With the update, users of iOS devices will be prompted to choose or decline for Apple to “protect mail privacy.” Users can simply click yes or no, then carry on with their session. For users that click yes, marketers will no longer be able to track open rates on emails they send from any email service.
This creates a domino effect on marketing: Automation based on opens and send time optimization will be affected without access to this data. Automated email campaigns may get turned upside down.
This is just one of many changes that we expect to see in the coming years. Consumer privacy is a hot topic, and we’re inching closer toward a cookie-less future that will limit data collection from tracking user journeys.
For dealerships and marketers that have invested so much time and energy into a data-driven strategy, what comes next if they don’t have the data they need?
Clearly, changes need to be made. But rather than changing the data-driven marketing approach, a better solution is to change the tools and service providers.
Not all marketing automation hinges on open rates and sends times, for instance. Consumer behavior and engagement can provide better and more accurate data that allows for more significant enrichment and activation.
Some of this data is collected via email. But it’s not the end-all channel, and, as the update has shown, it shouldn’t be treated that way by marketers.
Businesses can also no longer afford to put all their focus on one channel because of the ever-evolving privacy laws. When your central vein is email, and changes of this size and scope happen, finding workarounds and new approaches can feel like starting from scratch.
Dealerships can get ahead of the iOS 15 update by leveraging marketing solutions that are ready for the changes now and agile for future updates. Activator’s marketing automation tools treat user email signals as only part of the solution. With a multi-channel approach that favors engagement metrics instead of open rates, we can maintain a competitive edge when other marketing tools fail.
And we can prove it.
For starters, nearly 50% of customers in the Activator database are 12+ months between servicing. Service cycles are longer, and dealers need a better way to engage their customers during those long gaps.
Through our Follow the VIN technology, we handle 10 million VINs and have verified ownership for nearly 75% of them. Dealers can hyper-target and automate marketing for dealers even without access to email campaign performance metrics.
It’s time to look beyond email data and instead look at the overall picture of marketing engagement and customer lifecycles. Take Activator for a test drive today and elevate your marketing beyond surface-level email data.