WEBINAR REPLAY | MARCH 2026
The 98% Open Rate:
A blueprint for pipeline acceleration in 2026
Last updated: 28th May 2026
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Introduction
Marketing Cube recently hosted a webinar with our business partner Wati to explore a timely question for B2B marketers: if buyers increasingly expect instant, self-serve experiences, what channel mix actually supports that expectation?
In this session, 98% Open Rate: A blueprint for pipeline acceleration in 2026, we looked at how WhatsApp can complement email and marketing automation to reduce friction, speed up lead capture, and enable more responsive customer journeys.
Why WhatsApp is on the radar now
Opening the session, host Derek Bell noted that WhatsApp’s scale is hard to ignore. “It’s nearly… just under half of the population of the planet… on WhatsApp,” he said, positioning the channel as a practical place for B2B brands to meet customers where they already spend time.
He also highlighted that WhatsApp’s audience is broader than many assume. While 18–34 is the largest cohort, “the fastest growing cohort is the 55 to 64 age demographic,” a point that matters for industries like financial services, property and higher education.
The ‘immediacy gap‘ in B2B buying
A recurring theme was the growing expectation for real-time answers. Derek framed it as the “consumerisation… of the buying process in a B2B world,” where buyers don’t want to wait days for a reply.
He referenced a Gartner statistic shared in the webinar: “67% of B2B buyers now prefer a rep free experience for that initial research phase.” The implication is straightforward: if the early journey is increasingly self-directed, brands need channels that can respond quickly without forcing prospects into slow hand-offs.
Email isn’t dead, but it’s not enough on its own
Wati’s Shruti Rajan outlined the practical pressures marketers are seeing: “email open rates have been dropping… to 25%,” while “ad costs are expensive” and attribution is harder due to “fragmentation of customer information.”
WhatsApp, she argued, helps close those gaps because it’s built for engagement. “98% of customers, they see WhatsApp. versus 25% for email,” she said. She also noted that “an average user… [is] checking WhatsApp 23+ times a day,” which changes the odds of a message being seen.
WhatsApp as a bridge between 1:1 service and 1:N marketing
Derek offered a useful model for where WhatsApp fits. Traditional call centres are 1:1, while email marketing is 1:N. WhatsApp can sit in between: marketer-designed, rules-based conversational flows that can run “24/7” and still feel personal.
The longer-term opportunity is adding more intelligent experiences over time. Derek described this as moving from basic rules-based flows to “agentic type of engagement,” where the always-on experience becomes smarter and more adaptive.
What Wati is seeing in the market (and the results)
Shruti shared examples of how WhatsApp is being used across marketing, sales and support:
- A members-only club (Quorum Club) used WhatsApp across the journey and saw “an 80% drop in cost per lead.”
- A Hong Kong business services firm reduced lead capture time by “85%,” helping shift effort from admin to “better quality discussions.”
- A Brazilian fintech (InvestAI) saw “a 30x more response rate than email,” alongside improved CSAT and faster response times.
Across these, the consistent advantage was two-way, real-time communication rather than one-way nurture.
Access the remainder of the topics covered by accessing the webinar replay today
The final topics are:
- What it looks like in practice: forms, webhooks and fast hand-offs
- The notification advantage: ‘bypassing the lock screen’
- Where Design for Automation fits
Other resources you may find helpful
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can a business realistically achieve a 98% open rate in 2026? While traditional channels face heavy inbox competition, achieving exceptional open rates relies on meeting your audience where they are already highly engaged. Integrating direct, conversational channels like WhatsApp into your multi-channel strategy allows you to cut through the noise and deliver timely, high-impact messages that buyers actually want to open.
2. What exactly is pipeline acceleration? Pipeline acceleration is all about increasing the velocity of your sales cycle. Instead of leaving prospects to stall in slow-drip campaigns, you use real-time engagement data to spot hot leads early. By dynamically adjusting your pace, you can match your communication to their readiness and guide them to a decision more quickly.
3. Why should we consider WhatsApp for B2B marketing? Your audience is busy, and traditional channels are increasingly saturated. WhatsApp offers a personal, low-friction environment that encourages genuine, two-way conversations. When you respect your reader’s time and offer helpful, direct interaction on a platform they use daily, you quickly build stronger trust and drive immediate engagement.
4. How do we keep WhatsApp messages professional without sounding too casual? The key is to write exactly how you would speak to someone in a face-to-face conversation. Keep your copy focused, friendly, and down-to-earth while completely avoiding forced humour or slang. Use straightforward language and clear values to ensure your message remains professional, authoritative, and helpful.
5. Does focusing on pipeline acceleration mean we ignore top-of-funnel leads? Not at all. It is about working smarter with the leads you already have. By using automated intelligence to dynamically score engagement, you can easily separate cold data from active buyers. This helps your team deliver a seamless customer experience, keeping the top of funnel moving while prioritising hot opportunities.
6. Can these pipeline strategies work with our existing marketing technology? Absolutely. You do not need to replace your current systems to see great results. A connected capability approach lets you seamlessly integrate channels like WhatsApp into your central marketing automation strategy. This unifies your customer data, giving your sales and marketing teams a clear, shared view of every buyer journey.
7. How do we get started with this blueprint without overwhelming our audience? Start by identifying the natural friction points in your current sales cycle. Use your automation tools to carefully segment audiences, ensuring you send only relevant content to interested prospects. By focusing on clear, helpful communication rather than volume, you can comfortably accelerate journeys without causing message fatigue.
