Ahead #17 | Why Your Email Headline Determines Whether Customers Ever Read Your Message

Hi,

Ahead started with the idea of sharing marketing insights through both a free and a paid newsletter. But over time, it became clear: that distinction was limiting.

What I really want is to help marketers and founders grow — with insights that are proven, practical, and immediately useful. No paywall. No friction.

That’s why my business partner and I decided to take a new direction: Ahead will continue under my marketing brand DigiC Directives.

✅ Same content: weekly, science-based marketing research, explained clearly and made actionable.
✅ From now on: fully free, in Dutch, and sent from DigiC starting September.

🟡 This is the last email you’ll receive under the name Ahead – and the last edition specifically focused on email marketing.

So, let’s make it count — and dive into the reason you clicked today:
subject lines. Why they work, when they fail, and what the latest research says about how to get the open.

You know a great subject line can mean the difference between an 18% or 38% open rate — and hundreds of extra clicks and conversions.

But here’s the problem: a truly strong headline takes time. And you need several — for different audiences, offers, and timings.

That’s why researchers from the National University of Singapore and the University of Georgia asked: can we automate this process — and improve it?

The result: a smart AI system that not only generates email headlines, but also predicts which ones are most likely to succeed. And yes — better than many marketers currently write themselves.

They tested the system using 30,000 real headlines from five fashion brands, and validated their predictions with both human preferences and actual open rates.

Here’s what they found:

👉 The top-ranked AI-generated headlines were significantly more likely to be opened
👉 They were more consistent, more creative, and better aligned with marketing goals (e.g., discount, urgency)

Curious how it works — and what you can apply to your email strategy today? Let’s dive in.