With deeper smartphone penetration, increased use of social media apps, and digitisation, consumers expect brands to be accessible anytime, anywhere. With fast internet, chatbots, and feature-rich OTT platforms, consumers now demand an interactive, personalised, and conversational messaging customer experience.
In response, we see many brands in mobile-first markets of Southeast Asia turn to conversational engagement technologies to reach consumers where they are - on their preferred messaging channel - and establish truly interactive, personalised, and contextual conversational journeys.
Messaging has emerged as consumers’ preferred mode of interaction with businesses. The simple SMS as we know it has played an important role in our lives for the last three decades. And now, SMS is all set for a major upgrade to enable a richer brand-consumer conversational experience. Enter Rich Communication Services (RCS), the next-generation SMS.
RCS helps brands transform customer engagement
RCS supports rich features like sharing high-res images, videos, real-time location, group chats, and read receipts. Also, RCS works inside the Android Messages app, which is the default SMS app on Android devices, ensuring app-weary users don’t need to download another app, and offers end-to-end encryption to deliver advanced security. It is the default messaging standard for 5G networks, while it continues to support 3G and 4G networks as well.
RCS enables better interactivity
Using RCS Business Messaging (RBM), businesses can send messages to consumers with their brand image, logo, trust mark, suggested actions, carousel-rich cards, and more. It also provides users with suggested replies, eliminating the need to type in a response. The suggested action buttons add another layer of conversational and interactive features leveraging the phone’s inbuilt functionalities like calendars, contacts, and browsers.
RCS delivers greater security
RCS offers development and integration support of chatbots with top-of-the-line encryption and security features. With so much to offer, RBM is an unmissable opportunity for brands to stand out to their consumers.
RCS helps Telcos top up their bottom lines
According to Juniper Research, the RCS subscriber base will reach 3.8 billion by 2026, accounting for nearly 40% of global mobile users. Per the report, global operator revenue from RCS will exceed $4.6 billion by 2026. The opportunity for telcos in Southeast Asia is massive, given this is a mobile-first region, with messaging as the primary digital backbone for B2C engagement.
We already see several telcos operating in Asia, particularly those with a digital-first approach, like Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone, tapping into the potential of RCS.
Building a unified RCS ecosystem
According to GSMA, there are already 1.2 billion RCS-ready devices. Per Google, there are over 800 million monthly active RCS users globally. Several players are collaborating to grow the RCS ecosystem and bring next-gen messaging to the larger populace. Take the GSMA and MEF, for example. The GSMA and MEF RCS initiatives bring together some of the mobile industry’s leading operators, vendors, and service providers to help shape the RCS specification as well as implementation.
Google is also playing a key role to drive faster and more widespread adoption of RCS business messaging (RBM). The pre-loaded Android Messages app aligns with the GSMA's universal RCS profile, enabling carriers to provide RCS messaging across the Android ecosystem.
Why RCS is touted as the future of B2C communication
Businesses in Southeast Asia are already adopting conversational engagement and commerce in large numbers to rewrite their customer experience (CX) playbook. RCS is a great channel for such a playbook. The rationale is simple - RCS brings the best of both worlds - the eye-catching functions of OTT apps, combined with the unbeatable reach of SMS.
Are you ready to future-proof your customers’ experience with RCS?
