Rich communication services (RCS) is emerging as a strategic messaging channel for organizations seeking to modernize and expand their customer engagement strategies. Legacy channels like SMS and MMS face limitations in personalization, interactivity, and reach. RCS for Business delivers rich, sender-verified, flexible communications across Android and iOS without the fragmentation of over-the-top (OTT) apps. This study highlights how organizations that adopted RCS for Business helped futureproof their mobile messaging strategies, drove measurable improvements in customer experience and business outcomes, and positioned themselves to capitalize on evolving digital engagement trends.
RCS for Business is a communication platform from Google that enables organizations to deliver rich, interactive, branded messages directly to customers’ native messaging apps on both Android and iOS mobile devices. In addition to supporting brand‑initiated outreach, RCS for Business also enables person‑to‑application (P2A) customer‑initiated messaging, allowing users to start conversations, request assistance, or engage with services directly through their default messaging apps. The platform addresses common limitations of legacy channels by supporting trusted sender verification, secure authentication, real‑time updates, and personalized engagement without requiring a proprietary app. By streamlining marketing, loyalty, support, and authentication communications, RCS for Business helps organizations improve the customer experience and expand mobile messaging strategy reach and effectiveness.
Google commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying RCS for Business.1 The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of RCS for Business on their organizations.
132%–222%
Projected return on investment (ROI)
$1,325,814–$2,234,509
Projected net present value (NPV)
To better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with this investment, Forrester interviewed seven decision-makers and surveyed 431 leaders with experience using RCS for Business across marketing, customer support, IT, and customer experience functions. For the purposes of this study, Forrester aggregated the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ experiences and combined the results into a single composite organization, which is a global B2C retail organization with $1 billion in annual revenue.
Interviewees said that prior to using RCS for Business, their organizations relied on legacy channels such as SMS, MMS, OTT apps, and email for customer communications. However, these approaches yielded limited success, with challenges including low engagement, lack of personalization, minimal analytics, and difficulty building trust and brand recognition. In addition, legacy channels provided limited support for effective customer‑initiated P2A interactions, making it harder for users to start conversations, request assistance, or escalate issues through a seamless, native messaging experience. These limitations led to missed opportunities for customer interaction and inefficient campaign performance and reach.
After investing in RCS for Business, interviewees’ organizations delivered richer, branded, interactive communications that improved the customer experience, drove higher conversion and retention rates, and supported scalable messaging strategies. Key results from the investment include measurable improvements in marketing effectiveness, increased average order value (AOV), enhanced customer retention, and reduced messaging costs, positioning their organizations to capitalize on new digital engagement opportunities.
Key Findings
Quantified projected benefits. Three-year, risk-adjusted present value (PV) quantified benefits for the composite organization include:
RCS for Business improves marketing campaign effectiveness, resulting in conversion rates that are 60% to 70% higher compared to SMS. RCS for Business enables the composite to create more trusted, interactive, and visually engaging customer experiences using features such as branded sender identity, rich media, and interactive carousels, while allowing for flexible campaign design and broader reach. These improvements drive higher engagement and conversion rates compared to SMS, combining the reach of SMS with the richness of app experiences without the friction of downloads or logins. Additionally, RCS for Business provides capabilities to inform targeting, segmentation, and optimization strategies, which help the composite organization refine audience selection, personalize content, and allocate marketing resources more efficiently, further enhancing marketing ROI and campaign performance. Taken together, these improvements yield a three-year projected present value (PV) ranging from $1.7 million (low) to $2.0 million (high).
RCS for Business improves AOV between 7.5% and 12.5%. RCS for Business increases the composite’s AOV by enabling more effective upsell and cross-sell opportunities and driving higher purchase frequency. RCS for Business allows it to deliver personalized loyalty notifications, timely reminders, and rich content that encourage customers to select more targeted, higher-value options and purchase more often. The composite organization realizes a three-year projected present value (PV) ranging from $344,000 (low) to $609,000 (high).
RCS for Business improves customer retention between 0.5% and 1.5%. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to deliver more effective loyalty campaigns, reduce onboarding drop-offs, and support ongoing engagement and customer satisfaction. Rich, interactive features and personalized content foster stronger relationships, resulting in higher retention rates, greater participation in loyalty programs, improved customer satisfaction rates, and increased annualized lifetime value. Over three years, the composite organization realizes a projected present value (PV) ranging from $115,000 (low) to $315,000 (high).
Avoided SMS costs between $0.003 and $0.006 per message. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to avoid traditional SMS campaign costs by replacing SMS price-per-message expenses with RCS for Business pricing. In some cases, RCS for Business pricing is at parity with SMS and other competing OTT solutions, while offering additional functionality and fewer restrictions. Switching to RCS for Business allows the composite organization to rationalize messaging costs while improving campaign effectiveness and flexibility. The composite organization realizes a three-year projected present value (PV) ranging from $157,000 (low) to $313,000 (high).
Unquantified benefits. Benefits that provide value for the composite organization but are not quantified for this study include:
Improved customer satisfaction (CSAT) and brand differentiation. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to provide real-time updates, rich media content, and engaging interactions that increase customer satisfaction and deepen brand relationships. These capabilities reduce customer journey friction, increase loyalty, and create more positive, memorable experiences with the brand, ultimately differentiating it in a competitive market.
Expanded addressable audience. RCS for Business expands the composite organization’s audience and geographic reach by engaging customers without requiring a brand app or proprietary platform and reaching both Android and iOS audiences. The solution provides a native, branded messaging experience accessible across devices and regions, making it easier to scale digital service offerings globally. RCS for Business supports broader adoption in markets where alternative channels are restricted or less effective, increasing the flexibility and reach of the composite’s communications.
Enhanced customer support and reduced operational support costs. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to deliver faster, more convenient, and more personalized support experiences by supporting both brand‑initiated outreach and P2A interactions. Customers can start conversations, request assistance, or escalate issues directly from their native messaging apps, enabling quicker triage and reducing reliance on voice channels. RCS for Business streamlines basic customer service tasks for the composite, freeing human agents to focus on more complex cases. RCS for Business also allows the composite to address potential issues proactively before they become support cases, reducing friction and improving the overall customer journey. These capabilities lower call center volume, reduce support costs, and differentiate the composite’s support experience.
Streamlined authentication workflows and improved IT efficiency. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to deliver one-time passwords and authentication messages more efficiently and securely than legacy SMS, resulting in higher delivery success rates and fewer support tickets. The solution expedites support requests, improves user satisfaction, and integrates secure message delivery with verified sender IDs. These capabilities reduce friction, lower help desk volumes, and enhance employee productivity for the composite organization.
Improved customer and patient outcomes for healthcare organizations. RCS for Business allows the composite organization to build companion-like messaging experiences that remind users to take their medicines, schedule checkups, and connect with virtual doctors. The solution increases digital engagement, enables users to access health services more easily, and supports appointment scheduling directly from messages. These capabilities drive better adherence, increase appointment bookings, and deliver more personalized wellness support.
