Upstream presents the power of RCS to boost multi-channel marketing campaigns at MEF RCS World and latest whitepaper ‘Unlocking multi-channel marketing with RCS’
Upstream, a global specialist in mobile marketing technology, showcased the power of Rich Communications Services (RCS) to push multi-channel marketing campaigns to new heights at MEF RCS World. Taking place at the state-of-the-art innovation centre in Google’s European Headquarters in Dublin, Upstream experts demonstrated how its RCS solutions have become indispensable for leading brands across the world, driving a rise in conversion rates of 37% over SMS and 137% higher click-through rates.
“Not all users are the same, so communications shouldn’t be either. Every channel has a different dynamic and purpose, and the more channels a brand uses, the more potential users it can also reach. However, RCS has a clear advantage when the aim of the campaign strategy is to engage with consumers in highly interactive and visual ways. RCS messaging is a game-changer for boosting brand awareness, improving customer service and support as well as converting users and lead generation,” said Katerina Matthaiou, Product Innovation Director, Upstream. “Crucially, time and time again we see that, as part of a multichannel campaign, incorporating RCS is one of the smartest decisions a brand can make to enhance overall performance, reach and engagement.”
Skyrocketing campaign performance across the globe
With Google set to abandon the use of cookies from 2024, and the popularity of Android devices growing in almost every market, RCS has been gaining significant attention across the world with the expected number of RCS-capable subscribers to reach 3.8 billion by 2026[1].
In Brazil, a leading mobile operator worked with Upstream to use RCS to upsell customers from pre-paid to post-paid contracts. Responsible for the creation of its online flow as well as end-to-end management and strategy of the campaign, Upstream used its advanced marketing platform ‘Grow’ to build and manage a multichannel retargeting mechanism. Involving RCS as part of its strategy led to a 19% increase in campaign performance, with the full campaign resulting in 785,000 plan upgrades in just 6 months and 137% higher CTR for RCS over SMS outreach.
Upstream also partnered with a popular South African food retailer to develop and deploy a highly interactive RCS campaign to maximise traffic to its online store. With previous campaigns struggling to reach a mass audience, introducing RCS via an operator into its marketing mix enabled the company to achieve a 22.2% click-through rate with the campaign generating over 12,000 clicks in just its first two weeks alone.
Now is the time to add RCS into the channel mix
Upstream’s latest whitepaper ‘Unlocking multi-channel marketing with RCS’ provides more in-depth insight into RCS for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), brands and advertisers wanting to discover why it is the perfect channel to incorporate into their multi-channel marketing campaigns and reach consumers.
In almost all instances, RCS proves to be the preferred marketing option for data enabled users with the ability to re-engage and ‘wake-up’ users who have ignored more saturated channels. Its customer care and post sales communications capabilities also help make for a more complete user experience able to convert higher quality users in more visual and interactive ways.
Furthermore, with Upstream’s mobile marketing automation platform, ‘Grow’, brands can scale their marketing goals for higher ROI and lower customer acquisition costs on every type of campaign. With one platform it’s possible to have a clear view of users’ flow, in any level of the funnel, apply different tactics for each level, optimise results, and have no worries about the validity of the acquisitions reported.
With ‘Grow’ available both as a managed service, ready to plug and play, or as a SaaS solution controlled in-house, Upstream’s martech platform is already delivering top results to make the most of what RCS has to offer.
[1] Juniper, “RCS vs OTT: why 2022 is a crucial year”, February 2022