January 05, 2026

HMBT #300: The Netflix Effect

38 minutes

For episode 300, I am joined by email marketing legend Dela Quist for a no-holds-barred conversation about the misconceptions surrounding email frequency, deliverability, and value. Dela, known for challenging conventional wisdom, makes a compelling case for why email is a branding tool, not just a sales mechanism, and how marketers often misunderstand frequency and engagement.

From comparing the inbox to Netflix to debunking deliverability myths tied to inactive subscribers, Dela shares decades’ worth of strategic insights with real-world examples and humor. His key message? Sending more email isn’t bad, sending irrelevant or inconsistent email is. This episode is a masterclass for email marketers who want to build stronger email strategies backed by logic, not just best practices.

Key Takeaways:

Frequency is not the enemy: Most brands under-mail their subscribers. The belief that you can “send too many emails” is rarely backed by data—it’s mostly based on fear or outdated thinking.

Engagement doesn’t mean open rate alone: People might ignore an email for months and then search for it when they’re ready to act. Gmail knows this and doesn’t necessarily penalize you for low open rates.

The inbox is like Netflix: People save, revisit, and search for emails the same way they binge their favorite shows. Don’t assume an unopened email is a failed one.

Inactives are misunderstood: Brands often waste money reacquiring lapsed customers through paid channels when they could simply continue emailing them—at a fraction of the cost.

Every subscriber should get at least one email a week: This provides a baseline for performance metrics and ensures you’re in the inbox when the subscriber is ready to act.

Gmail isn’t stupid: Their algorithms consider behavior across the Google ecosystem (search, maps, store visits) to determine deliverability—not just whether someone opened your last email.

Never email addresses you didn’t collect directly: This is the fastest path to getting flagged. Confirmed opt-in remains the gold standard.

Your ESP’s shared IP reputation matters—big time: For small senders, a solid ESP with a strong deliverability track record can make or break your email success.

Focus on long-term brand building, not just short-term conversions: Email is a powerful branding channel, but marketers often underutilize it because it’s “too cheap” to be taken seriously.

Final Thought:

Dela’s approach is refreshingly pragmatic, ditch the myths, focus on value, and treat email as the most cost-effective branding channel in your arsenal. Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise brand, there’s something in this episode that will challenge the way you think about email marketing.

Want more from Dela? Connect with him on LinkedIn or visit delaquist.com.

Get 5,000 free Kickbox credits with the code HMBT

Audio:

The post HMBT #300: The Netflix Effect appeared first on .

...more

View all episodes

By Hank Hoffmeier