The rise of conversational communication, the rise of superapps and the power of generative AI are changing the way businesses and consumers connect. According to data from cloud communications platform Infobip, 7 in 10 consumers prefer to communicate with businesses via messaging. This form of interaction is particularly popular when it comes to quick transactional tasks, such as resolving issues or searching for information. This preference is particularly strong among Gen Z, which now represents 30% of the global population and 37% to 55% of the workforce.
“This is not a temporary shift. We are dealing with messaging-first generations, and this completely shapes how brands should operate going forward,” said Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer at Infobip. He spoke on the topic at Infobip CX Unlocked in Miami, USA.
The company, which handles more than 500 billion interactions per year on its platform, is seeing an exponential adoption of conversational experiences. These experiences occur using channels such as WhatsApp, Apple Messages for Business and the emerging RCS (Rich Communication Services), which is now gaining traction in the United States with the support of major carriers and Apple.
Communication, services and transactions
Ostojić also highlights the transformation of messaging apps into superapps, which integrate communication, services and transactions. He also draws attention to the creation of new entry points for these conversations, such as QR Codes and buttons on social networks. According to him, these channels are ideal for the use of generative AI, such as conversational agents capable of performing complex tasks — from scheduling medical appointments to purchasing airline tickets.
“We now have three gears that fit together perfectly: consumers’ desire for quick conversations, the ideal medium for this, which are messaging apps, and advanced technology, such as generative AI, which enables a fluid, personalized and scalable experience,” he analyzes.
Check out the 3 trends in communication between brands and consumers:
Consumers prefer to chat
The first major factor in this change comes from the consumer side, who prefers to interact with brands through messaging. They are using these channels as their main way to obtain information, make purchasing decisions, seek support and resolve issues with brands. In other words, messaging apps have become true platforms for relationships and services.
In addition to convenience, users seek relevance, meaning and well-being in these interactions, which requires a more humanized, efficient and integrated approach with technologies such as generative AI.
Superapps and conversational channels
The second trend comes from the evolution of communication channels. Apps such as WhatsApp, RCS (Rich Communication Services), Apple Messages and others are transforming into conversational ecosystems.
Already dominant in countries such as Brazil and India, WhatsApp is no longer just a notification tool and has started to enable complete shopping and support experiences – all within a single conversation. From a simple notification channel, it has become a space for complex journeys and integrated with systems such as Shopify, maps, calendars, payments and CRMs.
Generative AI is the invisible cog
The third trend is the incorporation of generative AI into conversational journeys. It is now possible to orchestrate entire journeys with automated agents that communicate in natural language, understand complex requests and perform tasks such as scheduling appointments, purchasing tickets or solving problems autonomously.
These experiences, which previously required multiple applications, interfaces and interactions with humans, can now be resolved by assistants integrated into messages.
The big difference is that this technology is being adopted by unexpected sectors. “Even financial institutions, which used to be more conservative, are embracing generative AI to automate interactions with customers,” said the speaker.
Companies such as Visa have already announced plans to launch AI agents capable of receiving commands such as “buy my next airline ticket” and performing this task without human intervention.
*The journalist traveled at the invitation of Infobip.
Image: Envato
