SINGAPORE, Apr 27 - Sinch Mailgun, part of Sinch, has released its Email Impact Report 2026, introducing new industry benchmarks across 10 high-volume sending sectors and revealing a gap between email performance and execution.
Based on insights from more than 400 billion emails sent in 2025 and a global survey of over 1,200 email senders, the report shows that while email remains a critical, high-performing channel, poor deliverability is leaving significant revenue on the table. Nearly 18% of emails fail to reach the inbox, putting up to a fifth of potential return on investment at risk for many organisations.
78% of respondents say email is critical to business success. At the same time, the research highlights a growing disconnect between performance and execution, driven by gaps in measurement, deliverability practices and AI application.
“APAC businesses rely heavily on email to drive sales, loyalty and customer experience but many are not set up to capture its full value,” said Ginger Kidd, Vice President Marketing & Communications APAC at Sinch. “What we see in this data reflects what’s happening locally: brands are investing in email and seeing strong returns, yet there is still a high number of messages that never reach inboxes. For instance, in a market as competitive and cost-conscious as Australia, marketers simply can’t afford for emails to get lost in inboxes. When budgets are under pressure, fixing deliverability is one of the fastest ways to unlock more value from the spend they already have.”
AI adoption is widespread, but its impact remains uneven. Many teams focus on basic use cases such as content generation, while higher-impact applications such as optimisation, segmentation and deliverability remain underutilised. Organisations that use AI more effectively are significantly more likely to report improved email performance.
Ginger Kidd said: “Across the diverse markets of APAC, we’re seeing a common theme: marketers are enthusiastically adopting AI, but the initial focus has primarily been on content creation. The true opportunity now lies in leveraging AI for smarter decision-making. For instance, who to send to, how often, and with what level of risk. This strategic shift is the key to ensuring every campaign improves performance, not just adds volume.
“The most sophisticated teams are already using AI to predict which subscribers are at risk of disengaging, to fine-tune send times and to protect sender reputation. That’s where we’re seeing a real uplift in performance, not just faster content production.”
Key findings of the report include:
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60% of companies measuring email ROI report returns above $10 for every $1 spent
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More than 1 in 10 achieve returns as high as 40:1
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46% say AI improves speed and efficiency
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41% of teams use AI to generate email content
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23% say AI has not improved their email programs
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49% report improved email performance year-over-year
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79% plan to maintain or increase investment in email
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Fewer than half of organisations can confidently measure email ROI
