Vienna, September 15, 2025 – The way companies in Germany communicate with customers is changing. While personal consultation, storefronts, and traditional media such as newspapers, posters, and TV spots dominated until the 1990s, mail order and later email first opened the direct path to customers. According to Bitkom, around 70 percent of companies still rely on email marketing today, often supplemented by traditional flyer distribution.
In recent years, WhatsApp has been added to the mix. Many companies use the messenger for customer support or to send offers. However, WhatsApp hits its limits: consumers primarily see the service as a private channel for family and friends and often react negatively to marketing messages.
Since early 2025, RCS (Rich Communication Services) has offered a new approach. The successor to SMS combines its reach with the functions of modern messengers: images, videos, buttons, and entire product galleries land directly in the standard messaging app – without additional app or registration. In Germany, RCS is already available on around 61 million smartphones – corresponding to about 90 percent of all devices.
mömax Germany was one of the first major brands in November 2024 to inform their customers about flyers and offers via RCS. The use goes far beyond advertising: RCS is equally suitable for service communication, ticketing, or general information.
Initial examples show the range – from Tagesschau as Germany's most famous news program to the football club SC Fortuna Köln with fan and ticket communication to the Urlaubspiraten, who send travel deals in real time. Retail companies like Kaufland and Metro also use RCS to reach their customers with targeted offers.
Platforms like RCSboost provide companies with the technical foundation to send newsletters and campaigns directly as RCS messages.
Readers can check on the website www.rcsboost.com whether their smartphone is RCS-capable. If so, they can immediately experience how RCS messages differ from a classic SMS – for example, through images or clickable buttons.
RCS is still a young channel in Germany. While the number of companies using it is growing, the masses are hesitant. Reasons include lack of experience, unclear cost structures, and uncertainty about customer acceptance. However, initial pilot projects show: open and click rates are significantly higher than classic newsletters – RCS is thus more than just a new SMS – it is a possible standard for the customer communication of the future.
"RCS is currently in a similar phase to AI before the breakthrough of ChatGPT. Large companies are already on board, but the masses will only use the channel when the hype begins – and I expect that in early 2026."
Managing Director of RCSboost
RCSboost is an Austrian platform that enables companies to send newsletters, flyers, and campaigns via RCS and SMS.
Stay updated with our latest news and announcements
