The news: 60% of US consumers with household incomes over $75,000 name email as their most preferred digital marketing channel—above social media (50%) or text (34%)—per Optimove Insights Marketing Fatigue Report 2026.

However, it’s also the most likely to overwhelm and alienate them.

• Almost half (46%) have hundreds to thousands of unread marketing emails in their inbox, and 9% have tens of thousands. Only 11% have none.
• During peak shopping seasons, such as Black Friday and Christmas, 55% call email the most overwhelming market channel, far more than social media ads (19%) or SMS (18%).
• Consumers also named email as the least likely channel to capture their attention when shopping online.

Why it’s worth watching: Although email is a consumer favorite for brand communication, it’s approaching a saturation point. The scale and accessibility that make email effective is driving fatigue, especially during high-value retail moments.

• That tension creates the risk that, as inbox clutter rises, attention declines.
• If brands can’t break through the noise, preference won’t translate into performance.

For marketers facing tighter privacy constraints, email is one of few scalable, owned channels left. Its efficacy depends on how intentionally it’s used.

The opportunity: Personalization can pull consumers in and reduce the inbox fatigue that mass blasts create—41% say the top factor in making them open an email is personalized offers that are connected to something they’re already interested in.

AI-driven personalization tools could help brands optimize content, product recommendations, and timing, converting email from a broadcast channel into a precision tool.

Recommendations for brands: Treat email as a retention channel to preserve engagement and strengthen long-term loyalty in an increasingly crowded inbox.

• Use zero- and first-party data to tailor offers based on browsing behavior, past purchases, or user preferences.
• Adjust send times and cadence to avoid oversaturation.
• Segment high-intent shoppers from casual browsers.
• Focus subject lines and content on clear value, like restocks or price drops.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.