Go too early and you risk giving away margin, overwhelming your audience, or prompting unsubscribes. Wait too long and your competitors may have already captured attention and sales. There’s real pressure in getting this timing right, that’s where data can make all the difference.

Because all kinds of brands send campaigns through the Dotdigital platform every year, we can see exactly when marketers begin referencing key holidays in their subject lines.

We’ve analyzed the last three years of holiday email sends to see how early brands are starting their campaigns. See how this differs by region, looking at the UK and Europe, the United States, and Australia and how this behavior is changing year-on-year. The result is a clear, numbers-led guide you can use to time your holiday emails with precision.

Valentine’s Day email marketing stats

Valentine’s Day has one of the shortest run-ups of any major holiday in this list, and it’s getting shorter each year. In 2025, brands began referencing Valentine’s Day in subject lines an average of 9 days before.

When to send

That short window also creates an opportunity. Because most brands move late, you don’t need weeks of build-up to be competitive, but you do need to be ready. If you can get into inboxes a few days earlier than the pack, you give yourself more room to influence buying decisions before the noise peaks.

What to send

Valentine’s is a perfect excuse to show some love to your subscribers. Take the opportunity to offer something just for them like:

• Early access to your Valentine’s Day sale
• A stackable discount to layer onto your website offers
• Free shipping or a free gift

Perks like this reinforce that being subscribed has real value and builds loyalty long after the holiday has passed.

With a short promotional window, urgency-led messaging and promotions like flash sales or free next-day delivery will encourage conversions in the moment.

Valentine’s Day marketing email marketing campaign statistics

The number of days before Valentine’s Day that brands begin referencing the holiday in subject lines.

2023

• Global average: 11
• APAC: 13
• EMEA: 10
• Americas: 12

2024

• Global average: 10
• APAC: 11
• EMEA: 10
• Americas: 9

2025

• Global average: 9
• APAC: 10
• EMEA: 10
• Americas: 8

Halloween email marketing stats

Falling on the last day of the month, October is the official spooky season. Europe and America both begin sending around 23-28 days before Halloween, and this is consistent over recent years. However, Australia has changed how early Halloween campaigns are sent, with a steady year-on-year decline and 2025 seeing a much shorter lead-up of around 13 days.

When to send

Your audience, your product, and the offers you have to share will all influence when to start sending, but you won’t be creating jump scares in your audience’s inbox if you send any time within October.

What to send

Halloween gives you tons of room to have fun with your email design. There are lots of ways to lean into a Halloween styling, even if you don’t have Halloween product imagery. Get five frightfully good Halloween email campaign ideas in this blog. We share how to make your campaigns captivating, no matter what industry you’re in.

Halloween email marketing campaign statistics

The number of days before Halloween that brands begin referencing the holiday in subject lines.

2023

• Global average: 26
• APAC: 28
• EMEA: 25
• Americas: 28

2024

• Global average: 23
• APAC: 17
• EMEA: 24
• Americas: 26

2025

• Global average: 23
• APAC: 13
• EMEA: 23
• Americas: 28

Black Friday email marketing stats

Black Friday originally began as an in-store discount event in the US, marking the day after Thanksgiving. Now, it’s a worldwide sales holiday that is very much online, blurring the lines with Cyber Monday. This overspill of the day has led to terms like ‘The cyber five’ and even ‘Black Friday month’.

The data shows that around two weeks before is the sweet spot for brands. This is consistent across the three regions studied, proving that Black Friday is cemented as a global sales holiday.

When to send

Aim for two weeks before Black Friday itself, and use the lead-up to encourage people to subscribe to mobile marketing channels like SMS, MMS and WhatsApp. This gives you another direct line to your audience on one of the busiest weeks for email inboxes.

What to send

Get inspiration for Black Friday campaigns with this lookbook full of inspiration and tips from the 2025 season.

Black Friday email marketing campaign statistics

The number of days before Black Friday that brands begin referencing the holiday in subject lines.

2023

• Global average: 9
• APAC: 8
• EMEA: 8
• Americas: 15

2024

• Global average: 12
• APAC: 9
• EMEA: 12
• Americas: 16

2025

• Global average: 12
• APAC: 14
• EMEA: 11
• Americas: 16

Cyber Monday email marketing stats

Cyber Monday was the online equivalent of Black Friday, bookending the holiday weekend. It’s now simply a continuation of the sales weekend. Cyber Monday has a much shorter lead-up than Black Friday, with 3 days being the average lead-up. This tracks as you don’t want to cannibalize your Black Friday traffic by jumping ahead to Cyber Monday.

When to send

As soon as the clock strikes midnight and Black Friday ends, it’s Cyber Monday lead-up time. In the US, brands tend to start earlier than in other regions. Use this window to warm up shoppers ahead of the peak. Set expectations for what’s coming, and encourage customers to follow you on social media or sign up for mobile marketing so they’re first to know when Cyber Monday offers go live.

What to send

Mix up your promotions and messaging so that it doesn’t feel like a diluted version of Black Friday. For design, brands often lean into a silver color palette to evoke the ‘cyber’ theme of the sales event.

Cyber Monday email marketing campaign statistics

The number of days before Cyber Monday that brands begin referencing the holiday in subject lines.

2023

• Global average: 3
• APAC: 3
• EMEA: 3
• Americas: 4

2024

• Global average: 4
• APAC: 2
• EMEA: 3
• Americas: 10

2025

• Global average: 3
• APAC: 1
• EMEA: 2
• Americas: 7

Christmas email marketing stats

Christmas is the biggest moment in the retail calendar, so it’s no surprise it has the longest build-up of any holiday in this blog. What’s interesting is how consistent this pattern is year-on-year, the timing barely changes. That tells us this isn’t a one-off trend, it’s become an industry norm.

In 2025, the global average time brands began referencing Christmas in email subject lines was 65 days before December 25. In 2026, that puts the starting line at Wednesday, October 21. Meaning, many brands are talking about Christmas before Halloween has even happened.

When to send

If you wait until November to think about Christmas, you’re already behind a large part of the market. Even if you don’t go full festive in October, this is the moment to start warming up your audience with early access, wish lists, or “coming soon” messaging, so you’re not playing catch-up when the peak hits.

What to send

Christmas campaigns work best when they build momentum over time. Start with low-pressure messages like gift guides, wish lists, or early-access collections to help shoppers plan ahead. As the season progresses, layer in urgency with delivery cut-offs, limited stock reminders, and last-chance messaging.

Segment where you can, tailor recommendations, and use clear, helpful messaging to make decision-making easier during the busiest shopping period of the year.

Christmas email marketing campaign statistics

The number of days before Christmas Day that brands begin referencing the holiday in subject lines.

2023

• Global average: 58
• APAC: 41
• EMEA: 59
• Americas: 69

2024

• Global average: 58
• APAC: 46
• EMEA: 59
• Americas: 64

2025

• Global average: 65
• APAC: 43
• EMEA: 67
• Americas: 68

Conclusion

Holidays and sales events are great opportunities to grab engagement and orders, as consumers are often in the mood to shop and are actively looking for discounts. The data in this blog gives you a clear view of when most brands ramp up their sending so that you can plan your promotional email calendar with confidence to time it perfectly. Use this data as your baseline, then test around it to find what works best for your audience.

