Every email program starts with a decision. It is not about authentication protocols or sending infrastructure or compliance frameworks. The first and most fundamental decision is about purpose. Who is this program meant to benefit?
Some decisions appear to benefit everyone involved. “We’ll send subscribers product updates and special offers” sounds like a fair exchange. The business builds a contact list and sales pipeline. The subscriber gets information about products they care about and opportunities to save money.
But many decisions benefit only one party. Consider what happens when someone needs technical support. They open a support ticket, trying to solve an urgent problem. Buried in the privacy policy they must accept is language “consenting” to marketing messages. The business gains a new marketing contact. The customer, who is only focused on solving their problem, gains an unwanted subscription they may not even realize they accepted. It’s a one-sided transaction masquerading as an exchange.
In 2025, this matters more than ever. Google and Yahoo now require rigorous authentication. Mailbox providers scrutinize engagement metrics. Recipients wield powerful spam reporting tools. The technical barriers to reaching the inbox keep rising. Yet many programs still focus entirely on the sender’s benefit.
Look at your program decisions through this lens. Your authentication implementation might be flawless. Your infrastructure could be state of the art. Your compliance documentation might satisfy every regulator. But if your program fundamentally serves only your interests, none of that matters. You’ll still struggle with deliverability, engagement, and effectiveness.
The most successful programs share a common trait: they obsess over subscriber benefits. They don’t just ask, “What do we want to send?” They ask, “What do our subscribers want to receive?” They don’t treat consent as a checkbox. They treat it as the beginning of a relationship.
This shows in every aspect of their programs. Their subscription processes are transparent. Their content delivers real value. Their preference centers offer genuine control. Most importantly, their metrics reflect the mutual benefit. High engagement. Low complaints. Strong deliverability.
The choice is yours. You can build a program that serves only your interests and fight a constant battle against technical and human barriers. Or you can make one that creates genuine value for everyone involved and watch your metrics reflect that wisdom.
About the Author
Mickey Chandler is a Consultant & Attorney with over 28 years of experience in Email Deliverability & Privacy Law. He has a strong background in email authentication infrastructure (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), ISP and mailbox provider relations, anti-spam policy and compliance, CAN-SPAM and state anti-spam law gained through overseeing the Abuse & Compliance team at Salesforce Marketing Cloud, originating the ISP relations role at Informz (now part of Higher Logic), and working in the fight against spam since 1997. He holds a B.A. in Government, a B.S. in Computer Information Systems, and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a certified CIPP/US professional and a certified CIPM professional.
