Table of Contents
Presented by Twilio
When your bank sends a fraud alert from an unknown number, do you click the link without hesitation? When your favorite retailer texts about a sale, can you be sure it’s really them and not a scammer?
In a world where fraudsters can mimic real brands down to the logo and tone of voice, every unexpected text forces customers into a split-second judgment call: trust it, ignore it, or block it. When that decision happens dozens of times a week, customers start choosing the safest route — tuning out anything that isn’t trusted, relevant, or personalized.
This creates a massive problem for legitimate businesses. Even well-intentioned messages risk being treated as noise, or worse, as threats. In interactions where trust is key, a plain text from an unknown number no longer feels convenient; it might feel like a red flag.
Why traditional SMS falls short
Not long ago, businesses relied on SMS as their go-to channel: it was quick, universal, and worked on any device. But while SMS stood still, other channels raced ahead. Email added logos, colors, and interactive features. Apps brought rich media and two-way conversations. SMS now feels a bit generic.
The stakes are particularly high in industries where trust is non-negotiable. A financial institution sending unverified texts undermines its own security efforts. A healthcare provider using anonymous SMS loses the confidence it works to build with patients. Even in retail, the gap between a verified, branded message and a generic blast can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.
Familiarity alone can’t carry trust anymore. Every interaction needs to signal safety, authenticity, and care — starting with the very first message a customer receives.
What rich communication services (RCS) makes possible
Rich Communication Services (RCS) is designed for this moment. Instead of unfamiliar phone numbers, messages arrive with clear brand presence: a verified sender’s name, a recognizable logo, and familiar, structured layouts with tappable buttons, cards, maps, or product carousels.
It’s not about adding fluff. It’s about making it obvious who’s reaching out and giving people simple ways to take action. For example, a delivery update arrives with a live map, a “reschedule” button, and a “contact support” option — all in the same message thread. No app download required. No login needed. It’s personalized, useful, and above all, trusted.
When messaging works like this, it shifts from being a one-way alert to a channel people want to use, driving faster responses, more actions, and stronger loyalty.
What the data tells us
Verified, rich messaging delivers strategic business outcomes. According to the Twilio 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report, 75% of business leaders plan to invest in RCS this year. Meanwhile, 61% of consumers express concern that brands don’t use their data in their best interest, revealing a critical trust gap that verified rich messaging helps close.
Take Fresha, a beauty and wellness booking platform serving over 130,000 salons worldwide. After adopting RCS messaging through Twilio, Fresha saw immediate lifts in trust and engagement across appointment communications. The results speak for themselves: it’s less about the words in the message and more about how it’s delivered — in a clear, branded format customers recognize at a glance.
The infrastructure is already here
The capability to deliver these experiences exists today. Android has supported RCS for years, and with iOS adding RCS compatibility, reach now spans both major platforms. Enterprises don’t need to overhaul their systems — RCS can be configured through existing communications platforms like Twilio and deployed without code changes.
Customers expect this level of experience. The infrastructure is in place. The only question is whether businesses will meet the moment.
Building trust through every message
The inbox is no longer a neutral space — it’s an extension of your brand. If your message arrives and feels questionable, everything that follows loses credibility, no matter how well designed or timed.
In my work leading product development for customer engagement, I’ve seen how expectations evolve. Customers expect personalization, but also privacy. They want speed, but also security. Most of all, they want to communicate with a real brand, not a bot or faceless system.
Verified rich messaging delivers on all these expectations without adding complexity. It combines brand identity, functionality, and trust in a format people already know how to use.
The end of anonymous business texts isn’t a disruption, it’s a course correction. Trust must be visible, not implied. Confirmed, not assumed. When brands use RCS, they signal they value customer trust and loyalty, not just their business.
Inbal Shani is Chief Product Officer at Twilio.
Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com.
