Kath Pay says it perfectly today: “Email is the most misunderstood channel in your digital stack.” It gets overlooked because it isn’t flashy or new, almost an afterthought. That’s a giant mistake. Email is the most reliable way to connect with your customers and, because of that, it has an unmatched ROI. 

Connecting with your customers is especially important in times of uncertainty, like right now. Ryan Phelan says the way to do it is with straight talk about the possible impact of tariffs on you and them. He also says to do it by email. Being transparent with your customers, even or especially when you don’t know what’s ahead, will get you loyalty you can bank on.

Constantine von Hoffman
Managing Editor

 
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Winning customer loyalty starts with straight talk about tariffs

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Surveys and research reports to make you a more-informed marketer
  • NEW! Get the 2025 State of Your Stack Survey report by downloading the PDF, flipping through a carousel, listening to a discussion of the results or watching the keynote session from the Spring 2025 MarTech Conference — all without registration.

MarTech Intelligence Reports are in-depth, independent and indispensable. They’re designed to help marketers navigate the martech landscape with questions to ask during the buying process, vendor profiles and more.

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What they're saying

  • “It’s 2020 all over again, but with tariffs. We face another unexpected bout of uncertainty and apprehension. We aren’t confined to quarters as we were back then, but many of us are feeling rattled again thanks to business disruptions, supply chain challenges and recession worries.” – Ryan Phelan in Winning customer loyalty starts with straight talk about tariffs.
  • “Email is the afterthought on many marketing teams — the last piece of the puzzle, and often gets handed off to junior team members. It’s the “easy” button you push to drive additional sales or have a hot promotion. How many of you have heard, ‘We’re not going to achieve our monthly target! Send another email!’?” – Kath Pay in Email is the most misunderstood channel in your digital stack.
 

From Search Engine Land