Improved security, trust, and compliance. RCS for Business enables the composite organization to build trust with users and stakeholders through verified sender IDs, encrypted delivery, and secure document uploads within a carrier‑backed, GSMA‑governed environment. The solution supports compliance with security standards and regulatory requirements, ensuring communications are authentic and protected against spoofing or fraud. These capabilities safeguard sensitive information, reinforce brand credibility, and help the composite meet evolving compliance expectations.
Avoided app development and maintenance costs. The composite organization reduces its reliance on standalone mobile applications for core engagement and service interactions. As a result, it avoids the ongoing costs associated with developing, updating, and maintaining brand‑specific mobile apps. RCS for Business provides an alternative channel that delivers app‑like functionality within native messaging environments, eliminating the long‑term operational burden of sustaining a dedicated application and improving cost efficiency and timetovalue.
Costs. Three-year, risk-adjusted PV costs for the composite organization include:
Annual RCS for Business costs. The composite organization calculates annual RCS for Business costs by multiplying the total number of messages sent each year by the contracted price per message. This cost category reflects the direct operational expense of using RCS for Business. Annual RCS for Business costs are scalable and predictable, allowing the composite to align its messaging investment with business needs and growth targets.
Implementation and ongoing costs. The composite organization incurs partner and internal costs to implement and operate RCS for Business. It leverages internal and partner support for initial implementation, integration, creative development, and training. The composite dedicates internal labor and partner support investments to campaign management, technical maintenance, and ongoing support.
Forrester modeled a range of projected low-, medium-, and high-impact outcomes based on evaluated risk. This financial analysis projects that the composite organization accrues the following three-year net present value (NPV) for each scenario by enabling Google RCS for Business:
Projected high impact of a $2,234,509 NPV and projected ROI of 222%.
Projected medium impact of a $1,788,369 NPV and projected ROI of 177%.
Projected low impact of a $1,325,814 NPV and projected ROI of 132%.
“We believe hyperpersonalization is the future of retail. RCS for Business is central to delivering that vision.”
Senior manager of client strategy, pharmacy and retail
Key Statistics
132%–222%
Projected return on investment (PROI)
$2,333,960–$3,242,655
Projected benefits PV
$1,325,814–$2,234,509
Projected net present value (PNPV)
$1.0M
Total costs
Three-Year Projected Financial Analysis For The Composite Organization
The business messaging landscape is undergoing significant transformation as organizations expand their communication strategies beyond legacy SMS and email to meet rising expectations for richer, more trusted, and more interactive customer engagement. According to Forrester research, enterprises now operate across a rapidly expanding ecosystem of channels, including emerging formats such as RCS and OTT apps, as customers increasingly view SMS as limited, email as slow, and app-based ecosystems as fragmented.2 The shift toward conversational, two‑way models in which customers can initiate interactions directly (i.e., P2A messaging) further drives this growth, creating new opportunities for real‑time support, assistance, and service resolution within native messaging environments. As this proliferation accelerates, organizations seek solutions that provide reach and richer capabilities to improve engagement.
RCS has emerged as a high‑potential, next‑generation messaging channel within this broader communications-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) landscape. Forrester research found that “providers see RCS as a growth opportunity” driven by its secure branded sender identity, interactive components that go beyond what MMS and traditional SMS can support, and higher delivery rates with fallback to SMS.3 RCS is also positioned as a core pillar of CPaaS channel expansion strategies, allowing enterprises to modernize customer engagement while maintaining the ubiquity, reliability, and familiarity of the default messaging inbox. With Apple’s expansion of RCS support, it may become a practical cross‑platform standard accessible to consumers.4
Organizations are also rethinking their messaging strategies in light of the increasing complexity of communication environments. Forrester’s research shows that brands must now meet customers on the channels they prefer, whether native messaging, OTT, or app‑based, and that modern CPaaS offerings must simplify this complexity by helping enterprises orchestrate journeys, ensure compliance, and strengthen trust.5 RCS directly addresses these challenges through features such as verified business profiles, encrypted delivery paths, rich media support, and real‑time behavioral signals (e.g., read receipts, interaction data) that surpass the limited analytics available in SMS.These capabilities align closely with the shift in customer expectations toward more personalized, contextual, and AI‑supported messaging interactions.6
Survey data from a study conducted by Forrester Consulting further demonstrates strong enterprise interest in leveraging RCS to improve the customer experience and strategic engagement. Respondents cited top priorities such as accelerating support responsiveness (57%), enhancing personalization (55%), strengthening customer loyalty (50%), and enabling analytics‑driven targeting and optimization (39%). In parallel, respondents reported improved engagement rates; stronger customer satisfaction; and more effective campaigns across marketing, support, and customer experience workflows. This confirms that RCS is not simply a richer version of SMS; decision-makers view it as a foundational channel to expand their organizations’ overall messaging strategies.
The breadth of RCS use cases reinforces this strategic positioning. Marketing teams use RCS for interactive product discovery, promotional campaigns, and loyalty engagement. CX teams use RCS for real‑time updates, appointment management, onboarding workflows, and personalized guidance. IT organizations increasingly adopt it for authentication and secure communication flows. And emerging in‑thread commerce and AI‑driven conversational journeys represent the next wave of value, particularly as CPaaS platforms incorporate genAI to automate interactions and deliver more personalized customer experiences.7
It is important to note the critical role partners play in enabling enterprises to deploy and scale RCS within broader CPaaS and digitalengagement strategies. Effective partners streamline carrier onboarding and compliance requirements; provide the technical and creative resources necessary to design and maintain rich interactive journeys; and supply the workflow orchestration and analytics infrastructure that RCS requires to perform at scale. Organizations benefit most from partners with established carrier relationships; proven cross‑channel delivery capabilities; robust reliability and reporting frameworks; and end‑to‑end support models that span strategy, implementation, testing, and ongoing optimization. As enterprises expand their messaging portfolios, partners function as essential accelerators, reducing integration complexity, ensuring consistent execution across markets, and supporting continuous innovation in RCS‑enabled customer experiences.
Taken together, these trends indicate that organizations evaluating RCS are operating in a rapidly evolving communications environment shaped by customer expectations for richer engagement, the need for secure and compliant interactions, and the push to consolidate and modernize customer‑facing workflows. RCS offers a path to unify these priorities, combining the reach of SMS with the immersive capabilities of app‑based messaging and providing a strategic foundation for future innovations in messaging, automation, and digital commerce.
