You get a call from an unknown number; what’s your first instinct?
- Answer it – no big deal
- Ignore it because it’s probably not important or spam
Unsurprisingly, 78% of people will ignore the call. And there’s two main reasons for that:
1. Telephobia
Younger generations have grown accustomed to using texting, instant messaging, voice notes, and any other form of communication over phone calls. In fact, telephobia is a new phenomenon among Gen Z that reflects their fear and anxiety associated with answering an incoming call from an unknown number.
2. Robocalls
Scam robocalls, spoof caller IDs, and other fraud attacks over Voice are becoming increasingly common, threatening the security of end-users. So, besides the general discomfort of answering a phone call, there are legitimate security threats circulating with unknown phone calls that people will actively avoid.
These concerns are strictly related to unknown incoming calls. People of all generations still prefer to use Voice to connect with loved ones and will often opt for a phone call when it comes customer care and sensitive situations that need empathetic human-to-human conversation.
71%
of Gen Z will reach out to customer service by phone
81%
of Millennials will reach out to customer service by phone
86%
of Gen X will reach out to customer service by phone
Source: McKinsey
So, what does this tell us? Customers still want to use Voice to connect with brands, but they need to know who’s calling to feel secure in answering the call.
Branded Caller ID is the Voice solution that provides brands with a secure and trustworthy way to connect with customers over a phone call, giving customers peace of mind when answering an incoming call, and brands improved answer rates and ROI. Read on to find out everything you need to know about branded calling.
What is Branded Caller ID?
Branded calling, or Branded Caller ID, is the next evolution on traditional CNAM (Caller Name), which displays caller names to add verified brand information into a phone call. With Branded Caller ID, customers can instantly see:
- The brand name
- Brand logo
- Reason for the call
Branded calls will become a staple voice feature for brands that want to provide excellent customer experiences and boost engagement. By adding a brand name, logo, and reason for the call, branded calls reassure customers that the brand calling is reliable and one that they recognize.
Why is it important to use Branded Caller ID?
Juniper Research estimated that robocalls would reach 18 billion calls worldwide in 2024. They also predict that this number will decrease between now and 2029 thanks to government regulations that aim to stop scammers.
For example, in the USA, the STIR/SHAKEN protocol is designed to authenticate the origin of a call to help reduce fraud like robocalls. Here’s how it works:
- STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs) work together to verify whether a caller’s identity has been authenticated by their phone service provider.
- When someone makes a call, their carrier attaches a digital signature, confirming whether the number is legitimate and authorized.
- If it’s determined that the call is legitimate, it goes through normally. If not, it might be blocked or marked as “Spam Likely”, or assigned a lower level of trust, depending on the receiving carrier’s policies.
Basically, it’s like putting a verified checkmark on phone calls to stop scammers from faking numbers and targeting people.
The STIR/SHAKEN protocol makes a significant impact on authenticating call origins, but it still has its limitations. That’s why tools like Branded Caller ID are critical to ensuring end-users can trust an incoming call when they recognize its your brand that’s calling.
About branded calls
Branded Calling ID (BCID) by CTIA: A secure, industry-backed solution that helps businesses make their calls more trustworthy. It uses standardized rich call data to display verified caller information, ensuring calls are recognized and trusted across all major carriers.
BCID is a model backed by a whole ecosystem of partners. Each partner does their own security check, with STIR/SHAKEN being one of these. Thanks to all these verification checks and partners working together, branded calling is a much more secure solution than legacy caller ID solutions.
Why do legacy caller ID solutions fall short
There’s a range of older legacy caller ID solutions that typically depend on private databases, direct carrier relationships, and partnerships with phone makers to display branded information. While they work in some cases, these older methods have a few drawbacks:
- Proprietary and fragmented systems: Different providers use their own validation methods and data sources, so branded information may vary depending on the network or device.
- Not cryptographically secured: Legacy caller ID data isn’t securely tied to the call’s core signaling, making it vulnerable to tampering.
- Limited standardization: Before STIR/SHAKEN, there was no universal system for securely sharing call details like branding, leading to inconsistencies.
