Even as there is an upsurge in several messaging platforms, one of the oldest form of communications, email, is said to be at the top for many marketers globally. According to a survey by Winterberry Group and the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), nine in 10 marketers in North America say they use email to engage their audience.

“While there is concern that newer messaging platforms will cannibalize the email audience, in general younger cohorts remain loyal to email. Still, as email volume increasingly grows each year, it’s likely that users are becoming more particular about their desire for more tailored messages,” said Jillian Ryan, analyst, eMarketer.

Email marketing was prominently found in two industries – healthcare and Pharma and the Travel and Hospitality Industry. A A May 2017 survey from DMA and Demand Metric of US marketers found that these industries still used email as their prime mode of marketing.

Research also shows that email marketers mainly focus on acquisition. ‘More than two-thirds (67.0 percent) of respondents polled last December cited attracting new customers as a leading marketing goal for 2017. Increased brand awareness and customer retention were also common goals, named by 44.8 percent of 40.6 percent of marketers respectively’ stated eMarketer.

With the main focus still being email marketing, marketers are also diverting more budget to this form of communication. According got a last year Q3 survey by email service provider, Emma, 58 percent of marketers in the US planned to increase email marketing in 2017—a higher response than any other channel.