The Google RCS For Business Customer Journey
Drivers leading to the RCS for Business investment
Interviews
Role
Industry
Region
Revenue
Executive director
Pharmacy and retail
North America
$100 billion+
Messaging and AI strategist
Hospitality
EMEA
$4 billion+
Senior manager of client strategy
Pharmacy and retail
South America
$1 billion+
Senior manager of digital marketing
Sports and entertainment
North America
$800 million
Director of marketing
Specialty retail
Global
$600 million
Head of digital revenue and communications
Financial services
APAC
$150 million
CTO
Financial services
South America
$15 million+
Key Challenges
Prior to adopting Google RCS for Business, interviewees and survey respondents typically relied on a mix of legacy channels (e.g., SMS, MMS, OTT messaging applications, email, application-based alerts) to communicate with customers and support key marketing and engagement activities. Although these channels enabled basic outreach and transactional messaging, interviewees consistently described recurring challenges that limited their ability to deliver personalized, secure, and interactive experiences. The following themes emerged across industries and geographies, highlighting the most common pain points organizations faced in their prior environments:
Low trust and authenticity. Unbranded senders and rising spam and phishing activity across legacy messaging channels made it difficult for organizations to build trusted relationships with customers, especially when messages appeared to come from random numbers or generic short codes. This challenge was particularly acute for brands seeking not only to differentiate themselves but also to meet increasing security and compliance expectations as threats such as smishing continued to escalate. The senior manager of digital marketing at a sports and entertainment organization said: “Trust is paramount. RCS for Business gives us a verified sender with our logo, which is a huge win compared to random numbers and spam [with SMS].” The executive director at a pharmacy and retail organization said: “We saw RCS for Business being used more progressively overseas and realized it aligned with our goals: building trust, driving action, and reducing frustration. Branding was a
big factor.”
Low engagement rates. This challenge was widely recognized in both interviews and survey data: In the survey of 431 respondents, 45% identified low engagement and response rates as their top challenge before adopting RCS for Business, followed by difficulty personalizing messages effectively (40%) and limited ability to automate campaigns (34%). Organizations struggled to reengage lapsed users or drive meaningful actions, especially when messages lacked rich content, personalization, or branded trust signals. The executive director at a pharmacy and retail organization said: “SMS has limitations. There’s only so much you can do with plain text. RCS for Business lets us create richer, more engaging experiences that keep members involved longer.”
Format limitations of SMS, MMS, and email. Organizations struggled to deliver engaging experiences through plain text channels, which lacked support for rich media, branded interfaces, and interactive elements. These channels were also largely one‑way, offering limited support for customer‑initiated P2A interactions and making it difficult for users to start conversations and complete self-service tasks. This limited organizations’ abilities to create engaging campaigns, reengage lapsed customers, onboard new users, or provide self-service options, resulting in lower engagement and customer frustration. The messaging and AI strategist at a hospitality company said: “SMS is our least favorite messaging channel. There’s no branded conversation and everything is, ‘Reply with 1 for this option.’ It’s a poor interface for any kind of self service.” The executive director at a pharmacy and retail organization said: “Historically, people get frustrated with messaging. They’re more tolerant of email, but messaging needs to be more thoughtful. RCS for Business helps us reduce that friction.”
Shallow analytics in SMS. Legacy SMS channels offered interviewees’ organizations minimal engagement signals, lacking read receipts and meaningful inbound data. This made it difficult to measure campaign effectiveness or tailor communications to individual customer preferences, hampering efforts to optimize and justify investments. The senior manager of digital marketing at a sports and entertainment organizationsaid:“SMS has really limited analytics. You don’t see opens or read receipts, so you’re flying blind on engagement.” The executive director at a pharmacy and retail company said: “Before RCS for Business, we had no way to get meaningful inbound signals from SMS. We couldn’t tell if someone opened a message unless they replied. That made personalization hard.”
Difficulty reengaging inactive, lapsed, or app-less customers. Many interviewees’ organizations struggled to reconnect with customers who had churned, lacked the app, or were otherwise unreachable through existing channels. This made it difficult to run effective retention campaigns and improve customer lifetime value, especially in industries with high churn rates. The head of digital revenue and communications at a financial services firm said: “We had a churn rate of 80% within three months. Out of 100 clients, only 20 remained. Retention was our biggest challenge.”
“We’re looking to use RCS for Business to reengage customers who signed up, shopped once, and never came back. Rich content and two-way conversations could bring them back.”
Director of marketing, specialty retail
Channel policy constraints. Strict limitations on what organizations couldcommunicate through certain channels, such as prohibitions on medicine promotions in OTT messaging applications or caps on daily marketing sends, often blocked high-value use cases and forced teams to work around channel rules, reducing the effectiveness of their messaging strategies. The senior manager of client strategy at a pharmacy and retail organization said, “[Our OTT application] doesn’t allow us to mention, sell, or even promote any kind of medicine, which is a major limitation since 80% of our revenue comes from medicines.”
“SMS wasn’t branded, didn’t offer read receipts, and lacked trust. RCS for Business gave us a way to show our logo and slogan, which increased client confidence.”
CTO, financial services
“We’re hoping RCS for Business can reduce conversion barriers by allowing users to convert directly within the message. That’s something SMS and email can’t do.”
Director of marketing, specialty retail
“What challenges did you face with your messaging channels before implementing RCS for Business?”
[CHART DIV CONTAINER]
Low engagement and response rates
Difficulty personalizing messages effectively
Limited ability to automate campaigns
Poor integration with other marketing or CRM platforms
Lack of detailed analytics or reporting
Security concerns
High costs or budget constraints
Issues with deliverability or message blocking
Inability to merge the channels with our branding
Challenges segmenting audiences properly
Base: 431 global marketing, customer support, IT, and customer experience decision-makers using RCS for Business Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Google, October 2025
Solution Requirements
The interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations searched for a solution that could:
Increase trust and recognition with verified, branded sender profiles.
Enable compliant messaging for regulated or previously blocked categories.
Expand reach to users without a brand app via native, app-free delivery.
Boost engagement using rich media, carousels, and interactive actions.
Optimize targeting and journeys with read receipts and advanced analytics.
Improve campaign ROI through cost efficiencies and scalable delivery.
Support long-term digital growth with a roadmap to in-thread commerce, automation, and advanced service flows.
Make it easy for customers and prospects to initiate conversations directly from RCS conversations, enabling P2A engagement.
“We adopted RCS for Business because it’s a branded channel that builds trust and gives us better visibility into message delivery and engagement.”
CTO, financial services
“We wanted to move beyond 149 characters and a link. RCS for Business lets us deliver rich content that actually reflects the excitement of our brand.”
Senior manager of digital marketing, sports and entertainment
“We needed a channel that could give users real-time updates on their loyalty status without requiring an app. RCS for Business was the perfect fit.”
Senior manager of client strategy, pharmacy and retail
Composite Organization
Based on the interviews and survey responses, Forrester constructed a TEI framework, a composite company, and a projected ROI analysis to illustrate the areas financially affected by the adoption of RCS for Business. The composite organization is representative of the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations and is used to present the aggregate financial analysis in the next section.