Benefits of Branded Caller ID
Increase answer rates:
Consumers are far more likely to pick up when they recognize who’s calling. In fact, 75% are more likely to answer a call when they see a brand name and logo they recognize or the reason for the call. Because of this, branded calling also boosts first call resolution (FCR) since the reason for the call is clearly displayed, saving time on the call. By providing clear identification, businesses can cut through the hesitation caused by unknown numbers and improve call connection rates.
Build brand and customer trust:
With the rise of scams and spam calls, many consumers are skeptical about answering unknown numbers. Secure and verified branded calls reassure end-users that the call is legitimate, helping to strengthen trust in your brand. This ensures your business isn’t mistaken for a robocaller or fraudster, making customers more likely to answer the voice call. Using Branded Caller ID means your brand is perceived as a professional business that puts customer experience at the forefront.
Improve ROI and reduce costs
When customers recognize who’s calling, they’re more likely to take action. Authenticated caller ID helps reduce missed appointments, leading to fewer no-shows and improved scheduling efficiency. It also boosts on-time payments, enhances customer engagement, and increases Answer Seizure Ratios (ASR), meaning more successful connections, higher ROI, and reduced costs thanks to completed calls.
Regulatory compliance:
There are more and more regulatory requirements made to fight robocalls like STIR/SHAKEN compliance, participation in industry tracebacks, and carrier filings to the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database are some. Branded Caller ID is a tool that telcos can use to help fight voice fraud.
Use cases for branded calls
Authenticated caller ID is the perfect solution for healthcare providers, financial institutions, travel and hospitality, couriers, and telcos. These brands often need to get in touch with customers for sensitive or urgent situations that are best suited for a voice call.
Here are some ideal Voice use cases that benefit from Branded Caller ID. We’ve added some examples brands can use for their “reason for the call” to help encourage customers to answer the call:
Appointment reminders
With Branded Caller ID, you can decrease the number of no-shows and boost the chance of contacting your customers before their appointments.
Reason for call examples:
Your appointment reminder
Reminder: Doctor’s appointment
Appointment with your advisor
Debt collection
Get in touch with customers who have outstanding or overdue payments to set a new payment date and discuss options to help them get on track with their payment schedule.
Reason for call examples:
Payment reminder
Account assistance
Resolve outstanding balance
Renewal and retention
Remind customers whose subscriptions are close to expiring, likely to churn, or dormant with a targeted voice call from your brand to encourage re-engagement.
Reason for call examples:
Renew your medical prescription
Car insurance expiring soon
New mortgage rates available
Fraud and security alerts
Ensure your customers are instantly alerted for fraud and security alerts with a trusted branded call that boosts the chance of them answering and resolving the issue.
Reason for call examples:
Suspicious activity detected
Account security alert
Fraud prevention notification
Service outage notification
Use automated branded Voice calls to prevent service outage complaints, notify customers of the issue, and estimate when it will be resolved.
Reason for call examples:
Service interruption alert
Network outage update
Temporary service disruption
Delivery coordination
Quickly sort disputes or complications with delivery with a phone call, and ensure your customers can trust who is calling with Branded Caller ID.
Reason for call examples:
Your delivery is arriving
Delivery scheduled for today
Confirming your delivery time
How to know which branded calling solution is right for you?
Branded Caller ID solutions are more secure for brands that want to boost answer rates and improve engagement with users. These authenticated solutions verify identity, allowing for embedded brand details that can’t be tampered with. Thanks to universal protocols that work across carriers and networks and support from regulators, carriers, and industry bodies, branded calling is becoming a widely trusted solution, ensuring consistent verification.
Unlike traditional caller ID solutions, branded calling is hard to spoof, offers brands end-to-end integrity, and a standardized approach ensures consistent vetting and reduces fragmentation.
Although, CNAM IDs are still a reliable solution in some instances. For example, not all carriers or devices support Branded Caller ID yet, so CNAM remains a fallback option for displaying a caller’s name. If a business only needs to show its name without extra branding or verification layers, CNAM is a simple, cost-effective choice.
Think branded calling is right for you?
Infobip focuses on offering trustworthy Voice solutions like Branded Caller ID from CTIA to offer robust security and formal vetting. Our branded calling solution runs over our Voice network, made up of 9,700+ global connections, making it the most comprehensive network available. The beta version of Infobip branded calling is launching soon in the USA.
Get in touch with us to register your interest in the USA beta program and stay ahead of the future of Voice solutions for businesses: