Marketers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are setting the pace globally when it comes to digital marketing, with the latest Dotdigital 2025 Global Benchmark Report revealing substantial growth in email and SMS marketing. APAC brands have seen a 49% surge in email sends and a 53% rise in SMS marketing, positioning the region as the global leader in direct-to-consumer engagement.
Mobile-first marketing driving results
The report highlights APAC’s strong mobile-first approach, with a 20% SMS click-through rate (CTR) showcasing the impact of mobile marketing in the region. This figure outperforms many other regions and underscores the growing effectiveness of SMS as a direct engagement tool.
Juliette Aiken, chief marketing officer at Dotdigital, said: “The 2025 Global Benchmark Report highlights APAC as a leader in growth and engagement, in particular SMS. The next step is to maximise return on investment by combining these strengths with automation workflows and multi-channel adoption.”
Automation presents a major opportunity
While APAC marketers are excelling in their use of email and SMS, the report identifies untapped opportunities in marketing automation.
• Abandoned cart emails in APAC achieve a 15% click-to-open rate (CTOR), signalling a significant opportunity for brands to implement stronger automation strategies and recapture lost revenue.
• Multi-channel automation remains an area for growth, with the potential to integrate SMS and email into seamless, AI-driven customer journeys.
Email growth surges past other regions
Not only is APAC leading in mobile-first strategies, but it is also outpacing other regions in email marketing expansion. Compared to EMEA’s modest 12% email growth, APAC’s 49% increase demonstrates a strong consumer appetite for brand communications via email. This rapid adoption signals that marketers in the region are effectively leveraging digital tools to reach and convert customers.
The road ahead for APAC marketers
With such strong engagement metrics, the report suggests that APAC brands should focus on integrating their email and SMS strategies into more sophisticated automation workflows. By doing so, they can increase efficiency, drive higher conversions, and build long-term customer relationships.
As businesses continue to invest in data-driven marketing, Dotdigital’s insights reinforce APAC’s dominant position in the digital landscape. The challenge now lies in optimising automation and multi-channel experiences to fully capitalise on these consumer engagement trends.