INTELLIGENT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
Infobip records 184 % increase in voice , video applications , 146 % in mobile app messages
A ccording to recent research by Infobip , a cloud communications platform , conversational customer experiences and generative AI have significantly impacted interactions between people and brands in the MENA region . Infobip analysed over 473 billion digital communications interactions in 2023 between businesses and consumers and identified notable trends in business messaging .
As consumers in the MENA region look for deeper engagement with the brands they use , conversational messaging channels have become the focal point of communication growth . In 2023 , Infobip observed an increase of 184 % in voice and video applications , 146 % in mobile app messages , and a 51 % increase in the use of WhatsApp YoY in the Middle East region .
The research also shows that the telecommunication sector saw the highest growth in the adoption of conversational channels , 89 %, followed by the media and entertainment sector , 53 %, and the finance sector , 52 %.
Ivan Ostojić , Chief Business Officer at Infobip , said : “ Our data shows how conversational experiences are rapidly spreading across the Middle East and the world as businesses roll out marketing , sales , and support use cases .”
2022 revealed a spike in omnichannel adoption when brands recognised the importance of connecting with their customers on their preferred channel , 2023 shows how brands are perfecting the end-to-end customer journey . Customers can now seamlessly progress through a journey within a single conversational thread on a chat app .
With the emergence of interactive AI , brands will incorporate a federation of different chatbots and AI algorithms working together to trigger actions at the ideal points during the customer journey . In the next year , we foresee the widespread adoption in customer service , marketing and sale automation , and for operational use cases like scheduling deliveries and managing payments .
Conversational support is gaining traction as businesses strive to deliver effective and efficient customer experiences . WhatsApp remains a preferred channel for conversational support , with 90 % of support messages being sent over the chat app .
However , there is a growing trend towards diversification of channel mix , particularly in specific regions . Infobip has witnessed a significant increase of 541 %, 146 %, and 284 % in Messenger , Viber , and Line usage , respectively , indicating a shift towards leveraging various chat apps for customer support .
Conversational marketing is becoming increasingly prevalent as brands seek to
Ivan Ostojić , Chief Business Officer , Infobip
engage customers on the channels they use most frequently . There has been a notable 29 % increase in mobile app messaging for marketing in 2023 compared to the previous year .
WhatsApp remains the top digital channel for conversational marketing , driven by new features that enable seamless purchase journeys within a single chat window .
Infobip ’ s data from 2023 shows that SMS remains an important channel for business communication , but usage is changing where SMS is now being used alongside chat apps . Across all industries , brands most commonly use SMS with WhatsApp , with 25 % of businesses choosing this combination . Moreover , where businesses and brands use two channels , SMS is one of the two options in 63 % of cases . •
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