Automated but Annoying

I have a bone to pick with marketers like myself. As someone who’s in the thick of it, I can’t pretend that email automation isn’t a lifesaver. Honestly, I use it every day to schedule messages, craft campaigns, and follow up with leads without all the manual hassle (Infinite Owl Marketing, 2018). From a business standpoint, it’s smart and super efficient. But on a personal level? I can’t stand it sometimes. Those emails can feel like spam, even when they’re designed to help.

Here’s the thing: consumers want personalization, but they also need boundaries. When a message arrives at the wrong time or feels off, trust can disappear in a flash (Cardon, 2024). The old practice of sending out the same email to everyone just doesn’t cut it anymore. People expect brands to actually know what matters to them and to be respectful of their time. If a company messes this up, it only takes a few bad emails before they hit the unsubscribe button. I’ve seen firsthand how clients can lose credibility with a single mistimed or misdirected message. Sometimes, it’s not even about the content being poorly written; it’s just that people are overwhelmed by the sheer number of emails they receive. And honestly, once trust is gone, it’s hard to earn back.

I’ll admit it, I miss how simple things used to be. I remember when my inbox didn’t have over 100,000 unread messages piling up every day. It’s a bit of a nightmare! I often wonder if I’ll still have my job in ten or fifteen years or if AI will take it all over. It reminds me of how people in radio felt when television came along. But radio didn’t just vanish; it adapted and found ways to thrive. I believe we can grow with technology instead of getting left behind (Baran, 2022). That gives me a sliver of hope. 

So, what’s the answer to all this? I think automation can actually be really powerful if we use it wisely. That’s what I’ve been trying to do with my emails. Now that email automation has been around for a while, I’m starting to space out my emails more, giving people a bit of breathing room. Nowadays, audiences want a two-way conversation, not just a sales pitch (Defanti & Arvidsson, 2019). That’s why it's so important to pair smart automation with good data segmentation, clear opt-in choices, and genuine respect for their inbox. When we use data with empathy, we can create messages that really matter to people (White & Boatwright, 2020). That’s the kind of marketing I want to be involved in, something that’s genuine and connects on a human level.

In the end, marketing shouldn’t just be about replacing the human touch with automation. Instead, it should focus on enhancing our ability to connect with customers in meaningful ways. If we think of automation as a helpful partner rather than a replacement, we can create an atmosphere where our marketing feels more like a friendly chat and less like a pushy sales pitch. More and more, marketing infrastructure is being shaped by CommTech and digital systems that demand smarter tools and more strategic thinking (Digitalization in Corporate Communications, 2022). Together, both marketers and consumers can find a happy medium that leads to more authentic relationships, benefiting everyone involved.

References

Baran, S. J. (2022). Introduction to mass communication: 2024 release. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Cardon, P. W. (2024). Business communication: Developing leaders for a networked world (5th ed.).

Defanti, A., & Arvidsson, A. (2019). Introduction to digital media. Wiley. 

Digitalization in Corporate Communications. (2022). Understanding the emergence and consequences of CommTech and digital infrastructure. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsemr&AN=edsemr.10.1108.CCIJ.03.2022.0035&site=eds-live

Infinite Owl Marketing. (2018). Marketing and design studio. https://infiniteowlmarketing.com/

Prostock-studio. (2025, July 28). Hands of girl chatting with friends on laptop at cafe [Stock photo]. Envato Elements. https://elements.envato.com/hands-of-girl-chatting-with-friends-on-laptop-at-c-VP9WQ9U

White, C. L., & Boatwright, B. (2020). Social media ethics in the data economy. Public Relations Review, 46(3), 101980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101980