Description of composite. The composite organization is a global, B2C retail company headquartered in North America that generates $1 billion in annual revenue. It has a large, diverse customer base and an AOV of $80. The organization operates in multiple international markets and maintains a strong brand presence across online and offline channels.
Deployment characteristics. The composite organization adopts RCS for Business as a strategic messaging channel to replace SMS and MMS for monthly marketing campaigns, loyalty program communications, and customer engagement. RCS for Business augments the organization’s OTT messaging efforts, addressing limitations and challenges with other OTT apps and enabling broader reach. The composite also explores RCS for Business for in-thread transactions, customer support, and IT authentication workflows.
Partner value. A critical success factor for the composite organization is RCS for Business partners. These partners play a central role throughout the RCS for Business lifecycle, from initial setup and integration to ongoing campaign management and optimization. At a basic level, partners support technical onboarding, workflow configuration, and compliance and often act as intermediaries with telcos to ensure reliable message delivery, carrier approval, and adherence to local regulations. Many partners offer turnkey solutions, including creative development, campaign design, and advanced analytics, allowing the composite to quickly launch, scale, and continuously improve RCS for Business initiatives. By managing telco relationships and technical requirements, partners help the composite organization overcome carrier-specific challenges and maximize RCS for Business messaging reach and reliability. This collaborative approach ensures the composite organization stays current with evolving features, efficiently addresses strategic and operational needs, and unlocks the full value of RCS for Business across global markets.
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
$1 billion annual revenue
Global organization
$80 AOV
Analysis Of Benefits
Quantified benefit data as applied to the composite
Total Projected Benefits
Benefit
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total
Present Value
Total projected benefits (low)
$938,520
$938,520
$938,520
$2,815,560
$2,333,960
Total projected benefits (mid)
$1,124,520
$1,124,520
$1,124,520
$3,373,560
$2,796,515
Total projected benefits (high)
$1,303,920
$1,303,920
$1,303,920
$3,911,760
$3,242,655
Incremental Operating Income From Marketing Campaigns
Evidence and data. Interviewees described how adopting RCS for Business contributed to incremental operating income by improving marketing campaign effectiveness compared to SMS. They reported that RCS for Business enabled a more trusted, interactive, and visually rich customer experience, which in turn drove higher engagement, conversion rates, and ultimately top-line business results. Additionally, RCS for Business provided advanced analytics and read receipts that allowed their organizations to track message delivery, open rates, and customer interactions in real time. These capabilities informed targeting, segmentation, and optimization strategies, which helped their organizations refine audience selection, personalize content, and allocate marketing resources more efficiently, further enhancing marketing ROI and campaign performance. The following points summarize the experiences and data shared by interviewees and survey respondents:
Organizations consistently experienced higher campaign engagement and click-through rates using RCS for Business compared to SMS and MMS. For example,152 surveyed global marketing decision-makers using RCS for Business increased engagement rates by 40%, and 119 improved click-through rates by 22%.
The senior manager of digital marketing at a sports and entertainment organization cited engagement rate uplifts of 70% and attributed these results to features such as branded sender identity, rich media, and interactive carousels. The director of marketing at a specialty retail organization noted: “Carousel messages have a very high click-through rate. They let us tell multiple stories in one send, such as thank-you, product review, loyalty, and subscription, all with different CTAs.”
Increased conversion rates were a common outcome of RCS for Business adoption. For example, the senior manager of digital marketing at a sports and entertainment organization reported a 60% lift in ticket sales with RCS for Business campaigns versus MMS, driven by interactive content and personalized follow-ups. An interviewee at a specialty retailer reported a 47% increase in revenue per promotional message after switching to RCS for Business, while an interviewee at a pharmacy chain observed substantial uplift in incremental sales. In survey results, 104 respondents reported improving conversion rates by an average of 26.2%.
Interviewees reported that RCS for Business enabled their organizations to personalize content and offers based on customer behavior, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of marketing communications. For example, a senior manager of digital marketing in sports and entertainment stated, “RCS for Business lets us personalize content based on fan behavior, like which game they clicked on, so we can follow up with relevant offers.” Additionally, an interviewee at a financial services organization emphasized that read receipts and response data allowed for more precise campaign adjustments and improved ROI.
Interviewees noted that RCS for Business improved brand trust and customer confidence by delivering messages from a verified sender identity, reducing the risk of spam and ensuring recipients recognized the organization. They emphasized that branded sender identity and verification features helped establish trusted relationships with customers. As the senior manager of digital marketing in sports and entertainment explained: “It is a tremendously valuable element to have our verified branded logo [with RCS for Business]. The evolution of this trusted relationship with a business is going to be fundamental in the future of text messaging.” Interviewees noted that their customers were more likely to engage with and act on messages when they were confident in the sender’s authenticity, further amplifying the impact of RCS for Business marketing campaigns.
Interviewees noted that RCS for Business had fewer restrictions than alternative OTT solutions, which allowed for more flexible campaign design, broader reach, and increased message volume, further increasing the value of switching from SMS. As the executive director in pharmacy and retail summarized: “RCS for Business sits between SMS and an app. It gives us the reach of SMS with the richness of app experiences, without the friction of downloads or logins.”
Overall, survey respondents indicated that the top benefits their organizations experienced since using RCS for Business included enhanced customer experience (64%), more effective campaigns (62%), and increased revenue from better conversion rates or customer lifetime value (49%).
“How valuable are the following features within RCS for Business to your organization?”
[CHART DIV CONTAINER]
Security and compliance (e.g., encrypted delivery, secure document uploads, carrier and Google verification)
Branding and trust (e.g., verified sender ID, custom branding, business profile)
Interactivity and UX (e.g., full screen view for carousels, fallback to SMS, message expiration and revocation
Valuable
Extremely valuable
Base: 217 global marketing decision-makers using RCS for Business Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Google, October 2025
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The composite organization runs 12 campaigns per year with an average audience size of 500,000 customers for its RCS for Business channel and an average of three messages per user.
The composite organization realizes a historical 2% SMS conversion rate for its SMS marketing campaigns.
Replacing SMS with RCS for Business and the associated rich features improves conversion rates between 60% (low) and 70% (high).
The RCS for Business conversion rate ranges from 3.2% (low) to 3.4% (high).
The AOV is $80.
Forrester multiplies the total incremental revenue from increased conversions with RCS for Business over SMS by a 12% operating margin to derive the incremental operating income.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $1.7 million (low) to $2.0 million (high).
Benefit 1 Module: Range Of Three-Year Cumulative Impact, PV
Improvement in conversion rates over SMS with RCS for Business
“In our initial RCS for Business testing, we saw a 70% lift in engagement and a 60% lift in sales when compared to traditional SMS messages.”
Senior manager of digital marketing, sports and entertainment
“RCS for Business is helping us build a longitudinal relationship with members. They see us as a trusted contact, not just a campaign sender.”
Executive director, pharmacy and retail
Incremental Operating Income From Marketing Campaigns
Ref.
