It’s 2025, and brands need fresh ways to engage with tech-savvy customers. Enter RCS business messaging – a game-changing technology that enhances how retailers connect with their audience. Rich Communication Services (RCS) has come a long way. Last year, RCS surpassed 1 billion active users globally, and in September, Apple jumped on board, adding RCS support. What does this mean? Brands can now reach most of their users through a single platform, offering interactive features right within their native messaging apps.
In 2025, RCS will be the backbone of every effective business messaging strategy, allowing brands to build stronger relationships, offer personalized experiences, and drive growth. Curious to learn how? Keep reading to explore the key aspects of RCS, its benefits, challenges, and its role in shaping the future of retail.
Harnessing the Power of RCS: A New Era in Customer Communication
Picture texting your customers, but instead of simple text, you send interactive messages with images, videos, and product carousels. That’s the experience RCS business messaging (RBM) offers in your customers' SMS inbox. With RCS, customers no longer see an untrustworthy alphanumeric code but your brand's name, logo, and colours, building trust and increasing the chances they'll open your messages. Once they do, they’ll be greeted with a range of interactive features that brands can use to create a personalized and engaging experience.
Unlike traditional SMS, RCS was designed for a world where customers expect rich, personalized interactions. With widespread support from mobile carriers and device makers, RCS is quickly becoming the gold standard for customer communication.
Why RCS Matters for Retailers
How RCS Elevates the Customer Experience
RCS is more than just sending better-looking text messages. It’s a robust platform loaded with features that take the customer experience to the next level:
RCS lets you create a dynamic, engaging messaging experience that drives conversions and builds long-lasting customer relationships.
Transforming Retail Engagement
Let’s dive into some real-world applications of RCS that are reshaping how retailers interact with customers.
RCS allows brands to create engaging, personalized experiences for customers through real-time messaging. By leveraging customer data such as past purchases, preferences, and browsing history, brands can send highly relevant product recommendations directly to a customer's messaging app.
Customers today expect personalized experiences. RCS makes it simple to deliver tailored messages at scale. For example, if a customer recently bought running shoes from your store, you can send a follow-up message with suggestions for related products, like running apparel or accessories, alongside personalized discounts.
Here’s how retailers can leverage RCS for personalization:
With RCS, you can deliver hyper-targeted, personalized experiences that strengthen customer relationships, increase engagement, and drive sales.
Imagine you’re sitting on the train or relaxing at home, browsing through your mobile messages. Suddenly, a burst of color grabs your attention – it’s an RCS message from your favorite, trusted brand and includes a showcase of their latest products in a dynamic catalog.
RCS product catalogs enable customers to browse a visually appealing, interactive selection of products right from their messaging app. Instead of static text, customers can swipe through carousels of new products, view color options, and discover complementary items—making the experience feel like shopping in a virtual store.
Retailers can use RCS to encourage repeat business through enticing offers and discounts. With personalized promotions tailored to match customers’ preferences or past purchases, your RCS messages can include early access to sales or VIP discounts. This can help your brand encourage customer appreciation and repeat purchases.
Let’s imagine another common scenario: you’re browsing your favorite brand’s website and adding items to your cart. But before you can hit “checkout,” a distraction pulls you away.
Suddenly, your phone buzzes with a notification from the store, reminding you about the items waiting in your cart. Luckily, there’s a direct link provided that you can click, return to your cart, and complete your purchase. Plus – the brand included a limited-time discount, so you’re incentivized to complete the purchase as soon as possible.
This is the kind of seamless experience that retailer marketers can create with RCS.
A robust retail strategy isn’t complete without a loyalty program to keep customers coming back for more. For many retailers, loyalty programs are crucial components of a strategy that drive repeat purchases and create long-lasting relationships with customers.
Retailers can take loyalty programs to the next level with personalized RCS messages. These messages can keep customers informed about the rewards they’ve earned, updates on their loyalty points balance, and so much more. RCS also offers users the added convenience of redeeming rewards directly in their native messaging app.
Here’s how RCS cultivates customer loyalty:
Boosting Sales with RCS
One of RCS’s standout features is its ability to directly drive sales. By integrating e-commerce functionality into your messaging, you can turn conversations into conversions. Here’s how RCS boosts revenue:
Leveraging Data to Drive Retail Strategy
RCS isn't just about messaging; it provides valuable data that can shape your retail strategy. By tracking interactions and customer behaviours, you gain a deeper understanding of your audience, allowing you to personalize your approach.
Here’s how RCS can guide your strategy:
Adopting a data-driven approach with RCS helps retailers develop more effective, customer-centric strategies that foster engagement, loyalty, and growth.
Driving Business Growth with RCS
RCS is more than just improving communication – it’s about driving tangible business results. By harnessing its power, retailers can boost sales, enhance customer lifetime value, and achieve sustainable growth.
A global survey revealed that 80% of consumers expect personalized experiences from brands. If RCS isn’t part of your 2025 plans yet, now’s the time to act. Need help getting started? Reach out to our RCS experts to begin your RCS journey today.
