In a digital marketing landscape brimming with emerging channels and evolving consumer behaviours, one format continues to hold its ground with quiet resilience- email, Jacob Joseph, VP- Data Science at CleverTap has pointed out. As marketers explore new ways to drive engagement, Joseph highlighted how email remains a central pillar in building sustainable, high-impact marketing strategies.
In an exclusive interaction with Marketing Mind, he discussed why this seemingly traditional tool still plays a vital role in modern marketing, the growing importance of regional and personalised communication, and how CleverTap is combining AI, automation, and analytics to power contextual experiences, drive retention, and help brands stay relevant across diverse markets and shifting expectations.
“As we look ahead to 2025, our focus at CleverTap is to continue evolving as a true growth partner for brands driving outcomes through deeper verticalisation, intelligent automation, and a strong foundation of trust,” Joseph said
“We’re building tailored solutions across high-impact industries like financial services, gaming, e-commerce, and subscription-led businesses, ensuring that each vertical benefits from a more contextual, relevant, and outcome-driven approach. On the geographic front, we see significant growth potential in the US and Europe and are actively expanding our presence in these key markets,” he added.
Furthermore, he went on to say that on the product side, we’re enhancing the capabilities of Clever.AI, our proprietary AI engine, to deliver even more actionable insights and automated decision-making- empowering brands to personalise at scale with speed and precision. At the same time, as engagement becomes increasingly data-driven, they are committed to helping brands maintain transparency, respect user preferences, and ensure safe, consent-led communication.
“In a crowded MarTech landscape, our narrative is simple: marketing isn’t about more tools, it’s about more clarity. Our all-in-one platform combines AI, automation, and analytics to help brands create meaningful, measurable engagement- at scale and in real time,” Joseph said.
When asked whether regional and vernacular messaging formats are becoming increasingly crucial for mobile engagement, particularly in Tier II and III markets, and how CleverTap is addressing this shift, he responded that as brands strive to penetrate in Tier II and III markets, using local languages is a vital strategy for breaking language barriers and ensuring communication resonates with the audience. Regional messaging formats allow brands to build deeper connections by personalising interactions based on cultural and linguistic preferences.
“CleverTap is enabling this shift by offering brands the ability to deliver hyper-personalised, multi-lingual experiences across different channels, including RCS, WhatsApp, and in-app messaging. Through its AI-powered content assistant, Scribe, brands can create content in multiple regional languages with ease. CleverTap also integrates with localisation platforms like Lokalise and Crowdin, allowing marketing teams to export templates, translate them at scale, and reimport them- streamlining end-to-end multilingual campaign creation,” he said.
Combined with behavioral insights and user preferences, these tools help brands localise not just language but context, ensuring every interaction feels relevant and culturally attuned. This can also be done with CleverTap’s Product Experiences where brands can customise the app layouts for different user cohorts, enabling experimentation at scale. For example, the home screen for a senior citizen may look entirely different from that of a Gen Z user or may be tailored differently for users in Tier I versus Tier II cities.
“This level of contextual personalisation strengthens user engagement across diverse demographics, and translates into higher engagement, better retention, and deeper customer loyalty,” Joseph stated.
When asked about the underrated or often misunderstood aspects of customer retention that brands should prioritise in their marketing strategy, he emphasised that one often underestimated aspect of customer retention is the shift in focus from customer acquisition to customer loyalty. In an increasingly competitive market, businesses are realising that acquiring new customers is more expensive and challenging than retaining existing ones. This shift towards retention requires brands to invest in loyalty programs and personalised incentives that keep customers engaged over the long term.
“It’s crucial to understand that retention isn’t just about providing discounts or promotions but about creating lasting, meaningful relationships with customers. Hyper-personalisation plays a significant role here, as consumers expect experiences tailored to their preferences and needs. Additionally, building trust and maintaining transparency with customers, especially regarding data privacy and the personalisation of offers, are key components of successful retention strategies,” he said.
“Brands should invest in seamless, personalised communication across multiple touchpoints to ensure that customers feel valued and appreciated throughout their journey, fostering stronger and more enduring connections,” he added.
