Our inboxes are filled with vendors who promise to turn customer emails into amazing engagements, and the latest trends are evident in every email we open from our favorite brands. Subject lines filled with emojis and tiny images; gif images that never stop playing; videos that may or may not play in the email; carousels of content; site navigation; surveys within emails; countdown timers; the list is endless. What is most interesting is that many of these same marketers trying to be a “cool kid” are missing some basic elements that I would consider requirements.