Metric
Source
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
A1
Campaigns
Composite
12
12
12
A2
Audience size per campaign
Composite
500,000
500,000
500,000
A3
SMS conversion rate
Composite
2%
2%
2%
A4LOW
60%
60%
60%
A4MID
Improvement in conversion rate with RCS for Business over SMS
Interviews and survey
65%
65%
65%
A4HIGH
70%
70%
70%
A5LOW
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
A5MID
RCS for Business conversion rate
A3*(1+A4)
3.3%
3.3%
3.3%
A5HIGH
3.4%
3.4%
3.4%
A6LOW
72,000
72,000
72,000
A6MID
Incremental conversions
A1*A2*(A5-A3)
78,000
78,000
78,000
A6HIGH
84,000
84,000
84,000
A7
AOV
Composite
$80
$80
$80
A8
Operating margin
Composite
12%
12%
12%
AtLOW
$691,200
$691,200
$691,200
AtMID
Incremental operating income from marketing campaigns
A6*A7*A8
$748,800
$748,800
$748,800
AtHIGH
$806,400
$806,400
$806,400
Three-year projected total: $2,073,600 to $2,419,200
Three-year projected present value: $1,718,912 to $2,005,397
Incremental Operating Income From Increased AOV
Evidence and data. Interviewees described how adopting RCS for Business contributed to incremental operating income by not only improving conversion rates but also increasing the average value of customer purchases. They reported that RCS for Business enabled more personalized, timely, and interactive communications, such as loyalty notifications, upsell and cross-sell prompts, and rich content delivery, which encouraged customers to purchase more frequently and select higher-value options. The following points summarize the experiences and data shared by interviewees and survey respondents:
Organizations experienced increased purchase frequency and higher AOVs after adopting RCS for Business campaigns. For example, a pharmacy and retail organization observed a significant uplift in customer visit frequency and incremental sales among loyalty program members. The senior manager of client strategy at this organization explained: “We’re seeing an uplift from 31% to 39% in customer purchasing frequency. This means, on average, they’re going to buy two times more than what they were already doing.”
A hospitality organization leveraged RCS’s enhanced link preview capabilities to transform agent conversations, allowing representatives to share more engaging property information that helped customers evaluate and select booking options. The messaging and AI strategist at this global hotel brand stated: “We believe messaging will enable upsell opportunities and revenue-generating interactions. With RCS, we can share rich content like hotel images through enhanced link previews during agent conversations, making it much more visually compelling for customers to evaluate amenities and booking options compared to plain SMS.” Survey evidence further supports these findings: 61 global decision-makers in marketing using RCS for Business reported that their upsell or cross-sell rates improved by 21% with RCS for Business.
A specialty retailer used RCS for Business to promote targeted offers and loyalty program enrollment, supporting higher-value purchases and cross-sell opportunities.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The composite organization realizes between 192,000 (low) and 204,000 (high) annual conversions with its RCS for Business digital marketing campaigns.
With RCS for Business, the composite increases the average AOV by between 7.5% (low) and 12.5% (high).
The resulting AOV is between $86 (low) and $90 (high) with RCS for Business.
Forrester multiplies the incremental revenue by the composite organization’s 12% operating margin to derive the incremental operating income from increased AOV.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $344,000 (low) to $609,000 (high).
Benefit 2 Module: Range Of Three-Year Cumulative Impact, PV
Annual conversions with RCS for Business campaigns
A1*A2*A5
198,000
198,000
198,000
B1HIGH
204,000
204,000
204,000
B2
AOV prior to RCS for Business
A7
$80
$80
$80
B3LOW
7.5%
7.5%
7.5%
B3MID
Increase in AOV with RCS for Business
Interviews
10.0%
10.0%
10.0%
B3HIGH
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
B4LOW
$86
$86
$86
B4MID
AOV with RCS for Business
B2*(1+B3)
$88
$88
$88
B4HIGH
$90
$90
$90
B5
Operating margin
A8
12%
12%
12%
BtLOW
$138,240
$138,240
$138,240
BtMID
Incremental operating income from increased AOV
B1*(B4-B2)*B5
$190,080
$190,080
$190,080
BtHIGH
$244,800
$244,800
$244,800
Three-year projected total: $414,720 to $734,400
Three-year projected present value: $343,782 to $608,781
Enhanced Customer Retention And Lifetime Value
Evidence and data. Interviewees described how RCS for Business contributed to improved customer retention and increased lifetime value by enabling more effective loyalty campaigns, reducing onboarding drop-offs, and supporting ongoing engagement and customer satisfaction. They reported that RCS for Business messaging helped foster stronger relationships with customers, resulting in higher retention rates, more participation in loyalty programs, and increased annualized lifetime value. The following points summarize the experiences and data shared by interviewees and survey respondents:
Organizations experienced higher customer retention and loyalty program participation after adopting RCS for Business campaigns. For example, a pharmacy and retail organization observed a substantial uplift in incremental sales and customer visit frequency among loyalty program members after using RCS for Business. The senior manager of client strategy at this organization explained, “RCS for Business allows us to send personalized reminders like, ‘You’re one purchase away from your free medicine,’ which drives adherence and repeat visits.” They continued: “With the small group of pilot clients we analyzed with RCS for Business, we’re going to see incremental sales for 1.2 million pesos. We are planning to expand this to over 200,000 clients that engage in these loyalty plans. If we can see this behavior and increase the frequency to only half of our clients, we could see incremental annual sales of 85 million pesos, which is around $4.7
million, by just sending them [RCS for Business] messages.”
The sports and entertainment organization leveraged RCS for Business to enhance loyalty targeting and retention among season ticket members. It used RCS to deliver rich, relevant content and personalized offers, with the goal of supporting ongoing fan engagement and driving deeper customer loyalty. The senior manager of digital marketing at this organization noted: “RCS is how fans want to receive content: it’s rich, relevant, and right in their hands. It’s the future of fan engagement.”
The specialty retailer used RCS for Business carousels to incorporate goals beyond conversion and upsell. The director of marketing at this organization said, “RCS for Business lets us include secondary goals like joining our rewards program or leaving a review within promotional messages using carousels.”
RCS for Business campaigns supported improved onboarding and reduced drop-off rates for new customers. The head of digital revenue and communication at a financial services firm said, “We’re replicating our account opening flow on RCS for Business so users can complete know your client [requirements] directly in the channel, reducing drop-offs.”
Interviewees and survey respondents consistently reported higher customer satisfaction with RCS for Business. The messaging and AI strategist at a hospitality organization stated: “Messaging is hands down our highest CSAT channel, easily 10% to 15% higher than voice. The difference really speaks to the convenience of messaging and the fact that customers can interact at their own pace.”
57% of surveyed customer experience decision-makers using RCS for Business reported improving CSAT by 23% and 37% of respondents reported reducing customer churn rate by 14%.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The composite organization runs specialized retention campaigns targeted toward customers prone to churn, offering dedicated offers, deals, and incentives for continued purchasing and reaching an average of 600,000 customers annually.
