The modern world of online shopping has grown to unprecedented proportions. Global e-commerce sales were estimated to reach $6 trillion in 2024 with further growth projected.
As a result, consumer decision-making has become highly complex. Instead of simple, linear paths, customers are navigating the so-called messy middle – the intricate space between impulse and final purchase decision.
In this context, standing out from the competition begins to play an even more important role. These efforts can be supported by RCS (Rich Communication Services), which, thanks to its interactivity and multimedia capabilities, offers new ways to engage customers at key moments in their journey.
RCS is a modern messaging protocol and communication channel that is increasingly beginning to be included in the strategies of forward-thinking companies. This isn’t just a new technology, but a new approach altogether: more visual, more interactive and more responsive. Importantly, the technology is available natively on smartphones, without the need to download additional apps.
Given how many brands are using similar multi-channel solutions, RCS is what can help you stand out. It allows you to efficiently expand your capabilities where more traditional channels no longer suffice.
RCS as added value in cross-channel communication
Most companies that use cross-channel communications turn to well-known solutions: email, SMS and MMS, mobile push notifications, or social media. They represent a tried and tested set that works in many situations, but at the same time create an environment in which it’s difficult to break through.
However, a new player has emerged on the market that builds on what’s well known, while expanding the spectrum of possibilities. Rich Communication Services allow you to speak to your customer in a language that is more visual, more engaging and, perhaps most importantly, native to their device.
RCS is a communication channel that stands out among others.
For marketers, RCS is a new touch point which, used the right way, can significantly increase the effectiveness of the entire communication flow. It isn’t just another channel in the mix, but actually a standalone multimedia platform that allows you to engage your audience directly on their smartphones.
Beyond messaging. How does RCS chat work?
Unlike traditional SMS, which is limited to a short text and an optional link, RCS marketing gives you the opportunity to build a real communication experience. Elements such as product carousels, action buttons, videos, maps, or gifs can be used within a single thread displayed directly in the default SMS application.
RCS allows you to build a true communication experience.
Improved aesthetics, however, isn’t all there is. The interactivity of RCS allows the customer to act here and now. There’s no need to go to a website, download an app or create an account. The built-in multimedia capabilities allow for a significantly shortened path from inspiration to action, which translates into real results.
💡 RCS campaigns show higher click-through rates, higher engagement and higher conversion than standard SMS and MMS messages.
Two-way communication is also key here. Depending on how the campaign is designed, the message recipient can ask a question, request more information, or even go through a personalised flow. All this is done within a single thread. For the customer, this means convenience, and for the brand, a chance to deepen the relationship and better understand their needs.
Thus, RCS chat combines the functions of both a broadcast channel and a platform that creates a complex and rich experience. One that is attention-grabbing, memorable and – most importantly – able to guide the user to conversion within just a couple steps.
RCS messaging combines what’s best in other channels
Email gives you a lot of formatting freedom and the option to create elaborate content. SMS provides immediacy and a high open rate. Mobile apps offer a wealth of interaction, personalisation and integration with external resources.
💡 RCS takes what works best in each of these communication channels and combines it into one native experience.
With RCS, you can send media-rich messages with graphics, video, quick responses, interactive buttons, and dynamic content. The recipient doesn’t have to open their email, install any software, or leave the default messaging app.
“With the RCS channel, we get somewhat of a hybrid of the email, providing a wealth of content volume and personalisation, SMS, with its direct reach, and mobile push, with its multimedia format of communication. This makes RCS a complete channel that offers a wide range of possibilities for interacting with the customer.”, says Piotr Kudzior, RCS Product Manager at MessageFlow.
RCS makes the line between what was previously a traditional text message and what we considered an application blur. From the recipient’s perspective, it’s simply a clean, intuitive interface. From a brand’s perspective, it’s an opportunity to create a consistent, touchpoint-rich channel without having to invest in mobile app development.
In practice, it also means fewer abandoned carts, fewer interrupted purchase paths, and more control over how communication is handled at the buying, customer service, and retention stages.
