From 85% to 97% Deliverability: The Million-Dollar Opportunity You're Missing

So how much did we ACTUALLY make with that campaign? 🤔

Email is often hailed as one of the highest ROI channels, but calculating the exact return on investment for a campaign remains a tricky challenge for marketers.

That’s why Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant are thrilled to welcome back Chad White, Head of Research at Oracle Digital Experience Agency, to dive deep into the complexities of email marketing ROI. Together, they unpack common calculation mistakes, overlooked factors that affect program performance, and how these missteps could leave you sidelined from million-dollar opportunities. 💰

What you'll learn:

Why the famous "36:1 ROI" metric might be misleading—and how to create more accurate measurements
How to tailor ROI calculations based on your program type: revenue-focused, lead-focused, engagement-focused, or retention-focused
The hidden impact of deliverability on ROI—and why 85% inbox placement could mean leaving significant revenue on the table
How inclusive design and accessibility improvements drive long-term ROI benefits beyond serving permanently disabled users
Why traditional attribution models fail to capture email’s full impact—especially for multi-channel retailers

There’s so much more to unpack with Chad that we had to split this conversation into two parts! Don’t miss this insightful first episode—and stay tuned for the exciting conclusion next time.

If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhours@validity.com, or head to https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders to send us an audio message.

About the guest

Chad White is the Head of Research at Oracle, a renowned expert in email marketing strategy and ROI measurement. With extensive experience analyzing industry trends and best practices, he is known for his pragmatic approach to email marketing metrics and program optimization. Chad brings valuable insights on email ROI calculation, accessibility considerations, and inclusive design principles that impact program performance. His recent work examining email marketing ROI claims and measurement challenges has helped marketers better understand how to evaluate and improve their program performance. In this episode, Chad shares practical perspectives on why traditional ROI metrics may be misleading and how marketers can take a more holistic view of email program value through deliverability, accessibility, and inclusive design considerations.

Hosts at a glance:

Danielle Gallant - Danielle is a Senior Email Strategist at Validity. She has over seven years of experience working with global brands to craft strategies that amplify email performance. She is a self-professed email nerd, dog lover, and podcast fanatic.

Danielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-gallant-6443a248/

Guy Hanson - Guy is Vice President of Customer Engagement at Validity. He has led global consulting teams working with clients to improve email deliverability, subscriber engagement, and revenue. He believes in giving back to his community and is a regular speaker at flagship events, providing training and producing fresh and insightful thought leadership.

Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyhanson/

Topics We Discuss:

[00:00] Intro & The Million-Dollar Deliverability Opportunity
[00:42] Welcome to Email After Hours
[02:18] The 90:1 ROI Myth in Email Marketing
[03:39] Why One in Five Marketers Can't Measure ROI
[09:13] The Four Types of Email Marketing Programs
[15:39] Hidden Factors Affecting Email ROI
[16:28] Dark Mode's Impact on Email Engagement
[22:54] Accessibility and Inclusive Design in Email
[24:51] The Circular Logic of Accessibility Resistance
[28:08] EU AI Laws and Digital Compliance
[29:51] Wrap-up and Preview of Part 2

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