If you want more exclusive email performance data, check out our Global benchmark report 2026 to add insight to your planning and see how your competition performs.

Hi, I’m Layla, content producer here at Dotdigital and your go to for planning your social media calendar. February is all about connection and creativity. With the year now in full swing, audiences are looking for content that feels thoughtful, engaging and a little playful. 

Right now, a lot of trends from 2016 are making a comeback in 2026. Keeping an eye on these nostalgic moments and starting to weave them into your social strategy can help your content stand out and feel fresh.

Below, you’ll find the key themes and highlights to help shape your February content. It’s packed with ideas to inspire your social posts and email campaigns, helping you engage your audience in fun ways without feeling overwhelming.

Important social media calendar dates in February

February 2 – Groundhog day #GroundhogDay

February 2 – World wetlands day #WorldWetlandsDay

February 3 – Golden retriever day #GoldenRetrieverDay

February 4 – World cancer day #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan

February 5 – Time to talk day #TimeToTalkDay

February 6 – Frozen yoghurt day #FrozenYoghurtDay

February 6 – New York fashion week begins #NYFW

February 7 – Send a card to a friend day #SendACardToAFriendDay

February 7 – Bubble gum day #BubbleGumDay

February 7 – Wear red day #WearRed

February 8 – Boy scouts day #BoyScoutsDay

February 8 – Super bowl #SuperBowl2026

February 9 – Pizza day #PizzaDay

February 11 – International day of women and girls in science #WomenInScienceDay

February 11 – Safer internet day #SaferInternetDay

February 13 – Self-love day #SelfLoveDay

February 13 – Galentine’s day #GalentinesDay

February 14 – Valentine’s day #ValentinesDay

February 15 – Singles awareness day #SinglesAwarenessDay

February 17 – Random acts of kindness day #RandomActsOfKindnessDay

February 18 – Ramadan begins #Ramadan

February 19 – London fashion week begins #LondonFashionWeek

February 20 – Love your pet day #LoveYourPetDay

February 20 – World day of social justice #SocialJusticeDay

February 21 – International mother language day #MotherLanguageDay

February 22 – Thinking day #ThinkingDay

February 23 – Helplines awareness day #HelplinesAwarenessDay

February 24 – London fashion week ends #LondonFashionWeek

February 24 – Tortilla chip day #TortillaChipDay

February 26 – Tell a fairy tale day #TellAFairyTaleDay

February 27 – Toast day #ToastDay

February 27 – International polar bear day #PolarBearDay

February 28 – Rare disease day #RareDiseaseDay

February 28 – Public sleeping day #PublicSleepingDay

Themes for the month

National black history month (USA)

LGBT+ History month (UK)

Ramadan: February 18, 2026 – March 18, 2026

February 6 – Frozen yoghurt day

Get your February social media calendar started with frozen yoghurt day, offering a great excuse for brands to lean into visually led content that adds a pop of colour and creativity to the feeds. Food brands can showcase aesthetic imagery of new or seasonal frozen yoghurt flavors, while retail brands might take a more conceptual approach by launching a “frozen yoghurt–inspired” colour palette across products or visuals. 

Internally, this day also works well showcasing culture content through polling the office on favourite froyo flavors to hosting frozen yoghurt at the office bringing everyone together and capture authentic behind-the-scenes content.

February 6 – New York fashion week begins

New York Fashion Week is a key moment for brands to embrace bold, stylistic content that pushes products beyond their usual context and into more creative visual storytelling. Brands can experiment with high impact videos and imagery that place products alongside unexpected, fashion-forward props and textures, transforming everyday items into statement pieces. Brands can tap into the energy of fashion week to create scroll-stopping visuals that feel contemporary and aspirational.

February 8 – The Super bowl

The Super Bowl is one of those rare moments when everyone seems to be watching the same thing at the same time, making it a great opportunity for brands to join a wider cultural conversation. 

Clothing brands might lean into jersey inspired graphics or limited edition pieces, while others can join the conversation through game day snacks and watch party essentials. Keeping the content timely, creative, and rooted in how people actually experience the day helps brands feel part of the moment without forcing a connection. 

February 14 – Valentine’s day

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all hearts and clichés. It’s an opportunity for brands to tap into emotion, connection, and small moments that feel personal. From celebrating self-love and friendships to highlighting thoughtful gifting or everyday indulgences, brands can take a softer, more relatable approach to the day. 

Beyond classic love themed content, consider leaning into humour; think clever memes or funny takes on your products that tie into the day. Whether it’s a relatable “love fails” moment, or a playful spin on your offerings, these posts can make your content feel unique and entertaining. 

February 18 – Ramadan begins

Ramadan is a time centred around reflection, community, and togetherness, offering brands an opportunity to show cultural awareness through meaningful content. For food brands, this could include launching limited edition date inspired flavors or sharing recipes designed for Iftar and Suhoor. 

Keeping the focus on tradition and shared experiences rather than promotion helps brands engage in a way that feels authentic, respectful, and aligned with the spirit of the month.

February 20 – Love your pet day

Love your pet day is a great opportunity for brands to share light-hearted, feel good content that audiences genuinely enjoy engaging with. Alongside pet photos or community led UGC, brands with pet related products can highlight limited time deals on treats, toys or everyday essentials. Keeping the focus on fun, affordability, and real pet moments helps the content feel celebratory, rather than overly promotional.

February 28 – Public sleeping day

Public Sleeping Day is a light, informal moment that works well for promotional email campaigns, particularly for brands linked to comfort, rest, or everyday essentials. Brands can use themes around switching off, recharging, or getting more rest to introduce limited time offers. A relaxed tone, clear subject lines, and uncomplicated visuals can help emails feel timely and engaging without overcomplicating the message.

February subject line ideas

As the year settles into its rhythm, February is a great moment to focus on content that feels intentional, creative, and engaging. This month offers plenty of opportunities to show up in ways that feel relevant and refreshing. To help you plan with confidence, we’ve pulled together creative ideas inspired by some of February’s key social moments.

February inspired subject line ideas

Here’s some February-themed subject line ideas to inspire your campaigns:

Frozen yoghurt day – Your next froyo obsession is here

New York fashion week – Get the latest trends before everyone else

Super bowl – Score big with our game-day picks

Pizza day – Flavors worth sharing (and devouring)

Wear red day – Red never goes unnoticed – find your shade

Self-love day – A moment for you, just because

Valentines day – Love is in the details – shop now

Ramadan – A little something to brighten your Iftar table

Love your pet day – Make your pet’s day as special as they make yours

These subject line ideas are a starting point. They work best when shaped with your brand’s voice. Add personality, emojis, or a touch of urgency to help them stand out and drive opens.

For an extra layer of inspiration, try tapping into AI-powered tools like Dotdigital’s WinstonAI, perfect for sparking fresh ideas, tweaking tone, or fine-tuning subject line length.

Spark engagement with your February marketing campaigns

February is a great time to keep social feeds feeling fresh while leaning into moments of creativity and seasonal relevance. From cultural events and awareness days to light hearted interactions, the month offers plenty of opportunities to engage audiences without overwhelming them.

Sure, we know targeting, automation, and personalization are essential for hitting goals, but visuals are the hook. In fact, people are 6.5 times more likely to remember your message if you show it rather than just say it.

