Customers Want Conversations, Not Campaigns

There is a growing need for relevance, responsiveness, and real conversation. Sinch reveals a disconnect between how businesses communicate and how customers want to engage. It reveals the need for personalisation, two-way messaging, and smarter CX strategies.

Consumers are demanding real conversations. And brands say they’re more connected than ever, but are customers feeling it? While companies invest in channels and tools to stay in touch, many consumers still experience conversations that feel robotic, one-sided, or simply irrelevant. 

Sinch’s new report, The State of Customer Communications, uncovers this widening disconnect between how businesses think they’re engaging and how customers actually feel. The report, based on insights from over 5,000 consumers and 600 businesses across 10 countries, paints a telling picture of today’s CX landscape.

This disconnect poses significant risks to brand loyalty and long-term customer relationships if left unaddressed. Sinch surveyed more than 5,000 consumers and 600 businesses across 10 countries, offering a comprehensive view of today’s CX landscape. 

As consumers become increasingly mobile, connected, and digitally savvy, the expectation for seamless, real-time, and personalised communication has never been higher. However, many businesses have not adapted to meet these expectations, continuing to use one-way messaging methods that fail to engage customers meaningfully.

Major Findings Signal Brand-Consumer Disconnect

The report reveals a stark contrast between business perceptions and consumer realities:

• 52% of consumers say they are frustrated by irrelevant messages from brands.
• Yet only 10% of businesses believe their messaging lacks relevance.
• 80% of consumers want the ability to respond directly to brand messages.

But many brands still rely on broadcast-style communication with no clear way for customers to reply or engage.

This misalignment suggests businesses may be overestimating the effectiveness of their current outreach strategies. For example, while nearly 9 in 10 companies believe they are delivering personalised experiences, consumers report that much of what they receive is generic and disconnected from their needs.

Personalisation Remains the Top Priority But Execution Falls Short

Personalisation continues to be a primary driver of customer satisfaction. When done well, it builds trust, drives engagement, and increases the likelihood of conversion. However, poor execution can have the opposite effect, leading to customer frustration, unsubscribes, and diminished brand loyalty.

The research shows that although 91% of brands claim to use customer data to inform their messaging, only 54% of consumers feel that messages reflect their actual preferences, behaviours, or past interactions. 

This gap underscores the need for smarter data use, real-time insights, and responsive messaging technologies that allow brands to communicate in a way that feels truly personalised.

The Impactful Approach for Customer Conversations

One of the most significant trends identified in the report is the consumer demand for two-way, conversational messaging. Whether via SMS, chat apps like WhatsApp, RCS, or social messaging platforms, customers increasingly expect the ability to respond, ask questions, and receive timely replies.

Unfortunately, many businesses continue to use one-way messaging tools, such as traditional email blasts or outbound-only SMS, that don’t offer a path for interaction. This approach is not only outdated, but also actively harms the CX.

Brands that fail to evolve risk being left behind. As per the study, 62% of consumers are more likely to become loyal to a brand that offers two-way communication, and 45% say they would switch to a competitor that provides better, more personalised messaging options.

“One of the cool things about RCS is that you can do so much with it. A lot of businesses start with fairly simple messages by converting their existing SMS over,”  said Miriam Liszewski, RCS Commercial Product Manager, Sinch. 

“That works well for improving security with the sender verifications, the branding, and the delivery receipts. And once you start seeing it working, you start to move on to more advanced use cases.”

Regional and Generational Differences Demand Smarter Targeting

The report also uncovers interesting differences in consumer expectations by region and generation:

• In markets like the United States, Brazil, and India, consumers are especially responsive to personalised mobile engagement and prefer conversational messaging over static communication.
• Younger demographics, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are significantly more likely to engage with brands that offer real-time, two-way communication via their preferred messaging platforms.
• Older generations, while slightly less focused on channel, still value relevance and ease of communication and are just as likely to be alienated by impersonal or irrelevant messaging.

These insights reinforce the need for businesses to tailor their communication strategies based on customer demographics, cultural preferences, and preferred channels.

Smarter Tech, Richer Messages: The New CX Toolkit

To meet these evolving demands, brands must embrace technologies that allow for personalised, scalable, and compliant communication across channels. 

Rich messaging technologies, such as RCS, WhatsApp Business API, and Apple Messages for Business, enable dynamic experiences with interactive content, carousels, video, and quick replies. When paired with intelligent routing and personalisation engines, these tools empower brands to have contextually relevant conversations at scale.

Moreover, automation and AI help brands respond faster, personalise deeper, and learn continuously from each interaction. Businesses using such technologies report higher customer satisfaction scores, reduced churn, and increased conversion rates across campaigns.

Rethinking CX: From One-Way Messages to Meaningful Moments

The research underscores an urgent need for brands to rethink their communication strategies from the ground up. It’s no longer enough to simply reach customers; businesses must now connect with them on their terms, through their preferred channels, and with personalised value in every message.

This shift requires not just new tools but also a new mindset—one that places the customer at the centre of every interaction and embraces the power of conversation over broadcast.

ALSO READ: Why AI Receptionists Might Be The Most Human TouchPoint Yet