In the 2025 holiday season, your users will interact with your brand (among many others) through half a dozen touchpoints before they're even close to converting. They expect every one of those touchpoints to be fast, frictionless, and visually consistent with your brand everywhere else they see you.
This includes interactions like tracking updates in real time, notifications that feel adaptive to recent behavior, and proof that your brand is legitimate before they engage with anything in their personal text inbox.
Marketers, meanwhile, are fighting a different battle: rising ad costs, stricter data rules, and the invisible gatekeepers of AI-driven inboxes and app stores. It’s perhaps a blog post for another time, but the point is, owning your messaging channels is starting to matter more than ever.
That’s why direct, trusted channels are on the cusp of a renaissance, and why RCS (Rich Communication Services) is quickly becoming the go-to medium for marketers who want to stand out during the busiest shopping months of the year.
RCS brings the interactivity and design polish of an app into the messaging thread your users already trust. And that shift, from plain text to truly interactive messaging, is changing how mobile brands think about engagement this holiday season.
What makes RCS a game-changer (especially during the holidays)
RCS bridges the gap between mobile messaging and app UX, turning once-static texts into branded, interactive moments that actually move users to act. You get the reach of SMS, but with the capacity to embed images, buttons, suggested replies, carousels, and real-time updates. There’s no app to download (or even re-open, if one already exists) and no website to juggle.
The payoff is continuity: your brand stays connected from notification to checkout without hitting the dead ends that kill most SMS campaigns (*cough* plain-text limitations and broken links).
Consider what that means during the holidays:
- Your user taps a “Shop Now” button in a carousel and lands directly on your product page
- Your user clicks “Track Order” and sees live progress, all from within the messaging thread
- Your user receives a local event suggestion when they arrive in a city you serve, automatically
The holiday multiplier
When holiday urgency meets interactive messaging tools, the results compound.
Brands using RCS typically see 60% higher conversions compared to SMS.
Combine that with the impending holiday urgency, and you’ve unlocked one of the highest-return channels in your holiday mix. You also get verified sender badges; a small visual cue that builds instant trust when inboxes are flooded with sketchy lookalikes.
RCS is so effective because it does two jobs at once: it reassures people they’re safe to engage, and it makes taking action effortless.
Below are three holiday-themed RCS examples across different verticals to bring it to life:
Retail & eCommerce
🧠 Why it works:
Every CTA here is pre-purchase and holiday-relevant. The user isn’t asked to do anything heavy, just tap. Suggesting “Get 20% Off Code” is a micro-incentive that feels conversational and interactive. The carousel offers visual browsing without the friction of an external link.
Food Delivery
🧠 Why it works:
This RCS example is timed for peak attention. When customers are waiting for an order, they’re engaged, checking updates, and open to quick interactions. RCS turns that anticipation into a conversion window. The “Add Dessert” prompt feels natural, not salesy and it’s the kind of low-friction upsell that standard SMS simply can’t deliver.
Travel & Events
🧠 Why it works:
It blends service and storytelling in the same message. The user gets essential info (“Check In Now”) alongside unexpected value (“View Holiday Events”) that reframes the experience from logistics to anticipation. RCS makes that seamless, keeping all engagement in one trusted thread instead of pushing users to an app or inbox.
How to launch an RCS campaign before Black Friday
Here’s your RCS Holiday Readiness Checklist:
Streamlining approval and delivery with OneSignal
The RCS approval process can feel a bit overwhelming. Brand verification, carrier approval, testing… all those moving parts can intimidate even seasoned teams. But OneSignal is committed to being a powerful ally for those looking to take advantage of this critical engagement channel.
- Pre-approved RCS templates + fast verification support: We help you skip a lot of the legwork.
- One unified platform for SMS, RCS, push, and in-app messaging—no juggling multiple vendors mid-season.
- Journeys builder: Combine RCS + SMS + push into one automated flow. Want to start with RCS and fall back to push if unopened? Done.
- Behavioral triggers & events: Your messages land based on user action, not just calendar sends.
Reach out to us directly and let’s get you started (and approved) fast.
Beyond the holidays: Building retention through trust and experience
The real value of RCS doesn’t stop on December 26. The brands who weave it into their ongoing engagement strategy are the ones who build deeper loyalty.
- Post-holiday “Thank You” messages: Send rich, personalized messages with recommended products or loyalty incentives.
- Trigger-driven experiences year-round: “Your favorite café just released a new seasonal flavor nearby? Tap to see it.”
- Location-based surprises: When users travel again, send curated experiences or local offers automatically.
In an age where AI increasingly filters which brands get surfaced and which get filtered out, direct, verified, personalized messaging is your new moat. Protect those relationships you’ve earned!
Simplify RCS with OneSignal
This holiday season doesn’t have to be a scramble. OneSignal makes it easy to design, test, and deploy rich, verified campaigns in time for Black Friday.
Ready to start? Reach out and kick off your RCS campaigns in time for the holiday sprint.
Or get started with OneSignal for free and start turning every message, from RCS to push (and everything in between), into a truly consistent and rewarding customer experience.
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