So, take a second to look at your email template. Is it memorable? Does the design change how customers feel about your brand? 

During my research for Dotdigital’s Hitting the mark report, I was inspired by what some brands are doing (and surprised by what many weren’t doing) and I want to share that with you. 

To give you a quick hit of inspiration, I’ve rounded up the email design elements that leave a lasting impression on the reader. From countdown clocks and calls to action (CTAs) to interactive emails, here are the design features that make emails engaging.

1. Countdown clocks

Countdown clocks grab attention, inspire urgency, and drive sales. We often see them in ecommerce emails during sales, but that isn’t the only way to use them.

Here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

• Birthday treats: Build anticipation by counting down the days until loyal customers can expect a special gift 
• Event reminders: Countdown to a reservation or event to encourage recipients to check directions or check-in details
• Shipping deadlines: Let shoppers know when the cut-off for seasonal shipping is approaching

Why does this email work?

This email from B2B brand Square Signs proves that countdown timers aren’t just for retail. By using the timer to drive competition submissions, they prioritized engagement (rewarding creativity) over a hard sell. Plus, paired with a spooky Halloween theme, it sticks in the mind.

2. Social proof 

Social proof (like reviews or star ratings) is essential for customers during the decision-making process. Customers want honest opinions from peers, not promises from brands. It all comes down to trust, and indecisive shoppers trust peers more than brands. So, try adding third-party blocks from platforms like Trustpilot or Feefo into your email campaigns to give uncertain shoppers that extra nudge.

Why does this email work?

Yes, this review block has a lot of copy, but the star rating and Trustpilot branding instantly build trust. Partnering with a recognized review platform helps to validate your message because the trust is already established between that brand and the customer.

3. Actionable CTAs

The most common CTAs we see are “shop now” and “buy now.” These are fine, but in a flooded inbox, they blend into the background. Plus, they focus on your goal, not the reader’s experience.

To create irresistible CTAs, experiment with language. If you’re in B2B or non-profit, “buy now” might not even apply, so try using phrases that focus on the value for the reader rather than the transaction:

Once you’ve settled on your language, check the design. Is it a button or a text link? Does the color pop? Is it easy to tap on a phone? All of these are essential components to create an irresistible CTA.

Why does this email work?

This example from the England Rugby Club pairs varied CTAs with relevant content. It offers chances to buy tickets while keeping the focus on engaging the audience with exclusive information. The brand knows that if fans feel part of the experience, they become more loyal, high-value supporters later.

4. Quizzes 

Another technique that stood out to me as part of my Hitting the mark research was the impressive use of fun quizzes. Beyond offering a unique experience (such as personalized product recommendations) quizzes can be a goldmine for data. They provide you with relevant insights that help build detailed customer profiles, which can, in turn, help shape future marketing decisions.

Why does this email work?

The goal here is to simply get recipients to take the quiz. Three Spirit uses a short explainer on why the reader should take it, followed by clear CTAs focused on the experience rather than the sale.

5. Videos and GIFs 

We’re living in a video-first world. People spend about 141 minutes a day on social media, much of it watching Reels and TikTok videos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. It’s an effortless way to communicate without struggling to cut your copy down.

Why does this email work?

Claridge’s Hotel in London communicates the care and dedication of its kitchen staff in this simple 20-second video that gives subscribers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the food awaiting them. I also love that they paired the video with a text explanation of the dishes, ensuring the email remains accessible to everyone.

6. Interactivity

The ultimate goal of email marketing campaigns is to drive the recipient to the next stage of engagement, but to get that engagement, you need to stop the scroll. 

Adding interactive elements to your email transforms a static message into an engaging experience. It stops subscribers from flicking past you and buys valuable time in the inbox to make an impact. By prioritizing a customer-first experience in the inbox, you’re building the kind of deep engagement that makes them want to continue their journey with you. 

Why does this email work?

This is a fully immersive experience. By letting fans explore the racecourse directly in their inbox, the reader gets exclusive insights on where to watch on race day. These customer-first experiences drive loyalty and long-term value.

7. Year in review

Spotify has proved that data can be a real conversation starter. Spotify Wrapped is a hotly anticipated moment in the calendar for brands and customers, but for Spotify, there’s a bonus benefit: it unites the community. Having a happy community of customers is key to improving average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value (CLV), and “year in review” emails are perfect for that because they deliver memorable, shareable content. 

Why does this email work?

Paypal’s infographic style makes valuable info highly consumable. While this example is a general business overview, the CTA drives recipients to check their personalized results. It’s community building wrapped in a personalized bow.

8. Footers

Footers are often overlooked, but they deserve some TLC. In my Hitting the mark analysis, I found many brands stuck to standard, out-of-the-box footers. A thoughtfully designed footer can address blockers for customers not yet ready to buy, so when you’re building your email templates, think about the key links that will improve the customer experience.

Why does this email work?

This is an excellent example of a footer that removes barriers to conversion. Visual cues deliver essential info about delivery and store locators, while the Trustpilot rating and B Corp Certification build trust in every single send. Small touches like this have a big impact.

Bonus: Accessible design

Accessibility isn’t a “nice-to-have.” One in six adults has a disability, making accessibility a design principle you shouldn’t ignore. Despite this, the Email Markup Consortium(EMC) found that a shocking 99% of emails contain “serious” or “critical” issues.

In Hitting the mark, only 10% of brands met best-in-class accessibility standards. To get a full breakdown of how to create accessible templates in minutes, check out our latest accessibility blog, but first, let’s look at who’s getting it right. 

Why does this email work?

Zapier ticks almost every box with this email. The high contrast between the background and text makes it readable; the message remains clear even with images off (which is vital for screen readers) and the CTAs are descriptive and actionable. The only thing missing is alt text for the images, but since the copy covers the critical info, readers won’t miss out.

Ready to make your emails stand out? 

I hope these examples sparked some ideas for your next campaign. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; just a few tweaks to your visuals, CTAs, or adding in some interactivity can make a massive difference in how your audience connects with your brand.

Not only are marketers grappling with tight budgets and leaner teams, we’re also getting less information from our audience. Zero-click behavior is rising and privacy changes like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection mean some metrics are less reliable than they used to be.

At Dotdigital, we are all about making marketers’ lives easier. Data is something we all need more of. Each year, we create our Global benchmark report, full of marketing data, sourced from our platform, that you can use straight away. In this blog, we’ll outline four ways you can put these benchmarks to work.

How to use marketing benchmarks

Benchmarks are more than ‘nice to know’ numbers. Used well, they become:

• Your closest source of competitor insight
• A guide for smarter strategy
• A tool for setting realistic goals
• Evidence for business cases, budget, and headcount
• Proof of impact at review time

Now let’s explore some simple, practical ways to use benchmarks to drive better results for your business and boost your own career.

1: Use benchmarks to set expectations

Whether you’re launching a new channel or refreshing the strategy for an existing one, benchmarks answer a crucial question: “What’s realistic here?”

The Dotdigital Global benchmark report can tell you:

• See what “good” looks like in your industry and region
• Understand the typical performance of each channel
• Set goals that are ambitious but achievable

In 2026, we know that email continues to be a strong, reliable channel. However, the data also tells us that while opens are rising, click-to-open rates are falling year over year. So we know that engagement is still there, but other channels are often better placed when you have important calls to action.

