After 15+ years in email marketing, I’ve grown used to trends that come and go. But 2025 hits differently.
We’re not talking about a few updates, new shiny tools or tweaks. DTC is in an era of turning points. And the brands that lean in? They’re about to pull ahead in a big way.
Let’s break down what’s actually reshaping email this year—and why it matters more than most people realize.
1. iOS 18 Just Raised the Bar
Apple Mail still owns the inbox—roughly half of all emails go through it. So when iOS 18 introduced AI-powered previews and pushed promo emails to their own little corner…people got nervous.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t the end of email visibility—it’s a call to do better. And frankly, I’m here for it.
The brands still acing open and click rates? They’re doing three simple, but powerful things:
Writing subject lines that actually say something
Leading with value—in the first sentence, not the fifth
Segmenting their list to prioritize highly engaged subscribers—while regularly cleaning or re-engaging the inactive ones
Also: those pretty full-width image headers? They look great, but AI (aka Smart Preview in Apple Mail or Gmail’s content scanning) can’t “read” them. If your entire message is only hidden in a graphic, it may never get seen. Put your best line at the top, in real text. Use ALT text “behind” images and graphics. That’s not optional anymore.
So to avoid the problem:
Never rely solely on an image to carry your message
Put your headline in real text, not just on a banner
Use ALT text to describe what the image says or shows
Keep a healthy balance of image-to-text ratio
2. Simpler Messaging Is Outperforming Everything Else
I know it’s tempting to chase every new AI tool or automation trick. Believe me—at Remotely we’re doing a good amount of chasing and testing. But when it comes to emails that are really landing this year, go back to the basics. Simple emails. A clear offer. Clean copy. Very clear CTA. Switch up your design structure, sometimes.
If you're talking to a tired customer at the end of their day, they don’t want to decode your clever metaphor. They want to know if you understand what they need.
I tell clients in every market: strip it down. Say it plain. Cut the extra. The more noise in the world, the more powerful clarity becomes.
3. Automation Needs to Feel More Human—Not Less
The old “build a flow and walk away” approach doesn’t work anymore. But the fix isn’t adding more emails—it’s making each one smarter.
Right now, we’re seeing great results when adjusting flows based on how someone shops or browses. Emails that send at the right moment (not just 9 a.m. on Tuesdays because someone said so). And copy that shifts based on how someone responded last time.
Tweak and A/B test time delays
Think twice about what your returning customers are buying most. Best sellers for first-time customers are often different from those for repeat customers!
Optimize for better results and better customer experiences. That’s the sweet spot.
4. If You’re Not Using Your First-Party Data, You’re Falling Behind
With third-party cookies on their way out (for real this time), the value of what you already know about your customers just went through the roof.
Here’s what’s working now:
Short, helpful quizzes that double as product education and data capture
Preference centers that feel like personalization, not paperwork
Progressive profiling that asks smart questions after someone buys—not upfront, when they’re just trying to check out
The goal isn’t to collect data for the sake of it. It’s to use it—meaningfully, consistently, and with the customer in mind.
5. Rented Channels Are Costing You More Than You Think
Acquisition is getting brutal. CAC keep rising, along with CPMs, while Marketing Efficiency Ratio shrinks, and brands pour budget into platforms they can’t control.
The solution isn’t to spend more. It’s to diversify and stretch that cost of acquisition further.
When brands lean into owned channels—like email and SMS—they not only lower cost per message, they finally get to build real relationships. The kind that compounds over time.
We’ve seen ROI per email go from pennies to nearly a dollar, simply by sending better, more relevant emails to people who actually want to hear from you. The right flow, the right segmentation.
One Last Thing
There’s a lot of noise out there right now. Everyone’s trying to automate, optimize, or “AI” their way to more revenue. But tools can’t replace intuition. Or empathy. Or real strategy.
You still need to know what data to feed the machine and what questions to ask. It’s the end of easy growth.
The brands that will grow this year are the ones that stay rooted in what makes marketing work in the first place: knowing your customer, showing up with something valuable, and doing it consistently.
That’s the real playbook. Always has been.
If you’re trying to figure out what this means for your business—or what to prioritize next—reach out. I’m always up for a good conversation.