisations from capturing full value.
APAC Market: High Dependence, Missed Opportunities
Commenting on the findings, Ginger Kidd, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, APAC at Sinch, said many businesses in the region rely heavily on email but are not optimised to maximise its impact.
She noted that in highly competitive and cost-conscious markets such as Australia, email messages that fail to reach inboxes represent lost revenue that marketers can ill afford, especially under tightening budgets. Fixing deliverability, she stressed, is one of the fastest ways to unlock more value from existing marketing spend.
AI Adoption Growing, But Impact Remains Uneven
The report shows that while AI adoption in email marketing is widespread, its benefits are not evenly distributed. Most teams focus on basic AI use cases, particularly content generation, while higher-impact applications—such as audience segmentation, send-time optimisation, risk management, and deliverability—remain underutilised.
Organisations that deploy AI strategically across these advanced areas are significantly more likely to report improved email performance.
Kidd explained that the next phase of AI maturity lies in smarter decision-making—determining who to send to, how often, and at what level of risk—rather than simply producing content faster.
Smarter AI Use Drives Measurable Performance Gains
According to the report, the most sophisticated email teams are already using AI to:
- Predict subscriber disengagement
- Optimise send times
- Protect sender reputation
- Improve inbox placement
These capabilities are delivering tangible performance uplifts, not just operational efficiency.
Key Findings from the Email Impact Report 2026
- 60% of companies measuring email ROI report returns above $10 for every $1 spent
- More than 1 in 10 achieve returns as high as 40:1
- 46% say AI improves speed and efficiency
- 41% use AI to generate email content
- 23% report AI has not improved their email programs
- 49% recorded improved email performance year-over-year
- 79% plan to maintain or increase email investment
- Fewer than half can confidently measure email ROI
The Email Impact Report 2026
The Email Impact Report 2026 combines:
- Data from 400+ billion emails sent in 2025
- Insights from 1,200+ email senders globally
- Performance benchmarks across 10 high-volume industries
The report provides a comprehensive view of how organisations can close the gap between email’s proven potential and its real-world execution.