This is where mobile marketing channels come in. SMS and WhatsApp drive dramatically higher click-through rates, 7x and 14x email, respectively, making them ideal for driving action.

What changes when you use benchmarks this way

You stop planning in the dark and begin every project with valuable context. Accurate and achievable goal-setting means you‘ll have more confidence in your strategy and there will be fewer surprises in your results. Your work gets the time it needs to perform, without pressure to panic and pivot if initial numbers aren’t as strong as you’d hoped.

2: Use benchmarks to prioritize your strategy

Most marketing teams are stretched, and you can’t do everything at once. Benchmarks help you decide what’s worth doing next.

The Dotdigital Global benchmark report can show you:

• Which channels are underutilized in your mix
• Where the biggest performance gaps are
• Which improvements are likely to deliver the biggest returns

You can see where the biggest opportunities lie for your business and focus there first. For example, you might see that your email open rates are below average and that working on subject line optimization could improve them – hopefully adding a knock-on effect of better click rates too.

Or, you might see that your email engagement rates are above average across the board, indicating that you should look to strengthen elsewhere by adding WhatsApp to your marketing mix to get more conversions.

What changes when you use benchmarks this way

Your roadmap becomes evidence-led, based on tangible potential, and you can be confident in your approach. You’ll have clearer justification for every decision and see results quicker as you’re able to direct your attention to the biggest opportunities first.

3: Use benchmarks to win buy-in

Starting a new channel or investing in new technology can feel risky, especially to people outside marketing. Benchmarks remove the guesswork and give a tangible outcome before you make the leap.

Instead of saying, “We want to try X as we think this could work, ” you can say, “Here’s what brands like ours are achieving today.”

With industry-specific data, you can:

• Show what’s possible before you invest
• Reduce perceived risk
• Frame marketing as predictable, not experimental
• Build stronger business cases

This data makes it far easier for people outside marketing to understand the potential return on investment and weigh it against the risk. Whether you’re asking for more budget, additional headcount, or smarter marketing technology, benchmarks give your ideas credibility.

If you’re considering Dotdigital for the first time, our report is especially powerful: every benchmark comes from real Dotdigital customers, so you’re not seeing what might be possible, you’re seeing what’s already being achieved.

Appeal to C-Suite and Senior Leaders

You can take this a step further by translating benchmarks into revenue. Calculate the uplift you could generate by hitting higher targets and tie that directly to business goals. Our survey of 1,500 marketers found that the C-suite’s top priority this year is more qualified leads, while senior leaders are most focused on improving profitability. Adding these benchmarks and the impact they’ll have to your business case helps you speak their language.

What changes when you use benchmarks this way

Our survey also found that HR, IT, and Finance are the teams marketers feel have the least understanding of the value of marketing. They’re also the departments many find hardest to collaborate with.

By adding in solid numbers, relationships and understanding between these teams will improve, making approvals easier and creating more trust in marketing as a business function moving forward.

4: Use benchmarks to prove your marketing impact

Many marketers know they’re doing good work, but struggle to prove it – especially as tech companies restrict tracking and customers are interacting less. Benchmarks give your performance meaning.

They allow you to say:

• “We’re outperforming our industry”
• “We’ve closed the gap by X% in six months”
• “We’re now in the top quartile for engagement”

That’s powerful in:

• Monthly and quarterly reports
• Budget discussions
• Performance reviews
• Bonus and appraisal conversations

You’re no longer just reporting numbers without context, but showing progress, impact, and value. You can show your own growth month-on-month and year-on-year, and also give a powerful view of how your performance compares to competitors. Speaking marketer to marketer, they’re also a great reference point to add to job applications.

What changes when you use benchmarks this way

Your work becomes visible, grounded in evidence, and easier to understand. Benchmarks turn your results into something the wider business can clearly see and trust. Not just your team, but the C-suite, HR, and Finance too.

That visibility brings recognition, credibility, and leverage. It helps the people who influence promotions, bonuses, and pay increases understand the real impact of your work, and the value you bring to the business.

Turning numbers into an advantage

Benchmarks aren’t about chasing averages or copying what everyone else is doing. They’re about giving you a clearer picture of where you are, what’s possible, and where your effort will matter most. Used well, they help you make better decisions and tell a more confident story about the impact of your work.

The data is available now and hopefully you’ve identified a few new ways to use it. If you’d like to explore the numbers for your industry, your region, and every major channel, you can download the 2026 Global benchmark report here.

Whether you’re a Marketing Director, a Content Manager, an Email Marketer or somewhere in between, understanding revenue attribution helps you make smarter decisions, allocate budget effectively, and improve campaign performance.

What is revenue attribution?

Revenue attribution is all about connecting the dots between your marketing efforts and the revenue they generate. It looks at different touchpoints across the customer journey and shows which channels are driving sales. Think of it as a way to see what’s really working and what’s not, so you can optimize your marketing strategies with confidence.

Different products, markets, and roles require different approaches. A Marketing Director might want a high-level overview of top-performing channels, while a Content Manager might be more interested in which campaigns are influencing engagement along the journey. That’s why having a flexible attribution model and conversion window is key to success at an individual and business level.

Why revenue attribution matters now

Customers interact with multiple channels like email, SMS, web, social, ads before making a purchase. Budgets are tight, and stakeholders want clear proof of ROI.

Revenue attribution lets marketers see which channels and campaigns are actually driving revenue, not just clicks or impressions. It’s no longer enough to measure success by the number of leads or total conversions; understanding the contribution of each touchpoint is essential to making smarter, data-driven decisions.

How do you measure revenue attribution?

Revenue attribution is measured through different models, each suited to particular marketing goals or roles. Let’s break down the most commonly used ones:

First touch

This model gives 100% of credit to the first touchpoint a customer interacts with. It’s great for identifying which channels are bringing in new customers. The downside however is that it doesn’t show how later interactions influenced the final conversion.

Last touch

Opposite to first touch, this model credits the final interaction before conversion. It’s simple to track and easy to understand, but it ignores all the other touchpoints that played a role. In Dotdigital, this is known as “direct campaign revenue.”

Linear

Linear attribution spreads credit evenly across all touchpoints. So if you have five touchpoints, each gets 20%. This gives you a balanced view, but it doesn’t highlight which touchpoints were more influential than others.

Time-decay

Time-decay gives more credit to interactions closer to the final conversion. It’s useful for understanding which channels drive conversions regularly, though it may undervalue top-of-funnel efforts. Dotdigital refers to this as “assisted campaign revenue.”

Positional

Positional attribution assigns 40% of credit to both the first and last touchpoints, with the remaining 20% spread across middle interactions. While it’s more nuanced, it can still undervalue the middle touchpoints.

At Dotdigital, you can choose between last touch or time-decay models, and customize a fully flexible conversion window to suit your business and customers.

Revenue attribution for email

In the Dotdigital platform, our revenue attribution for email uses direct campaign revenue (last touch) or assisted campaign revenue (time-decay and linear). Here’s how it works:

1. Interactions between a contact and your campaign (like clicks) are tracked.
2. A unique tracking code is assigned to the customer and stored as a cookie.
3. All subsequent actions, including purchases, are attributed to the right campaign within your chosen conversion window.

This approach captures multi-touch, cross-device journeys, giving you a complete view of which campaigns are driving revenue. Dotdigital’s reporting tools then help you identify high-performing campaigns and make data-driven optimizations.

