When most people hear the word ‘marketing’, their minds drift to massive billboard campaigns, glossy TV ads, and quirky fruit-shaped billboards as you weave through city traffic. (Yes, Pineapple Insurance, we’re looking at you.)
There’s voiceover talent, stunning drone shots, glamorous influencers, and budgets that rival indie films. And sure – all of that has its place. But in the noise of high-concept creative and viral ambitions, we often overlook one of marketing’s most consistent performers: the modest email.
Not always the flashy, GIF-heavy, font-party kind. Just a simple, well-timed, data-driven email that lands in your customer’s inbox with the right message at exactly the right moment.
Less hype, more results
As International Marketing Day (27 May) rolls around, it’s worth rethinking the glitz-versus-grit debate. Because while flashy campaigns might win awards, email often wins sales.
Even with the rise of social media and instant messaging, email remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels.
Why? Because it’s direct, measurable, and incredibly cost-effective. Unlike social media, where algorithms limit your reach, email gives you direct access to your audience’s inbox.
Email marketing generates an average ROI of 4 thousand percent making it one of the most cost-effective marketing channels. That’s R1 000 in value for every R25 spent.
“We’re used to associating marketing success with high visibility,” says Louise Krog, executive head of sales and marketing from Everlytic, a South African-based email and SMS platform used by major retailers, banks and brands.
“But the real win is in the numbers – email and SMS continue to drive direct engagement, traffic and conversions at a fraction of the cost of above-the-line campaigns.”
And they’re not just saying that. In sectors like retail, email consistently outperforms other channels in ROI. It brings shoppers back to abandoned carts, drives loyalty programme sign-ups, nudges dormant customers, and gives brands a platform to speak directly to individuals – not just to ‘audiences’.
According to Everlytic, integrating email and SMS into your customer journey helps retailers create hyper-personalised, data-driven campaigns that lead to actual revenue – not just reach.
Shopify knows. Do you?
Platforms like Shopify report that email remains one of the top drivers of conversions for e-commerce merchants. It’s not surprising: while social media can generate interest, and advertising builds brand awareness, email closes the loop.
The customer has seen the billboard ad, then the social media click through. They’ve browsed the site. They’ve added to cart. Now what?
That’s where email steps in with a perfectly timed nudge: “Still thinking about those sneakers?” Or “Here’s 10% off, just for you.” These aren’t huge creative breakthroughs. But they’re powerful – and they convert.
Not just for big brands
The good news? You don’t need a creative agency or a million-rand budget to start. That’s part of email marketing’s charm – it’s democratic. Platforms like Everlytic give businesses of all sizes the tools to automate communication, personalise at scale, and track performance in real time.
More importantly, they make it simple. You can build a campaign, test it, tweak it, and go again. No print deadlines, no billboard bookings, no late-night shoot delays.
In fact, this simplicity is what makes email marketing so effective. It’s focused. It’s measurable. And when done right, it feels personal – not pushy.
It’s still creativity – just not as you know it
Let’s be clear: email isn’t the opposite of creativity. It just asks for a different kind. Instead of spending days in concept meetings, marketers work with data, customer insights and behavioural triggers.
Creativity shows up in the subject line that actually gets opened. In the image that gets clicked. In the sequence that turns browsing into buying.
As Krog puts it: “Smart doesn’t have to mean complex. Great email marketing is about using what you know about your customers to communicate in a way that’s useful, relevant and well-timed.”
So this Marketing Day, here’s a nudge…
By all means, dream up the next big viral SM campaign. And while you’re brainstorming your billboard stunt or planning that big-budget commercial, don’t forget the simple tools already at your fingertips.
Because the modest email might not win you a Cannes Lion – but it might just win you a customer.
