Email is one of the most versatile ad platforms for brands.
Why?
First off, because email ads don’t have to conform to standard ad sizes set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Instead, marketers can work with ad platforms and publisher partners to create customized ad experiences that fit each email offering and keep users engaged.
In fact, brands can build and customize campaigns across five main types of email advertising formats:
- Display email ads
- Text email ads
- Native email ads
- Sponsored email ads
- Dedicated email ads
Now, let’s zoom in on those last two, specifically.
Sponsored emails and dedicated emails are relatively more innovative formats that go beyond just the usual banner presentation and are more ingrained in the email experience as a whole. That’s why they’re also easy to get mixed up.
If you’re building out your email ad operation, it’s important to understand what these unique formats have to offer — especially now that consumers are engaging with email more than ever before.
According to Jeeng’s 2022 Digital Advertising Consumer Survey Report, 98% of U.S. adults check their email at least once a day — up from 90% in 2020. And 35% now pay for a subscription to a digital publication or email newsletter — up from 20% in 2020.
On top of that, almost 70% of consumers will click on an email ad if it’s interesting or relevant to them.
Basically, the reasons to invest in email advertising are mounting. And now that brands understand the power of this channel, they need the right ad formats and strategies to help them stand out from the competition, grab their audiences’ attention, and drive revenue.
To help, we’ll dive into exactly what dedicated email ads and sponsored email ads are, and how they compare so you can choose the best ad units for your business goals.
What are dedicated emails?
Dedicated emails are paid for by an advertising partner and contain content created exclusively by that advertising partner. An electronics brand, for example, might launch a dedicated email from a tech publisher, featuring a special discount on a relevant product.
For comparison, a display ad might be inserted at the bottom of a publisher’s email newsletter, taking up just a small piece of real estate, like in this NerdWallet email:
A dedicated email, on the other hand, is devoted entirely to that advertiser’s messaging. It’d be like if that NerdWallet newsletter above contained stories and offers only by Chase Freedom Unlimited and none of their own content.
Jeeng’s Dedicated Email offering, for instance, matches each advertiser with the right publishing partner to help maximize ROI and reach built-in, target audiences.
What are the benefits of dedicated emails?
Dedicated emails provide many benefits for advertisers looking to expand their digital footprint and build innovative campaigns.
The biggest benefits of dedicated email ads include:
- Earning 100% share-of-voice. Unlike sponsored, display, and text ads, dedicated emails allow brands to fully take over a publisher’s newsletter content — including the subject line and entire body of the email.
- Reaching highly engaged, opt-in subscribers. Brands deliver the content; the publishers delivers the audience. With Jeeng Dedicated Email, you can reach email lists with an up to up to 34% average open rate and up to 5% clickthrough rate (CTR).
- Harnessing an untapped opportunity. Many publishers and advertisers are still learning about the advantages of dedicated emails or looking for the right tools to run them. Get ahead of the competition by launching dedicated emails now.
What are sponsored email ads?
Sponsored emails are publisher emails that are paid for by brands. Unlike dedicated emails, sponsored emails contain content from the publisher. They’ll just have a disclaimer at the top that says “Sponsored by,” “Supported by,” or “Paid for by”, and any display ads within the email will be provided solely by the sponsoring advertiser.
Just look at this email from The New York Times, sponsored by Apple Card. The Apple Card logo is included above the fold, but the articles within the newsletter are provided by and curated by the publisher:
Sponsored email ads are, of course, different from native email ads, which are embedded within emails, matching the context and format of their surrounding content. This email newsletter from Adweek, for example, includes a native ad placement from StackAdapt:
Since the branded article looks like the organic articles above it — except for a different color font — it doesn’t interrupt the user experience.
What are the benefits of sponsored email ads?
The most notable advantages of sponsored email ads include:
- Easy setups. In contrast to dedicated emails and native ads, sponsored emails don’t require advertisers to create new content from scratch. Technically, all the brand has to do is put its name on the email and approve it for distribution.
- Generating brand awareness. Advertisers can use sponsored emails to build brand awareness, increase brand recall, and be top-of-mind among their target customers.
Dedicated vs. sponsored emails: How do they compare?
Dedicated and sponsored emails each offer unique benefits to email advertisers. Whichever format you choose, you’ll be tapping into one of the most trusted, engaging, and data-rich channels on the web today: email.
Still, it’s important to know how dedicated and sponsored emails compare with each other.
The biggest difference is that dedicated placements allow brands to take over the content of an entire email — so readers aren’t distracted by any other paid or organic messaging.
Sponsored emails, on the other hand, only include a logo and disclaimer on behalf of the brand. For that reason, sponsored emails are best for reaching customers at the beginning stages of the marketing funnel. Meanwhile dedicated emails are best for driving leads and purchases with specific offers and promotions.
Reap the rewards of email advertising
Jeeng is built to help advertisers reach opt-in subscribers across publisher newsletters, so they can increase branding, engagement, and ROI. Our comprehensive platform also includes detailed analytics, real-time optimization, and performance tracking — helping you make the most of your email ad campaigns.
Ready to launch your own email ads and get in front of target publisher audiences?
Contact us to get started.