Prior to RCS for Business, the average customer retention rate was 70%.
With RCS for Business, the composite improves its retention rate by between 50 basis points (low) and 150 basis points (high).
The average customer retention rate for those targeted by RCS for Business retention campaigns is between 70.4% (low) and 71.1% (high).
The annualized customer lifetime value is $160, which accounts for two purchases annually on average, with an AOV of $80.
Forrester multiplies the incremental revenue received from retained customers by a 12% operating margin to calculate the incremental operating income from enhanced customer retention and LTV.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $115,000 (low) to $315,000 (high).
Benefit 3 Module: Range Of Three-Year Cumulative Impact, PV
Improvement in customer retention rate with RCS for Business
Enhanced Customer Retention And Lifetime Value
Ref.
Metric
Source
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
C1
Customers targeted per retention campaign
Composite
600,000
600,000
600,000
C2
Customer retention rate prior to RCS for Business
Composite
70%
70%
70%
C3LOW
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
C3MID
Improvement in retention rate with RCS for Business
Interviews and survey
1.0%
1.0%
1.0%
C3HIGH
1.5%
1.5%
1.5%
C4LOW
70.4%
70.4%
70.4%
C4MID
Retention rate with RCS for Business (rounded)
C2*(1+C3)
70.7%
70.7%
70.7%
C4HIGH
71.1%
71.1%
71.1%
C5LOW
2,400
2,400
2,400
C5MID
Incremental customers retained
C1*(C4-C2)
4,200
4,200
4,200
C5HIGH
6,600
6,600
6,600
C6
Annualized customer lifetime value
Composite
$160
$160
$160
C7
Operating margin
Composite
12%
12%
12%
CtLOW
$46,080
$46,080
$46,080
CtMID
Enhanced customer retention and lifetime value
C5*C6*C7
$80,640
$80,640
$80,640
CtHIGH
$126,720
$126,720
$126,720
Three-year projected total: $138,240 to $380,160
Three-year projected present value: $114,594 to $315,134
Avoided SMS Campaign Costs
Evidence and data. Interviewees described how adopting RCS for Business enabled their organizations to avoid traditional SMS campaign costs by replacing SMS price-per-message expenses with RCS for Business pricing. Organizations measured this by taking the volume of messages they would have sent via SMS and applying the difference in price per message between SMS and RCS for Business. In some cases, RCS for Business pricing was at parity with SMS, and in others, it was lower than other OTT solutions while offering additional functionality and fewer restrictions.
Interviewees reported that RCS for Business campaigns allowed them to avoid or reduce SMS campaign costs. They noted that RCS for Business provided similar or better value for money, especially when compared to alternative channels.
One interviewee from a financial services organization highlighted the cost advantage of RCS for Business over a competing OTT solution, stating: “We almost got three to four times the ROI as compared to [our alternative OTT solution] due to a clear cost differentiation in RCS for Business and [the other solution]. The costs we incur with RCS for Business are much less.”
Survey evidence supports these findings, with respondents reporting that switching to RCS for Business enabled them to maintain or reduce messaging costs while improving campaign effectiveness.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The composite sends a total of 18,000,000 rich, single RCS for Business messages annually for RCS for Business-enabled marketing campaigns.
The composite sends a total of 3,000,000 rich, single RCS for Business messages annually for RCS for Business-enabled retention campaigns.
The composite sends a total of 21,000,000 RCS for Business messages that replace the messaging volume it would have sent through SMS.
As a result, the composite avoids industry SMS costs ranging between $0.003 per message (low) and $0.006 (high).
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $157,000 (low) to $313,000 (high).
Benefit 4 Module: Range Of Three-Year Cumulative Impact, PV
SMS message volume for marketing campaigns replaced with RCS for Business
A1*A2*3 messages
18,000,000
18,000,000
18,000,000
D2
SMS message volume for retention campaigns replaced with RCS for Business
C1*5 messages
3,000,000
3,000,000
3,000,000
D3
Total SMS message volume replaced by RCS for Business
D1+D2
21,000,000
21,000,000
21,000,000
D4LOW
$0.003
$0.003
$0.003
D4MID
Cost per SMS message in legacy environment
Composite
$0.005
$0.005
$0.005
D4HIGH
$0.006
$0.006
$0.006
DtLOW
$63,000
$63,000
$63,000
DtMID
Avoided SMS campaign costs
D3*D4
$105,000
$105,000
$105,000
DtHIGH
$126,000
$126,000
$126,000
Three-year projected total: $189,000 to $378,000
Three-year projected present value: $156,672 to $313,343
Unquantified Benefits
Interviewees and survey respondents realized the following additional benefits that their organizations experienced but were not able to quantify:
Enhanced customer experience, improved CSAT, and brand differentiation. Interviewees reported that RCS for Business supported customer‑ and brand‑initiated interactions, enabling real‑time updates, rich media content, and more engaging exchanges that increased customer satisfaction and strengthened brand relationships. As one executive director noted: “We saw higher digital engagement overall. People who received RCS for Business messages were more likely to use our app and website too.” Survey results indicated that 64% of marketing leaders experienced enhanced customer experience since adopting RCS for Business, and 57% of customer experience leaders saw improvements in CSAT scores — increasing them by 23% on average. In addition, 69% of respondents highlighted the ability to tailor communications to individual needs. These capabilities helped organizations reduce customer journey friction, increase loyalty, and create more positive, memorable experiences with their brands, ultimately differentiating them in competitive markets.
Expanded addressable audiences. RCS for Business expanded audience and geographic reach by enabling organizations to engage international customers without the limitations of carrier-specific SMS fees or the need for app installations. RCS for Business also enabled interviewees to reach both Android and iOS audiences. As the messaging and AI strategist in hospitality explained: “We want to seriously look at RCS for Business as an escalation point for international customers because we don’t have to worry about carrier expenses or app installs. It’s going to help us grow our international digital service offering.” Interviewees also highlighted that RCS for Business supported broader adoption in markets where alternative channels like WhatsApp or SMS are restricted or less effective, further increasing the flexibility and reach of their communications.
Enhanced customer support and reduced operational support costs. Organizations leveraged RCS for Business to deliver faster, more convenient, and more personalized support experiences. These capabilities streamlined interactions, resolved issues more efficiently, and reduced support costs. RCS for Business also supported proactive outreach initiated by their brands and customer‑initiated inquiries, enabling them to address issues earlier in the journeys and reduce friction. Survey results show that 52% of customer support leaders reported improved customer satisfaction scores (CSAT or NPS), and a similar share cited reduced call center volume and support costs.8 More than half of respondents used RCS for Business for proactive support, quick actions, and integration with chatbots or live agents, enabling faster response times and 24/7 availability. In addition, 82% agreed that RCS for Business helped differentiate their support experience from competitors, and 74% of customer experience leaders reported increased customer satisfaction since implementing RCS for Business.