RCS availability: Geographical coverage and use case examples
Rich Communication Services are gaining traction worldwide, however, the channel’s availability and adoption differ, depending on the region and specific mobile carrier. Let’s take a look at the current situation in this regard.
Western Europe: Adoption leaders
In countries such as Germany, France, Spain, and the UK, RCS is widely available to both individual users and businesses. Operators such as Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica offer full support for RCS, enabling brands to run extensive and multimedia marketing campaigns without the need for dedicated applications.
North America: Dynamic growth
In the United States and Canada, RCS is increasing its market share, especially after Apple introduced support for the standard in iOS 18. Operators such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile already offer RCS, and adoption among iPhone users is growing.
Asia: Growth potential
In China and India, RCS has great potential, especially in the context of business communications. In India, RCS is becoming increasingly popular in the ecommerce and financial services sectors, thanks to broad operator support and a growing number of smartphone users.
Industries using the RCS channel
Thanks to its versatility and advanced personalisation capabilities, RCS communication is finding applications in a variety of industries. So far, among the leaders in implementing this channel are:
Banking and finance: Sending interactive notifications, transaction confirmations, and promotional offers.
Retail: Product presentations, promotions, and real-time customer service.
Automotive: Arranging service appointments, new car model presentations and special offers.
Public sector: Informing citizens about important events, dates, and services.
Marketers want to measure, RCS reports
RCS isn’t just a channel that’s more efficient at engaging your audiences. It’s also much more transparent in terms of data. Unlike traditional SMS messaging, which has limited action tracking capabilities, RCS offers detailed analysis of recipients’ behavior and their interactions with specific elements of the message.
RCS allows you to track not only message openings, but also clicks on specific buttons, option selections in a carousel or reactions to other interactive elements. This means that you’re able to draw specific conclusions from each communication scenario: what’s working, what’s worth improving, and what can be automated.
RCS allows you to closely track user engagement.
RCS chat also fits perfectly into the practice of testing. With accurate data, you can conduct A/B testing not only of the content itself, but also of the message layout, the form of CTAs or the order of elements. Such a granular level of optimisation has so far been reserved mainly for mobile apps or advanced email campaigns.
“The in-depth analytics that the RCS channel offers gives a lot of room for marketers to explore. From essential analytics, to delving into details and particulars such as the number of CTAs and clicks on particular elements, and even the length of time recipients spend in the channel,” says Piotr Kudzior, RCS Product Manager at MessageFlow.
In addition, RCS allows you to go one step further and integrate with AI to further automate communication, dynamically personalise content, and analyse user behaviour in a broader context. As a result, RCS chat not only supports your ongoing marketing activities, but also helps you better understand customers and plan more effective campaigns in the future.
SMS 2.0: Verified, transparent, safe
We’re at a point where your customers are increasingly aware of phishing and fraud threats. This makes trust in the sender increasingly important and will continue to do so. RCS addresses this, and does so at the infrastructure level itself.
💡 Any brand using RCS operates as a verified sender. Its profile includes the company’s name, logo, contact information, and an icon indicating verified status.
Every RCS sender is verified which increases customer trust.
This sends a clear signal to the recipient: this message comes from an authentic source. Moreover, all links appearing in the thread are automatically scanned, and the recipient sees a preview of the page before clicking, which effectively reduces the risk of interacting with malicious content.
Such an environment enhances RCS security, as well as builds trust, which directly affects engagement and conversion rates. A customer is more likely to take action when they know the message comes from a reliable source.
Security-sensitive industries
The issue just covered is an important consideration for high-risk industries such as banking, insurance, healthcare and the public sector. For them, trust is not an added value but a prerequisite for starting any conversation with a customer.
It’s also worth noting that before an RCS message reaches a customer’s inbox, it goes through systems that verify its origin, content, and format. It’s this step, jointly carried out by GSM operators and infrastructure providers, that makes RCS a communication channel that is immune to the typical attacks used in SMS and email.
