Digitaleo: Spearheading the French conversational marketing revolution with RCS

In France a new mobile channel is rapidly transforming how brands connect with their customers: Rich Communication Services (RCS).

RCS offers a richer, more interactive experience than traditional SMS, opening up a plethora of use cases for conversational marketing and driving unprecedented engagement.

Digitaleo, a leading French digital marketing agency, has been at the forefront by pioneering the use of RCS campaigns since 2019 and partnering with Infobip to deliver exceptional results for their clients.

We sat down with Martin Briantais, Senior Product Manager, Digitaleo to discuss the rise of RCS in France and how brands can make the most of this channel.

The rise of conversational marketing and RCS in France

Traditional marketing methods, like email and SMS, often involve one-way communication. However, consumers are increasingly demanding more interactive and personalized experiences.

In fact, according to a research France’s conversational commerce market will be worth $80.67 Billion by 2028.

This shift has fuelled the rise of conversational marketing, which focuses on two-way dialogues between brands and consumers. RCS is perfectly positioned to facilitate these conversations, offering a dynamic platform for richer, more engaging interactions.

RCS goes beyond basic text messaging, enabling brands to incorporate rich media content like images, videos, and carousels directly within the conversation.

“The global challenges are to create conversational experiences, much richer experiences also in terms of media, to be able to offer video, images, even carousels to offer an inventory of products,” explains Martin.

Furthermore, RCS supports quick reply buttons and integrated action options, streamlining the user experience and facilitating seamless transactions. These features allow brands to create end-to-end purchase experiences or provide comprehensive customer support within the messaging interface.

“So really the conversation can be end-to-end – a global purchase experience or even a customer relationship experience, where the customer will be able to question the brand on a product or service,” Martin adds.

According to a recent report by Omdia and Infobip, Europe’s A2P RCS installed base will grow from 66 million in 2024 to 145 million in 2029. This growth will drive traffic from just 800 million messages per year in 2024 to 11 billion in 2029, at a CAGR of 69%, and revenue from $22m to $324m, at a CAGR of 72%.

France is expected to be the largest market for A2P RCS, with revenue expected to reach $73m by 2029. France, with its 73% Android penetration has an advantage in terms of its existing user base creating a head start for RBM.

In France, the anticipated support of RCS by Apple in 2025 is expected to be a major catalyst, dramatically expanding the reach of RCS campaigns.

Why digital marketing agencies need RCS to innovate

RCS presents a unique opportunity for agencies to differentiate themselves and provide significant value. By leveraging the advanced features of RCS, agencies can create highly engaging campaigns that drive measurable results.

“Our goal was to always be responsive to emergent marketing channels,” says Martin. “We quickly identified RCS and proposed it to our clients early on in 2019. Our goal was to always be proactive on innovative marketing channels.“

RCS enables agencies to move beyond traditional push marketing and foster genuine conversations with consumers. This shift towards personalized interactions builds stronger brand loyalty and drives higher conversion rates.

Agencies that embrace RCS are better positioned to meet the evolving needs of their clients and deliver exceptional ROI. Furthermore, the ability to track metrics like open rates and click-through rates in RCS provides valuable insights into campaign performance, allowing agencies to optimize their strategies and maximize impact.

Digitaleo: an RCS pioneer

Digitaleo launched the country’s first RCS campaign in 2019 with their client Beaux-de-mer Auto. This early adoption demonstrates their commitment to innovation and their understanding of the transformative potential of RCS.

Since then, they have continued to refine their RCS strategies and deliver successful campaigns for a diverse range of clients. “To give a concrete example, today we have almost a dozen RCS campaigns operating for our clients, and this is becoming more and more frequent,” Martin shares.

One notable example is their campaign for Village Moto, a motorcycle dealership network. For their “Open Day” event, Digitaleo in partnership with Infobip deployed RCS campaigns alongside traditional SMS campaigns, allowing for a direct comparison of performance.

The results were striking

“The goal was to generate traffic for the “Open Day”,” Martin explains. “In a few messages, we managed to reach a global audience of more than 50% with RCS.“

The RCS campaign achieved an impressive 80% open rate, significantly higher than traditional SMS, and generated three times more clicks. Furthermore, the RCS campaign resulted in a 10% reduction in cost per click compared to SMS.

While they recognize the power of RCS for marketing campaigns, they also see the value of other channels like WhatsApp for customer service.

The Digitaleo x Infobip partnership

Digitaleo’s success with RCS is closely tied to their strategic partnership with Infobip’s conversational experience platform.

Infobip’s technical expertise and established relationship with Google have been invaluable in navigating the complexities of RCS deployment. “To operate RCS campaigns for our clients, we decided to work with Infobip,” Martin says.

“First of all, because Infobip and its technical expertise around RCS made us save a lot of time. And they provided us with a very simple platform to be able to build campaigns and do our reporting,” Martin adds.

This collaboration has allowed Digitaleo to focus on their core strengths – developing innovative marketing strategies and providing exceptional client service – while leveraging our expertise in RCS technology.

As RCS continues to gain momentum in France, this partnership is poised to play a key role in shaping the future of mobile marketing.

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