Revenue attribution for SMS

SMS is the ideal channel to support email, due to high open rates and engagement from customers. So offering revenue attribution for SMS gives you that extra overview of overall campaign success. As with email, it tracks both direct and assisted campaign revenue to easily identify how different touchpoints perform throughout the customer journey.

It works the same way as revenue attribution for email. Each SMS is assigned a unique tracking code which is embedded in all links in the SMS message, allowing you to track all interactions, like clicks and conversions.

Any click is recorded and associated with the specific campaign and message. If your customer then goes on to complete a purchase, the revenue generated will be attributed from the specific action within the corresponding SMS campaign.

ROI vs. revenue attribution

For many years, ROI was the gold standard for checking how your marketing is performing vs converted sales. But since revenue attribution came on the scene, it has begun to take over as the leading method of tracking marketing effort vs sales.

There’s several benefits to using revenue attribution over traditional ROI methods of tracking. Here’s some of the most important ones:

• Revenue attribution provides more granular insights to pinpoint specific marketing activities that drive sales, enable better decision-making and help optimize each channel

• By understanding which channels and campaigns contribute the most, you can distribute and allocate budgets more efficiently and prioritize high performing channels

• Attribution models can consider multiple touchpoints, so companies can measure the impact of their entire marketing funnel across various channels. ROI only looks at the whole picture without breaking down the details

• Revenue attribution helps identify the most effective marketing channels and campaigns, enabling companies to refine and focus their strategies and efforts on what works best

• While ROI provides a general measure of the profit generated from marketing investments, revenue attribution applies a value to specific touchpoints, offering a more detailed analysis of marketing performance

• Revenue attribution equips you with better information for creating long-term marketing strategies and adapting as needed. You can also use this for annual campaigns by using your results from previous years (such as Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaigns)

• By mapping out the customer journey across touchpoints and stages, you can create more personalized and engaging marketing experiences for you and your customers

Some common pitfalls and trade-offs

Revenue attribution gives you powerful insights, but there’s a few things to watch out for:

• Attribution window too short or too long. If your window is too short, you might miss important touchpoints. Too long, and you could over-credit interactions that had little impact

• Over-crediting last touch. Focusing only on the final interaction can hide the influence of earlier channels in the journey

• Ignoring offline conversions. Purchases or interactions that happen offline or outside tracked channels may not be counted

• Data quality and integration issues. Attribution is only as good as the data you feed into it. Missing or inconsistent data can skew results

Being aware of these trade‑offs helps you interpret results accurately and make smarter marketing decisions.

How to get started with revenue attribution

If you’re an existing ecommerce customer using the Dotdigital platform, you can start using revenue attribution straight away. Your customer and retail dashboards already hold all the data you need to begin.

Set your attribution window

Your attribution window controls how long a touchpoint can influence a purchase.
The default is five days, but you can change this to match your sales cycle.
There’s a few things to think about:

• Longer buying journeys need a longer window
• Fast-moving products usually work better with a shorter window
• You can tweak your settings later if something doesn’t feel right
• It helps to check what your other models are doing (Google Analytics uses 30 days by default)

Use data to guide your choice

Take a quick look at how your customers usually behave. If most shoppers return a week later to buy, a five-day window won’t tell the full story. If customers buy within a couple of hours, a long window might over-credit activity that didn’t make an impact.

Accurate revenue, no matter the currency

One thing that makes Dotdigital’s attribution stand out is how well it handles global sales.

If a customer pays in dollars, yen, pounds, or any other currency, our built-in Forex rates convert revenue back to the exact exchange rate on the day of purchase. You get reliable numbers you can trust, without any manual work.

Not a customer yet?

If you’re not a Dotdigital customer yet, we’d love to show you how revenue attribution works in the platform. Get in touch and we’ll walk you through how it can support your marketing strategy and give you clear insight into what drives revenue.

Final thoughts

Revenue attribution gives you the clarity you need to understand what’s really driving revenue across your customer journey. When you can see which channels, messages, and moments make the biggest impact, you’re in a stronger position to budget smarter, improve performance, and build more meaningful customer experiences.

Whether you’re refining your attribution window, exploring different models, or looking for a clearer view of your multi-channel activity, the goal is the same. You want data you can trust and insights you can act on.

If you’re ready to take the next step, we’re always here to help you make the most of your data and turn it into growth.

For sports and entertainment brands, engagement is no longer about sending more messages. It’s about creating connected experiences that feel personal, exciting, and worth coming back for.

Here are the engagement strategies that matter most right now, and how to make them work harder for your brand.

Why fan engagement looks different now

Fans move fast. They jump between channels, follow teams and creators across platforms, and expect brands to recognize them wherever they show up.

They want content that feels real. Offers that make sense in the moment. And experiences that don’t stop when the final whistle blows or the credits roll.

That means engagement needs to be:

• Real-time, not reactive
• Personal, not generic
• Connected across every channel

Let’s break down what that looks like in practice.

1. Real-time personalization across every channel

Personalization still matters. But, speed is just as important as accuracy. Fans expect brands to respond to what they do, not what they did weeks ago.

That could mean:

• Triggering messages based on live behavior, not static segments
• Tailoring content based on preferences, location, or past engagement
• Adjusting journeys when interest drops or excitement spikes

When personalization happens in real time, it feels helpful. When it doesn’t, it feels invisible. So, the goal is simple. Get the right message to the right fan at the right moment, no matter the marketing channel.

2. Immersive and interactive fan experiences

Engagement doesn’t have to stop at content consumption. Fans want to take part.
Interactive experiences help turn passive audiences into active participants. And they give you valuable insight into what fans actually care about.

Think about:

• Live polls, quizzes, and voting during games or shows
• Gamified experiences that reward participation
• Digital activations that extend the event beyond the venue

These experiences don’t need to be complex. They just need to make fans feel involved.

When fans interact, they remember you.

3. Short-form and social-first content fans actually want

Social media is still where fans discover, follow, and connect with brands. But how they use it has changed.

Short-form video now drives discovery. Behind-the-scenes content builds trust. Fan-created content fuels community.

To keep engagement high:

• Focus on short, snackable video that fits the platform
• Share moments fans don’t get anywhere else
• Encourage fans to create and share their own content

Ultimately, the key is to show up where your fans already are, in a way that feels natural.

4. loyalty programs that go beyond points

About 30% of customers sign up for brand newsletters to join loyalty programs

Traditional loyalty programs still work, but fans want more than discounts. They want things like exclusive access, recognition, and experiences that feel unique.

Strong loyalty strategies reward:

• Engagement, not just spending
• Consistency, not one-off actions
• Passion, not just purchases

That could look like early access to tickets, exclusive content, or member-only experiences tied to behavior and interests.

When loyalty feels personal, fans stick around.

5. Seamless ticketing and commerce journeys

Friction kills engagement. If buying tickets, upgrading seats, or purchasing merch feels hard, fans will drop off fast. The best brands connect the entire journey, from discovery to post-purchase.

That means using:

• Clear, simple purchase experiences
• Timely messages that build excitement before events
• Follow-ups that keep fans engaged long after checkout
• Commerce should feel like part of the experience, not an interruption

6. Athlete and creator-led storytelling

93% of marketers agree that customers trust content created by other customers more than brand-created messages. And fans are no different.