“We’ve created an industry-first chatbot on RCS for Business that handles awareness, exploration, and support, replacing up to 90% of basic customer service.”
Messaging and AI strategist, hospitality
Streamlined authentication workflows and improved IT efficiency. Survey respondents reported that RCS for Business enabled more efficient and secure delivery of one-time passwords and authentication messages compared to legacy SMS, resulting in higher delivery success rates and fewer support tickets. Survey results indicated that 57% of IT leaders saw improved one-time password delivery success rates, and 51% observed higher login completion rates with RCS for Business. Nearly half of IT respondents noted that RCS for Business had a significant or transformative impact on expediting support requests and improving overall user satisfaction. By integrating secure message delivery and verified sender ID, RCS for Business helped IT teams reduce friction, decrease help desk volumes, and enhance employee productivity.
Improved customer and patient outcomes for healthcare organizations. One interviewee at a pharmacy organization reported that RCS for Business allowed them to build companion-like messaging experiences that reminded users to take medicines, schedule checkups, and connect with virtual doctors. The senior manager of client strategy at this organization observed higher digital engagement overall, with recipients of RCS for Business messages more likely to use apps and websites for additional health services. Members could swipe through provider options and schedule appointments directly from messages which the interviewee described as “a huge improvement over sending them to a website or app.” These capabilities helped their organization drive better adherence, increase appointment bookings, and deliver more personalized wellness support.
“We built a health concierge powered by RCS for Business that acted like a companion, reminding users to take their medicines, schedule checkups, and even connect with virtual doctors.”
Senior manager of client strategy, pharmacy and retail
Improved security, trust, and compliance. RCS for Business improved security, trust, and compliance for organizations by enabling verified sender IDs, encrypted delivery, and secure document uploads within a carrier‑backed, GSMA‑governed environment. These features helped organizations build trust with users and stakeholders, ensuring that communications were authentic and protected against spoofing or fraud. Interviewees reported that RCS for Business supported compliance with security standards and regulatory requirements, particularly in industries where data privacy and secure messaging were critical. Survey results indicated that 79% of marketing respondents rated security and compliance as valuable or extremely valuable, and 59% of IT respondents cited building trust with users and stakeholders as a significant or transformative impact of adopting RCS for Business. These capabilities helped organizations safeguard sensitive information, reinforce brand credibility, and meet evolving compliance expectations.
Avoided app development and maintenance costs. Interviewees noted that RCS for Business reduced their organizations’ reliance on standalone mobile applications for core engagement and service interactions. In turn, they avoided the ongoing costs associated with developing, updating, and maintaining brand‑specific mobile apps. As a result, RCS for Business provided an alternative channel that delivered app‑like functionality without the long‑term operational burden of sustaining dedicated applications, improving cost efficiency and timetovalue.
“RCS for Business is now our main channel for notifications. It’s a key part of our digital transformation strategy.”
CTO, financial services
Flexibility
The value of flexibility is unique to each customer. There are multiple scenarios in which a customer might implement RCS for Business and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:
Alignment with long-term transformation goals. Interviewees reported that RCS for Business enabled them to lay the groundwork for advanced digital experiences, including integration with AI, seamless in-thread transactions, and automated customer journeys. Enterprises such as the hospitality organization leveraged RCS for Business to build scalable, flexible engagement platforms that could evolve with emerging technologies and customer expectations. Survey results indicated that 84% of marketing leaders agreed or strongly agreed that RCS for Business would increase their competitive differentiation over the next three years, and 74% of customer experience leaders reported that RCS for Business aligned with their digital transformation strategies. By adopting RCS for Business, organizations positioned themselves to deliver richer, more interactive customer experiences and integrate future capabilities such as commerce, automation, and AI-driven personalization directly within
messaging threads.
Advanced digital commerce experiences directly within the messaging channel. Interviewees described plans and early pilots to enable customers to complete transactions, such as booking, purchasing, or even full checkout, without leaving an RCS for Business conversation. This capability allows for a streamlined path to purchase, reduces friction, and supports automation and service flows that align with long-term digital transformation goals. By building a roadmap for in-thread commerce, interviewees’ organizations position themselves to capture new revenue opportunities and deliver end-to-end customer journeys within a trusted, branded messaging environment.
“If applicable, in which of the following areas does your organization use or plan to use AI in RCS for Business?”
[CHART DIV CONTAINER]
Message personalization
Audience targeting and segmentation
Campaign optimization
Conversational marketing
Lifecycle marketing automation
Predictive analytics
Feedback and sentiment analysis
Content generation and curation
Compliance and brand safety
Base: 217 global marketing decision-makers using RCS for Business Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Google, October 2025
Flexibility would also be quantified when evaluated as part of a specific project (described in more detail in Total Economic Impact Approach).
Analysis Of Costs
Quantified cost data as applied to the composite
Total Costs
Ref.
Cost
Initial
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total
Present Value
Etr
Annual RCS for Business costs
$0
$132,300
$132,300
$132,300
$396,900
$329,011
Ftr
Implementation and ongoing costs
$112,332
$227,920
$227,920
$227,920
$796,092
$679,135
Total costs (risk-adjusted)
$112,332
$360,220
$360,220
$360,220
$1,192,992
$1,008,146
Annual RCS For Business Costs
Evidence and data. Organizations calculated annual RCS for Business costs by multiplying the total number of messages sent each year by the price per message negotiated with their messaging partner or platform provider. This cost category reflects the direct operational expense of using RCS for Business. Interviewees’ organizations reported a wide range of annual message volumes, from tens of thousands to millions, depending on the scale of their campaigns and customer bases. The price per message varied based on factors such as volume discounts, partner markups, and rich media feature inclusion but was generally agreed upon in advance through contract negotiations.
As a result, annual RCS for Business costs are scalable and predictable, allowing organizations to align their messaging investment with business needs and growth targets. For budgeting purposes, most organizations simply tracked the total number of RCS for Business messages sent and applied the contracted rate to estimate and manage their annual spend. Pricing may vary; organizations are encouraged to contact Google or their messaging partner for additional details.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The composite organization sends 21,000,000 rich, single RCS for Business media messages annually.
The composite organization pays an average of $0.006 per rich single RCS for Business media message. Forrester excludes additional partner services costs and markups in this pricing and instead captures the additional costs separately in the implementation and ongoing costs section.
Costs associated with P2A entry points, such as customer‑initiated interactions triggered from Google Search listings, ads, or other paid surfaces, may follow separate pricing structures and are not included in the message‑based cost model.
Risks. Results may not be representative of all experiences, and the cost will vary between organizations depending on several factors, including:
Volume of RCS for Business messages.
Type and complexity of RCS for Business messages.
Partner pricing structures.
Geographic distribution of recipients.
Negotiated contracts and discounts.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $329,000.
