GenAI may have captured marketers' imaginations, but an equally impactful technology—Rich Communication Services (RCS)—is quietly transforming mobile messaging.
RCS is set to dethrone Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) as the default messaging standard. RCS delivers rich multimedia texts, giving users a more engaging experience than traditional mobile marketing technology.
People already enjoy texts from brands: 4 in 5 people surveyed want to receive texts from their favorite companies at least once a week, and 86% are more likely to engage with or redeem offers sent via SMS than email or a brand's mobile app, Vibes' 2025 Mobile Consumer Insights Report found.
Imagine the new opportunities unlocked by an enhanced messaging platform. Pairing RCS's features with AI's ability to personalize content and predict consumer behavior will empower marketers to craft campaigns with unprecedented impact.
What Does RCS Have to Offer?
Currently, most brand mobile messages are delivered via SMS or MMS, which often lack the flair of other communication methods. The basic text format can struggle to cut through the noise and drive desired customer actions.
RCS takes the messaging experience to a new level. Brands can send rich media to their customers, including high-resolution images, videos, carousels, one-tap action buttons, and more.
They can also infuse their messages with their signature colors, logos, and various visual elements to create a more cohesive brand experience.
RCS injects personality into brand texts by mirroring natural conversations. Features such as tap-backs, read receipts, and typing indicators re-create the familiar rhythm of messaging friends and family. That two-way interaction builds genuine connections with customers while boosting engagement.
With SMS, users must leave the messaging app to follow a call to action. RCS eliminates that friction, allowing recipients to browse and even buy directly within the message. Such functionality removes obstacles and streamlines conversion, especially for those who don't have the brand's app.
The range of metrics provided by RCS surpass that of SMS. Through RCS, brands can understand how customers interact with messages—when they read them, how they respond, which multimedia elements capture their attention, and what drives them to convert. Those deeper insights support highly personalized and effective campaigns.
With surging RCS adoption, forward-thinking marketers will begin experimenting with and perfecting messaging strategies now.
Combining RCS With the Power of AI
AI empowers marketing teams to enhance multiple dimensions of their text campaigns. Individually, these technologies—RCS and AI—unlock exciting new possibilities. Together, they will turn mobile marketing on its head.
Let's look at how.
Optimized Send Times
AI analyzes user characteristics, engagement patterns, and other data to determine an optimal send time.
RCS's granular data—including delivery and read receipts, interactions with media elements, and detailed engagement signals—enables AI to refine its predictions and dynamically adjust schedules based on real-time data.
Enhanced A/B-Testing
RCS expands AI-driven A/B-testing by allowing experimentation with multimedia elements and delivering specific engagement data for each component: Do users interact more with carousels? Do video messages with discount offers generate more conversions than those using images? AI uses those metrics to identify which combinations of text, visual elements, interactive features, and messaging sequences drive the highest engagement rates and conversions.
With GenAI's ability to generate content, that testing could evolve to AI's autonomously creating new element variations for continuous optimization.
Beyond traditional A/B-testing, AI uses predictive customer behavior modeling, using RCS engagement patterns to anticipate churn, identify high-intent users, and optimize follow-up sequences for better retention.
Personalized Messages
With RCS's robust analytics and media capabilities, AI can personalize every element of a message. Using media engagement data, AI pinpoints each user's preferred content format—from GIFs and videos to interactive carousels—while also personalizing messaging, suggestions, offers, and calls to action to that individual.
Engaging Interactions
The ability to share rich media and interactive elements makes conversations more engaging and informative.
For example, AI-powered chatbots can reply with a how-to video rather than step-by-step text instructions or present a product recommendation carousel based on previous purchases. Buttons, carousels and quick replies simplify navigation and decision-making for customers.
These capabilities layer onto AI's capacity to steer conversations intelligently and anticipate needs. AI learns from RCS-generated user behavior in real time, enabling chatbots to adapt their responses and offers on the fly rather than relying on static sequences. The result is more effective and human-like conversations.
Reduced Drop-Off Points
RCS removes hurdles to purchasing by enabling actions within the messaging app. AI enhances the seamless experience by analyzing user behavior to determine the right moment to present personalized product recommendations, limited-time offers, or checkout prompts.
Merging Technologies for Maximum Impact
RCS is on track to become the standard for customer engagement by year's end, making now the perfect time to differentiate your brand by integrating this format into your marketing strategy.
While competitors rely on traditional text messages, early adopters can create standout customer experiences.
Adopting both AI and RCS is a tall order, but neglecting either one puts you at a disadvantage. Organizations that weave the two technologies together from the beginning create stronger foundations for success. Separate implementations lead to data silos, limiting effectiveness and creating more work to combine them later on.
Resist the temptation to do too much too soon, however. Rather than implementing AI and RCS across all marketing aspects, start with a small pilot project. Test, analyze, and refine your approach, and then gradually expand your initiatives.
The fusion of these technologies creates personalized, interactive experiences that far surpass traditional SMS and email marketing. Brands that embrace these new tools will increase conversions, build loyalty and set the standard for customer experience.
More Resources on Mobile Messaging for Marketing
Text Marketing: 2020's Digital Disruptor
Why Rich Media Messaging Trumps Multimedia Messaging