Athletes, performers, and creators bring authenticity that traditional campaigns often lack. When done right, these partnerships feel real, not forced.

Effective creator and athlete strategies focus on:

• Long-term partnerships, not one-off posts
• Co-created content that fits the creator’s voice
• Storytelling that feels human and unscripted

When fans trust the messenger, they’re more likely to trust the message.

7. Purpose-led engagement that feels authentic

Fans care about what brands stand for. Especially younger audiences. Purpose-led engagement works best when it’s genuine and consistent.

That could include:

• Supporting causes that align with your audience
• Highlighting community initiatives
• Championing inclusion and accessibility

The key is authenticity. Fans can spot performative messaging instantly.

Focus on actions, not statements.

8. Measuring engagement that actually means something

Opens and clicks still matter, but they don’t tell the full story.

To understand real engagement, look at:

• Repeat interactions across channels
• Long-term retention and lifetime value
• How engagement influences purchases and attendance

The best insights come from connecting data, not viewing channels in isolation. When measurement improves, engagement follows.

Boost your customer engagement today

Customer engagement with sports and entertainment fans is an ongoing relationship. The brands that win focus on relevance, not reach. They connect moments across channels. And they treat fans like individuals, not audiences.

When engagement feels personal, timely, and connected, loyalty comes naturally. And that’s where long-term growth really starts.

To dig deeper into what drives loyalty and how you can build lasting customer relationships, check out our latest customer loyalty report.

Below, you’ll find the key themes and highlights to help shape your January content. It’s packed with ideas designed to inspire both your social posts and email campaigns, helping you start the year strong, without overwhelming your audience.

Important social media calendar dates in January

January 2 – World introvert day #WorldIntrovertDay

January 4 – World braille day #WorldBrailleDay

January 5 – Twelfth night #TwelfthNight

January 6 – Epiphany #Epiphany

January 14 – World logic day #WorldLogicDay

January 16 – Global word search day #GlobalWordSearchDay

January 18 – Winnie the Pooh day #WinnieThePoohDay

January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. day #MLKDay

January 20 – Blue Monday #BlueMonday 

January 20 – National cheese lover day #NationalCheeseLoverDay

January 24 – International day of education #InternationalDayOfEducation

January 24 – National compliment day #NationalComplimentDay

January 25 – Burns night #BurnsNight

January 25 – Opposite day #OppositeDay

January 26 – Australia day #AustraliaDay

January 27 – International holocaust remembrance day #HolocaustRemembranceDay

January 27 – Chocolate cake day #ChocolateCakeDay

January 29 – National puzzle day #NationalPuzzleDay

January 31 – Hot chocolate day #HotChocolateDay

Themes for the month

Dry January – #DryJanuary 

Veganuary – #Veganuary

National mentoring month – #MentoringAmplifies 

National slavery & human trafficking prevention month

January 16 – Global word search day

Getting your January social media calendar started with global word search day is a light-hearted way to ease audiences into the new year, encouraging moments of focus and fun after the holiday rush. Brands can create simple, on-brand word searches featuring industry terms, products, or 2026 themes, inviting followers to participate, comment, or share their results. Use this as an opportunity to highlight learning or curiosity with interactive formats like stories, polls, or downloadable assets.

Image source: Email Love

January 18 – Winnie the Pooh day

Bringing a sense of nostalgia to your January social media calendar, Winnie the Pooh Day is a feel-good opportunity to connect with audiences through storytelling and timeless charm. Lean into cosy visuals or memorable quotes that reflect your brand personality, and encourage followers to engage by sharing their favourite characters or childhood memories. This day is also a great opportunity for brand collaborations, particularly for lifestyle, retail, and family focused brands looking to tap into shared audiences and collective storytelling.

Image source: Instagram

January 20 – Blue Monday

Blue Monday offers a chance to engage audiences with empathy and positivity during what is often considered one of the more challenging days of the year. Brands can turn this into an opportunity to inspire, uplift, and connect by sharing mood-boosting tips, feel-good stories, or small ways to improve wellbeing. Lifestyle and wellness brands can explore brand collaborations with wellness influencers, mental health organizations, or complementary partners to create co-branded campaigns, giveaways, or interactive challenges that encourage community and self-care.

Image source: Instagram

January 20 – National cheese lover day

National cheese lover day is a fun, indulgent way to engage audiences with their love for cheese. Food, lifestyle, and retail brands can lean into this day with mouth-watering visuals, recipes, or product spotlights that encourage followers to share their favourite cheesy treats. Short-form videos work particularly well here, from quick recipe tutorials and “cheese hacks” to behind-the-scenes clips of team favourites. Pair these engaging posts with email campaigns featuring tempting imagery, curated recipes, or exclusive offers, and use playful, appetite-catching subject lines and CTAs to drive opens, clicks, and social engagement.

Image source: Email Love

January 27 – Chocolate cake day

Adding a sweet moment to your social content plan, chocolate cake day is an irresistible opportunity for brands to spark engagement with indulgent, feel-good content. The day also opens the door to more unexpected brand collaborations, with fashion and lifestyle brands exploring sensory storytelling through content that plays on indulgence. Think clothing collections styled to mirror chocolate cake textures, colours, or flavours, brought to life through editorial-style photoshoots and short-form video.

Image source: Email Love

January 29 – National puzzle day

Time to get people thinking with national puzzle day, a playful excuse for brands to turn everyday content into a game. Brands can have fun hiding clues in captions, stories, product shots, or even run quick-fire challenges that reward the fastest solvers. Short-form video works brilliantly here too, whether it’s a “can you crack this in five seconds?” clip, a fast-paced puzzle reveal, or a satisfying before-and-after moment that keeps viewers watching until the end. Carry the fun into email with curiosity-driven subject lines and clickable puzzles that encourage subscribers to play along.

Image source: Email Love

January 31 – Hot chocolate day

Bring cosy moments to the feed with hot chocolate day, a fun opportunity for brands to create content that feels satisfying, immersive, and made for repeat viewing. This is a great opportunity to play with texture and movement, from marshmallows dropping into mugs to chocolate shavings melting, gentle pours, and steam-filled close ups. Short-form video is key here, especially ASMR-style clips with subtle sounds, looping visuals, and playful pacing that invite viewers to watch again. Carry the sensory theme into email with rich visuals, playful subject lines, and CTAs that encourage audiences to pause and indulge. 

Image source: Instagram 

January subject line ideas

As audiences reset after the festive rush, it’s the perfect time to focus on content that feels thoughtful, uplifting, and engaging without being overwhelming. To help you kick off the year with confidence, we’ve pulled together creative ideas inspired by some of January’s standout social moments.

January inspired subject line ideas

Here’s some January-themed subject line ideas to inspire your campaigns:

Global word search day – We’ve hidden something in here… can you find it?

Winnie the Pooh day – Celebrate Pooh (and a sweet partnership) with us

Blue Monday – A little pick me up for your Monday mood

National cheese lover day – Cheese, please! recipes that bring the flavor 

International day of education – Smart ideas to kickstart the year

National compliment day – Brighten someone’s day (and yours!) with this

Chocolate cake day – A sweet excuse to treat yourself – Shop the edit

National puzzle day – Put your thinking cap on – Try this

Hot chocolate day – Something warm for your inbox

These subject line ideas are just the beginning. They truly shine when you tailor them to your brand’s unique voice. Add your signature flair with personality, emojis, playful language, or a hint of urgency to make your subject lines pop and grab attention.