When asked whether there are specific industries or sectors where RCS has proven to be particularly effective compared to traditional SMS, Joseph pointed out that RCS marks the next evolution in mobile messaging- retaining the reach of SMS but supercharging it with multimedia, carousels, and tappable buttons. Brands can now engage users with interactive, app-like experiences directly inside the messaging app. From browsing to checkout, it all happens in one seamless thread.
Compared to SMS, RCS offers richer content, better analytics (like read receipts), and a more immersive user journey. That said, SMS continues to serve as a dependable fallback, especially in areas where RCS infrastructure or user support is still catching up.
“RCS has proven highly effective in sectors like retail, quick service restaurants, travel, and banking- industries where fast, visual, and action-oriented communication helps boost conversions, reduce drop-offs, and simplify real-time support,” Joseph stated.
Furthermore, he went on to say that RCS adoption works best when seen as part of a broader omnichannel engagement strategy. For brands starting out, a few key steps help set the stage for success: align internal teams, define measurable goals (like CTR or conversion lift), and run pilot campaigns to test content, formats, and timing. The backbone of effective implementation is using first-party and behavioral data to ensure relevance and personalisation.
“However, brands may face hurdles- like inconsistent carrier support, evolving compliance requirements, and the risk of over-automated messaging. CleverTap addresses these challenges by ensuring enterprise-grade scalability, fallback to SMS where needed, and secure message delivery across regions,” Joseph said.
He added, “To elevate outcomes, CleverTap layers AI and data analytics into every campaign- from predictive segmentation and real-time targeting to multivariate testing. Our proprietary tool IntelliNODE acts as an AI experimentation layer that automatically selects the best-performing journey variant, helping marketers continuously refine their messaging and maximise ROI- without compromising on user privacy or experience.”
He also shared insights on the key trends shaping the future of mobile marketing, both in India and globally, and highlighted what marketers should begin preparing for today.
Joseph emphasised that the future of mobile marketing will be defined by key shifts in customer engagement, with AI at the forefront. We’re seeing a move from brand-driven communication to customer-led, conversational interactions powered by generative AI. Rather than passively receiving messages, customers now actively shape their experiences with brands through dynamic, prompt-based exchanges.
“This new model emphasises the quality of engagement, with real-time insights and feedback helping marketers continuously optimise their strategies. At the same time, personalisation must be carefully balanced with rising privacy expectations. Marketers will need to invest in first and zero-party data strategies while maintaining transparency to build customer trust. The emergence of AI agents is also transforming marketing by enabling intelligent support, sentiment analysis, and tailored recommendations,” he said.
“Alongside this, the shift from fixed tech stacks to adaptive, integrated martech ecosystems will keep growing in prevalence, giving brands the agility to meet changing consumer needs. As acquisition becomes more challenging, a stronger focus on retention and customer loyalty will be essential. Marketers will also continue to embrace an omnichannel approach, reaching users across platforms like WhatsApp, RCS, and in-app messaging. These trends are reshaping mobile marketing, and businesses that evolve with them will be well-positioned for success,” he added.
In conclusion, Joseph addressed a common marketing myth he wishes to debunk, stating that the myth that the idea that email marketing is dead, but the reality is far from it. Despite the rumors, email isn’t fading, it’s thriving at the center of modern engagement.
“More than 4.48 billion people use email today, trading about 361 billion messages every day. That audience is on track to reach 4.9 billion by 2027, underscoring the channel’s staying power. The economics are just as compelling: for every $1 invested, email returns roughly $36, the highest ROI in the digital stack,” he said.
Even digital‑native shoppers, Gen Z included, consistently choose the inbox over SMS when they want offers they can act on. And for most SMBs, email remains the workhorse for both acquisition and retention, anchoring a cookie‑free, first‑party data strategy that will only grow more critical as third‑party cookies disappear.
“In short, far from being “dead,” email is the backbone of sustainable, high‑impact marketing. As for a timeless principle, the importance of building trust remains paramount. Regardless of the trends or technologies that come and go, customers will always value transparency, honesty, and respect for their privacy,” Joseph mentioned.
He added, “A brand that consistently builds trust, whether through personalised experiences, ethical data practices, or reliable customer support, will foster stronger and more lasting customer loyalty. In an ever-evolving landscape, staying true to this core principle will ensure that a brand maintains its credibility and relevance no matter what trends dominate the market.”
