E-mail Isn’t Dead

[Commentary] There has been a lot of debate in the last couple years about whether e-mail is dead. The advent of new workplace communication solutions such as Slack, Handbrake and Facebook at Work, and existing offerings from Yammer, Jive Software, etc., has added fuel to that fire. Yes, some offer cool technology like incorporating hashtags to create conversations, and can be useful. And, yes, some of these technologies will prove to be valuable, but they will not kill e-mail. E-mail is here to stay.

In fact, it’s alive and thriving, and this will continue to be the case, especially if marketers take action now to optimize e-mail. People rely on e-mail in their personal lives and at work, and e-mail is their preference when it comes to marketing communications. In fact, on average, people spend six and a half hours per workday on e-mail, and they expect e-mail will continue to be their primary way to communicate with work colleagues in five years. Despite talk of e-mail being dead due to too much noise, too much spam, too many distractions, millennials texting and Snapchatting instead -- e-mail is and will remain the preferred method of communication, both at work and in our personal lives. The brands that will be most successful will truly understand and address consumers’ e-mail habits. After all, contextual e-mail is key.

[Kristin Naragon is the Director of E-mail Solutions at Adobe]