For an extra layer of inspiration, try tapping into AI-powered tools like Dotdigital’s WinstonAI, perfect for sparking fresh ideas, tweaking tone, or fine-tuning subject line length.

Spark engagement with your January marketing campaigns

January is the ideal month to reset your social feeds and ease audiences into the year ahead with content that feels fresh, thoughtful, and engaging. From light-hearted awareness days to cosy winter moments and playful interactions, there’s plenty of inspiration to keep your audience involved without the festive noise.

Learn how to future-proof your marketing strategy with insights from Dotdigital’s latest Hitting the Mark report.

Discover how to build lasting customer loyalty with data-driven insights. The Dotdigital Loyalty Report reveals the strategies and trends that will keep your brand ahead in today’s competitive landscape.

Download now  

This guide breaks them down, shows how they differ, and helps you choose the right approach for your business.

What is cross-channel marketing?

Cross-channel marketing is all about coordination. You still use multiple channels, but now they work together. The goal is to guide customers along a journey, with messaging and campaigns aligned across touchpoints.

• Channels share some data and insights
• Messaging is coordinated across platforms
• You can track how different touchpoints influence behavior

When cross-channel works best:

• You want more cohesive experiences without full omnichannel complexity
• Your audience interacts across a few key channels regularly
• You want to use engagement data to optimize campaigns and personalize interactions

Here’s an example: 

A customer sees an abandoned cart email, then receives a push notification reminding them about the items, with messaging consistent across both.

What is multichannel marketing?

Multichannel marketing means using multiple channels to reach your audience, such as email, social media, your website, mobile apps, and in-store touchpoints.

• Each channel usually operates independently
• Messaging can differ from one channel to another
• The focus is on broad reach rather than a fully seamless experience

When multichannel works best:

• You want to increase visibility across multiple platforms
• Resources or technology are limited for deeper integration
• Your audience interacts on some channels but a completely unified journey isn’t essential

Here’s an example: 

Sending promotional emails, posting on social media, and running paid search campaigns independently, without linking customer data across them.

What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is the gold standard for seamless, fully integrated customer experiences. All channels, online and offline, are connected so your customers can engage with your brand smoothly across touchpoints.

• Channels share a unified customer profile and real-time data
• Messaging, content, and offers are consistent across every interaction
• The focus is customer-centric: anticipating needs and guiding the journey

When omnichannel works best:

• Your business can integrate multiple systems (CRM, ecommerce, POS, analytics)
• You want premium, personalized customer experiences
• You want to understand behavior across the full journey and optimize in real-time

The benefits:

There’s growing consensus that omnichannel, or a well-structured cross-channel strategy, can significantly boost customer satisfaction, retention, engagement, and lifetime value, especially when data and personalization are used.

Here’s an example: 

A customer starts browsing on a mobile app, receives a personalized email with recommendations, purchases online, and picks up in-store, all with a consistent, seamless experience.

Recap of multichannel vs cross-channel vs omnichannel

How to choose the right approach

Picking the right strategy is about what fits your audience, your team, and technology. So, think of these approaches as a spectrum, where each step builds on the previous one:

1. Start with multichannel

• Focus on the channels where your audience is most active
• Keep campaigns simple and separate to avoid stretching resources
• Gather baseline performance data like open rates, clicks, and conversions

2. Move to cross-channel

• Coordinate messaging and timing across key channels
• Use shared data to track customer movement between touchpoints
• Align campaigns to guide audiences along a journey rather than broadcasting messages
• Begin personalizing interactions based on behavior and engagement patterns

3. Evolve to omnichannel

• Integrate systems to create a unified customer view
• Deliver consistent messaging, content, and offers across all touchpoints
• Use insights from the full journey to anticipate needs, automate follow-ups, and optimize campaigns in real time

Some extra tips for choosing your path:

• Map your audience’s most common journeys first. This highlights where coordination or integration has the biggest impact
• Consider your resources and tech stack. Moving straight to omnichannel without the right systems or team can create complexity instead of results
• Treat it as an evolution. Even small steps toward coordination or integration can improve the customer experience

Measuring success

Tracking performance is essential to know if your approach is working and where to improve. Metrics should match your strategy stage. Here’s what that looks like:

1. Multichannel metrics

• Individual channel performance: open rates, clicks, website visits, social engagement
• Conversion tracking: did a message lead to a purchase, sign-up, or other goal?
• Use this to identify which channels are most effective

2. Cross-channel metrics

• Customer movement between channels: are emails driving traffic to your website or app?
• Attribution insights: which touchpoints contribute most to conversions?
• Engagement patterns: see how customers respond when messaging is coordinated across channels
• Use this to refine content, timing, and channel strategy

3. Omnichannel metrics

• Full customer journey tracking: first touch to purchase and beyond
• Retention and lifetime value: see how seamless experiences improve long-term engagement
• Cross-device and offline-online integration: measure impact across all touchpoints
• Customer satisfaction: surveys, net promoter score, and feedback loops
• Use these insights to personalize, automate, and anticipate customer needs

Some extra tips for successful tracking:

• Always start with clear goals. Metrics are only useful if they’re tied to your objectives
• Use combined dashboards to spot patterns and opportunities across channels
• Don’t ignore qualitative feedback. Things like surveys and reviews reveal gaps that numbers alone won’t show

How Dotdigital helps your cross-channel marketing strategy

Here at Dotdigital, we know the importance of implementing comprehensive marketing tools tailored to your business goals and target audience. That’s why we’ve developed an innovative cross-channel platform as an all-in-one solution to help manage your channels.

With the Dotdigital platform, you can:

Connect with your customers on all their favorite channels

Your customers move across channels, so your marketing should too. With Dotdigital, you can reach them seamlessly across email, SMS, social, and more, making every interaction count.

Create seamless customer journeys

Dotdigital’s marketing tools help you send personalized messages to customers through email, text messages, and social media. By enhancing their experience at every stage of their journey, you’ll be able to build stronger relationships and drive engagement.

Supercharge your email marketing

Email is a powerful way to stay in touch with customers who want to hear from your business. Dotdigital’s email builder makes designing eye-catching emails a breeze so that you can grab your customers’ attention and inspire them to take action.

Turn texts into sales

Have you considered using SMS marketing to reach your customers? It’s a quick and effective way to connect with them in real time. With Dotdigital, you can integrate your text messages with other channels like email and social media to increase your chances of making a sale.

Grow, convert, and retain with social media retargeting

Looking to expand your customer base? Dotdigital has got you covered. With Facebook Lead Ads, you can easily acquire new leads and grow your marketing lists. Plus, keep your current customers engaged by showing them targeted ads after they visit your website.

Reduce barriers to purchase with live chat

Forrester says using live chat on your website can increase conversion rates by up to 40%. With Dotdigital’s live chat feature, you can make it easy for customers to get the help they need while also increasing their happiness and likelihood of buying from you. 

