Email Performance by Topic — FY26

Across all 36 emails and four topic areas, the program is performing above B2B benchmarks on open rate (avg 25.8% vs. ~21.5% benchmark) and click-to-open rate (avg 11.6% vs. ~10.5% benchmark) — a strong signal that the content is reaching the right audiences and resonating once opened.

Where to lean in: Succession Planning. This topic delivers the highest engagement of any area — 31.8% avg open rate and 16.1% avg CTR — with notably lower unsubscribe and bounce rates than the rest of the program. The audience is engaged, the content is connecting, and the send volume (~75K delivered across 7 emails) is modest relative to the other topics. There is a clear opportunity to increase cadence, expand the list, and deepen the content mix. Compensation content folded into this series also performed well, suggesting that pairing Succession Planning with adjacent topics like comp strategy and workforce readiness can amplify results further.

Where to assess and improve: Recruiting & Contract HR. With 16 emails and the largest delivery volume (~122K), this is the program's highest-effort topic — but it carries the lowest avg CTR (6.6%) and the most elevated bounce and unsubscribe rates, especially in early sends. The data suggests that list quality and audience targeting are the primary levers: the Tracy Walker STEM emails, sent to smaller and warmer lists, achieved open rates as high as 40.4%, while broader cold-list sends underperformed significantly. The priority should be tightening list segmentation, refreshing subject line strategy to reduce fatigue across a long series, and leading with proof-based content (case studies, client videos) rather than service descriptions — the top-performing emails in this topic all led with a story or a specific outcome.