The future of RCS as a mobile communication channel
Until recently, RCS was more of a tech novelty. Today, the channel is emerging more and more clearly as a new mobile messaging standard that has the potential to ultimately dethrone SMS. Significantly, new Android smartphones hitting the market already support RCS by default, and Apple’s support in iOS 18 means that its reach will only grow from now on to include future iPhone users.
It’s safe to say that we’re at a watershed moment. When both dominant operating systems support the same format, we can talk about RCS gaining momentum and a real change of the mobile messaging standard. RCS chats can become what SMS used to be, but with a whole new quality and range of possibilities.
RCS becoming available with iOS 18 and upcoming system updates widens the channel’s reach.
“Standardisation in the area of technology for mobile communication since the advent of SMS became a taboo subject almost from the get-go. Every major player in the market acted on its own and developed its own solutions, with varying success. Today we’re witnessing a revolutionary change, where all operating systems will be able to receive messages based on RCS technology.” – adds Piotr Kudzior Piotr Kudzior, RCS Product Manager at MessageFlow.
It doesn’t stop there, however. RCS is also a channel ready for the next phase – integration with AI. More and more business implementations are incorporating chatbots, automated responses, and dynamic personalisation of content. This makes it possible to create seamless, contextual conversations that go as far as to anticipate users’ needs.
The conclusion for marketers seems clear: RCS isn’t a temporary trend, but a strategic investment in the future of mobile communication.
Real-world RCS use case examples
Rich Communication Services are perfect for when message quality, responsiveness, and real impact on purchasing decisions matter. From simple informational scenarios to full transactional paths, the channel offers flexibility that allows you to tailor the message to the context of your audience and the stage they’re at in their customer journey.
Below, we’re showing examples of how RCS is being used in various industries. They prove how diverse the applications of this channel can be and what the benefits of implementing it are.
RCS in brand communication
📺 CANAL+
A campaign by one of Poland’s most recognisable television platforms. The message includes a carousel of cards that allow the viewer to browse trailers and buy access to the shows that interest them. It’s hard to imagine a better channel when it comes to promoting a visual product.
“CANAL+ is a great example showing that with RCS it’s possible to retain the viewer’s attention for longer without having to redirect to external platforms such as YouTube. Every viewer here could see show trailers directly in the messages app after tapping the specific buttons.” – notes Piotr Kudzior, RCS Product Manager at MessageFlow.
🏦 VeloBank S.A.
VeloBank decided to use RCS to showcase its loan offerings and take the recipient through the process of buying one, step-by-step, from its type, to purpose, to amount. Transparency, handiness, and a straightforward path to conversion without distracting the customer with unnecessary options.
🚗 BMW
The automotive giant designed a short scenario informing about the sale of a particular model year by presenting the recipient of the message with a number of options in cards. In this case RCS allowed the brand to attract attention in an appealing way and then, after the recipient selected one of the alternatives, take them to the website to convert.
The moment to gain advantage with Rich Communication Services is now
The process of communicating with a customer is becoming increasingly fragmented and multi-directional. RCS helps you structure it by offering something unique: focus and consistency, depth of interaction (clicks, responses, option choices) and nativeness. It combines the best features of well-known channels while not being a copy of them. It creates a new type of experience that engages, measures up to the expectations of today’s consumers, and translates into actual results.
At the same time, this doesn’t mean that RCS will completely replace other channels. However, if you’re thinking about being one step ahead of the competition, it’s worth adding it to your cross-channel mix now. Businesses that implement it today will gain an advantage that will be difficult to catch up with tomorrow.
Using RCS now will allow you to build stronger customer engagement, gain valuable new insights, and better align your communication strategies with your audience’s intentions.
How to start sending RCS campaigns?
With MessageFlow you’ll launch your RCS campaigns quickly, securely, and with full technical support. As verified partners of GSM operators and experts in the field of mobile communication, we help brands use this channel to its full potential – from sending the first message to complex communication scenarios.
RCS is the new standard of mobile messaging and the future, the foundations of which you can lay today. Contact us and let’s discuss the details.
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