Beyond the Inbox: Understanding the 2026 E-mail Landscape with Deployteq

Let's settle the debate once and for all: email marketing isn't going anywhere.

In fact, with an ROI of 3,600% and 80% of marketers saying they'd sooner quit social media than give up email – yeah, 80% – it's not just alive, it's thriving. While every other channel fights for attention in an increasingly noisy digital landscape, email keeps quietly delivering results for the brands that know how to use it.

The question is: are you one of them?

To help you find out, Deployteq – the marketing automation platform trusted by leading brands across Europe, like Renault, Virgin Media, and VodafoneZiggo – has just released its 2026 Email Marketing Benchmark Report. Based on the analysis of nearly 4 billion emails sent across the Netherlands and the UK, this is the most comprehensive look yet at what's actually working in email marketing right now.

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The numbers you need to know

Deployteq cuts right through the noise and gets straight to what matters.  Their report shows that simply hitting “send” without any thought process is not enough. They were willing to share the blueprint that you need to master strategies that will actually work in 2026.  

Here are just a few data points that can help you transform your emails into a High-performance campaign:

• The Best Time to hit send? Thursday at 10 AM. If you've been winging your send times, it's time to get strategic – and this is your starting point. 
• Industry Benchmark Metrics - How does your email programme stack up against nearly 4 billion sends? Here’s what Deployteq found: 
  
  • 99.6% acceptance rate - means that your emails are actually landing in inboxes.
  • 56.9% open rate - indicates that more than half of recipients are opening up.
  • 7.9% click-to-open rate (CTOR) - highlights the effectiveness of your email content.
  • 5% click-through rate (CTR) - indicates the share of recipients who are taking action.
• Seasonality: When to Lean in - Strategy is about knowing when to push. The 2026 data identifies January, March, and April as the high-velocity months for email activity. Whether it's the post-holiday reset or spring renewals, these are the windows you want to be active in.

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So What Does This Mean for Marketeers? 

Data is only useful if you know what to do with it – and that's where the 2026 Benchmark Report goes further than a simple stats roundup.

‍From smarter personalization to sharper automation, this report gives marketers a clear, actionable path on how to improve their engagement, increase conversion, and build the kind of email strategy that consistently outperforms the competition.

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Get The Full Report - For Free!

The Deployteq 2026 Email Marketing Benchmark Report is now available in English, Portuguese, and Dutch, complete with a fully interactive dashboard so that you can explore the data that matters most to your industry.

Stop guessing, Start Benchmarking. 

Download the full report to master the key insights you need to make every send count in 2026.

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Looking for a strategic partner? Our team is ready to build a strategy around your goals. Schedule a strategy session today.