Reach customers anywhere with push notifications

Dotdigital helps you stay connected with customers by sending them timely push notifications on their smartphones. These messages remind customers of your business and encourage them to take action, like making a purchase.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right marketing approach is about delivering experiences that your customers actually want:

• Cross-channel keeps your message consistent
• Multichannel gets you seen
• Omnichannel makes every interaction seamless and personal, boosting engagement, loyalty, and lifetime value

Start where you are, learn from your data, and evolve your strategy. Even small improvements in how your channels work together can make a big difference, turning one-off interactions into lasting relationships.

What is a data firehose?

Imagine every open, click, and purchase from a campaign as tiny droplets of water. Now, picture trying to collect those droplets one bucket at a time. It’s slow, labor‑intensive, and by the time the data reaches your analytics, the moment has gone. 

If you want your data while it’s still relevant, you need it flowing in a fast, continuous stream. That’s exactly what a data firehose does.

A data firehose is a direct line that sends all your campaign data straight to wherever you need it, whether that’s your cloud storage, data warehouse, or analytics tool. No waiting or chasing.

Why your data team will thank you

For data and analytics teams, a firehose means efficiency; less busywork and more impact. They set up a connection to your cloud storage once, and the data will keep flowing, reliably and securely, at a scale that can handle millions of events without breaking a sweat. 

A good firehose plugs neatly into all major cloud systems, like:

• Google Cloud Storage
• Azure Blob Storage
• Amazon S3
• SFTP

Paired with an API, data can move in and out automatically without any unnecessary headaches or time delays.

Why marketers should care

For marketing teams, the biggest win is speed. When engagement data flows directly into your single source of truth alongside sales, customer behavior, and other key data, you can see what actually resonates while there’s time to do something about it. 

That means you can:

• Adjust and improve campaigns while they’re live
• Target smarter using the most up‑to‑date information
• Prove campaign ROI more easily

With a firehose, tech teams get dependable, scalable data delivery. Marketers get insights they can act on right now. Nobody’s wasting hours passing files back and forth, and the whole business moves faster because decisions keep pace with customer actions.

The big picture for your business

When the team brings in new technologies, leadership will want to know how it connects with existing tech. 

That’s where a data firehose shifts from a “nice to have” to a non-negotiable. It helps teams work from the same up-to-date view of customer actions, so leaders can:  

• Make confident decisions faster
• Spot opportunities before competitors do
• Respond to risks before they escalate

By breaking down silos across marketing, sales, customer service, data, and operations, a firehose creates real agility. This lets you act on a trend instead of watching a competitor run away with it. And because it connects to your existing infrastructure, you get that agility without costly re‑platforming or disruptive process changes.

Closing the data loop with your data warehouse 

A data firehose is brilliant at getting raw engagement data out of Dotdigital and into storage, but that’s only half the story. 

Once the data’s in your warehouse, teams can combine it with sales history, website behaviour, product usage, and support calls. And here’s where the loop closes.

When your marketing tech integrates with your data warehouse like Snowflake or BigQuery, those richer insights can flow back in. Suddenly, marketers have smarter segments, sharper targeting, and the data to create personalization that actually feels relevant. 

Imagine your campaign data streams into Snowflake via Firehose. Analysts connect to purchase frequency and product preferences, then send those segments back into your marketing automation platform. From there, you launch ultra‑timely, hyper‑relevant campaigns.

In short, Firehose gets data out fast for deeper analysis. Warehouse integrations like Snowflake bring insights back so you can act. It’s a closed loop between marketing and data with benefits for the whole business.

Send firehose data anywhere with Dotdigital

Dotdigital’s data firehose streams marketing engagement data straight to Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Amazon S3, or SFTP without needing special workarounds. And to close the loop, Dotdigital integrates with Snowflake and BigQuery so insights don’t get stuck on one side. Since Snowflake uses these storage options, centralizing your data has never been easier. 

The bottom line is simple: your campaign data shouldn’t sit around waiting to be discovered. A data firehose moves it quickly to where it’s needed, when it’s needed, helping marketing and technical teams work in perfect sync. 

Marketers need data that‘s complete, current, and immediately usable. When it’s fragmented, decisions slow down — for your marketing team and for your business as a whole. Opportunities pass by, results plateau, and manual data exports create more chaos than clarity.

And when you could outperform your peers by 26% using real-time data, a single, connected data stream is the difference between reacting and staying ahead. It gives marketing, tech, and operations teams a shared, live view of every customer, ready to power the right message at the right time.

Dotdigital and Snowflake

Snowflake already gives businesses a secure, unified place to store and govern their data. So, when we launched our Snowflake integration in July 2025, it was a chance to bring marketers the seamless data flow to turn data into unforgettable customer experiences. Combined with Dotdigital, your data stops sitting in storage and starts driving meaningful moments across:

• Email
• SMS
• WhatsApp
• Web
• Push
• Social and more

Our integration leaves no gap between knowing and doing. Information in Snowflake flows straight into Dotdigital to fuel your campaigns, while engagement results from Dotdigital return to Snowflake for deeper insight.  Your data keeps moving, your marketing keeps learning, and nothing has time to go stale.

Reducing friction between marketing and tech teams

Marketers move fast. You can’t wait three days for the latest results to be downloaded, then uploaded to your email automation platform. With Snowflake data feeding directly into Dotdigital, you can:

• Adjust journeys mid‑flow
• Launch segments in minutes
• Deliver hyper‑relevant content based on the latest customer behaviors

At the same time, data and tech teams need precision and control. This integration:

• Meets governance standards
• Keeps sensitive data securely housed
• Removes duplicate storage and risky sharing practices

When everyone works from the same source, the friction disappears. Plans move faster, creativity gets sharper, and everyone’s working toward the same goal with the same information.

The ripple effect on your business

Connected data isn’t just a time‑saver; it’s a performance multiplier:

• Campaigns land because they’re timed and relevant
• Teams stop wasting hours on avoidable data exchanges
• Compliance becomes simpler because the governance sits inside the integration

As marketing execution speeds up, you see a direct impact: quicker campaign launches, higher conversion rates, and engagement that doesn’t plateau six weeks later. 

What does it look like in real life?

Real impact comes from the way this integration changes everyday marketing operations. Here‘s how Dotdigital and Snowflake work together to impact marketers:

Capitalizing on sudden spikes in interest

Snowflake shows an unexpected surge around a product. Dotdigital then pinpoints customers who’ve shown interest and sends timely promotions without waiting for a data upload.

Personalized product recommendation journeys

Snowflake reveals the product categories customers explore most. Dotdigital turns that insight into personalized emails, push messages, and social ads with product recommendations based on what’s trending.

Back‑in‑stock and new‑arrival alerts

When product availability changes in Snowflake, whether an out‑of‑stock favorite is replenished or a new item lands, Dotdigital instantly sends a personalized alert. 

Churn‑prevention journeys in real time

When Snowflake data indicates a premium subscriber is overdue for a repeat purchase, Dotdigital enrolls them into an automated cross-channel retention sequence. Once they buy, that transaction flows back into Snowflake, closing the loop and keeping their profile up to date. 

Ready to push, pull, and personalize?

Dotdigital’s Snowflake connection avoids compromises, like finding clunky workarounds or having to duplicate data at the expense of accuracy. It’s built for marketers and data teams alike. 

It’s not just an integration; it’s your data and your marketing finally working in real time, together. One source of truth with endless opportunities to turn data into meaningful moments.