Annual RCS For Business Costs
Ref.
Metric
Source
Initial
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
E1
Total message volume for marketing campaign (rich media messages)
A1*A2*3 messages
18,000,000
18,000,000
18,000,000
E2
Cost per rich media RCS for Business message
Composite
$0.0060
$0.0060
$0.0060
E3
Subtotal: Marketing campaign RCS for Business costs
E1*E2
$108,000
$108,000
$108,000
E4
Total message volume for retention campaigns (rich media messages)
C1*5 messages
3,000,000
3,000,000
3,000,000
E5
Subtotal: Retention campaign RCS for Business costs
E4*E2
$18,000
$18,000
$18,000
Et
Annual RCS for Business Costs
E3+E5
$0
$126,000
$126,000
$126,000
Risk adjustment
↑5%
Etr
Annual RCS for Business Costs (risk-adjusted)
$0
$132,300
$132,300
$132,300
Three-year total: $396,900
Three-year present value: $329,011
Implementation And Ongoing Costs
Evidence and data. Interviewees consistently reported that implementing and operating RCS for Business involved partner and internal costs. All interviewees leveraged partner implementation support, which at its most basic level covered initial setup and integration, while some interviewees leveraged partners for more turnkey offerings, including creative development, workflow creation, and training.
Ongoing partner fees were common and typically baked into amalgamated price-per-message structures, paid monthly or annually for managed services, platform access, and maintenance. The exact amount varied by provider, service tier, and message volume.
Internal labor costs were also a significant factor, as teams dedicated marketing, CRM, and technical specialists to implementation and ongoing campaign management. Implementation timelines ranged from two weeks for pilot programs to several months for full-scale rollouts, depending on the complexity and level of partner involvement.
Pricing models were generally structured as price per message, often with partner markups and volume-based discounts. For example, some organizations negotiated volume pricing directly with Google, while partners added a percentage markup to each message. In some cases, organizations benefited from long-standing partner relationships and did not incur additional setup or integration fees, while others noted initial costs for API development and agent deployment.
Training and change management expenses were minimal for organizations with experienced teams or supportive partners, although new adopters sometimes faced extra fees for onboarding and workflow setup.
Pricing may vary; organizations are encouraged to contact Google or their messaging partner for additional details.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
It incurs a one-time cost of $37,800 for partner-led setup, including integration, creative development, change management, and training.
It dedicates two internal FTEs over three months to implementation activities such as integration, creative development, and training.
Ongoing partner fees are estimated at $25,200 annually, based on 20% of messaging spent on managed services and platform support.
The composite dedicates 1.3 FTEs to campaign management and technical maintenance.
Risks. Results may not be representative of all experiences, and implementation and ongoing costs will vary between organizations depending on factors such as:
Partner implementation fees.
Internal labor requirements.
Ongoing partner fees.
Integration complexity.
Geographic scope and compliance needs.
Negotiated contracts and service levels.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $679,000.
Implementation And Ongoing Costs
Ref.
Metric
Source
Initial
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
F1
Partner implementation fee
Composite
$37,800
F2
FTEs dedicated to implementation, integration, creative development, change management, and training
Composite
2
F3
Implementation duration (months)
Composite
3
F4
Total implementation time (hours)
F2*F3*160 hours
960
F5
Blended fully burdened hourly rate for marketing, CRM, and technical specialists (rounded)
Composite
$67
F6
Subtotal: Implementation costs
F1+(F4*F5)
$102,120
F7
Ongoing partner fees
Et*20%
$25,200
$25,200
$25,200
F8
FTEs dedicated to ongoing campaign management and technical maintenance
Composite
1.3
1.3
1.3
F9
Blended fully burdened annual salary for marketing, CRM, and technical specialists
Composite
$140,000
$140,000
$140,000
F10
Subtotal: Ongoing costs
F7+(F8*F9)
$207,200
$207,200
$207,200
Ft
Implementation and ongoing costs
F6+F10
$102,120
$207,200
$207,200
$207,200
Risk adjustment
↑10%
Ftr
Implementation and ongoing costs (risk-adjusted)
$112,332
$227,920
$227,920
$227,920
Three-year total: $796,092
Three-year present value: $679,135
Financial Summary
Consolidated Three-Year, Risk-Adjusted Metrics
Three-Year Projected Financial Analysis For The Composite Organization
The financial results calculated in the Benefits and Costs sections can be used to determine the PROI and projected NPV for the composite organization’s investment. Forrester assumes a yearly discount rate of 10% for this analysis.
These risk-adjusted PROI and projected NPV values are determined by applying risk-adjustment factors to the unadjusted results in each Benefit and Cost section.
The initial investment column contains costs incurred at “time 0” or at the beginning of Year 1 that are not discounted. All other cash flows are discounted using the discount rate at the end of the year. PV calculations are calculated for each total cost and benefit estimate. NPV calculations in the summary tables are the sum of the initial investment and the discounted cash flows in each year. Sums and present value calculations of the Total Benefits, Total Costs, and Cash Flow tables may not exactly add up, as some rounding may occur.
From the information provided in the interviews and survey, Forrester constructed a New Technology: Projected Total Economic Impact™ (New Tech TEI) framework for those organizations considering an investment in RCS for Business.
The objective of the framework is to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility, and risk factors that affect the investment decision. Forrester took a multistep approach to evaluate the projected impact that RCS for Business can have on an organization.
Due Diligence
Interviewed Google stakeholders and Forrester analysts to gather data relative to RCS for Business.
Early-Implementation Interviews And Survey
Interviewed seven decision-makers and surveyed 431 respondents at organizations using RCS for Business in a pilot or beta stage to obtain data about projected costs, benefits, and risks.
Composite Organization
Designed a composite organization based on characteristics of the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations.
Projected Financial Model Framework
Constructed a projected financial model representative of the interviews and survey using the New Tech TEI methodology and risk-adjusted the financial model based on issues and concerns of the interviewees and survey respondents.
Case Study
Employed four fundamental elements of New Tech TEI in modeling the investment’s potential impact: benefits, costs, flexibility, and risks. Given the increasing sophistication of ROI analyses related to IT investments, Forrester’s TEI methodology provides a complete picture of the total economic impact of purchase decisions. Please see Appendix A for additional information on the TEI methodology.
Total Economic Impact Approach
Projected benefits
Projected benefits represent the projected value the solution delivers to the business. The New Tech TEI methodology places equal weight on the measure of projected benefits and projected costs, allowing for a full examination of the solution’s effect on the entire organization.
Projected costs
Projected costs comprise all expenses necessary to deliver the proposed value, or benefits, of the solution. The methodology captures implementation and ongoing costs associated with the solution.
Flexibility
Flexibility represents the strategic value that can be obtained for some future additional investment building on top of the initial investment already made. The ability to capture that benefit has a PV that can be estimated.
Risks
Risks measure the uncertainty of benefit and cost estimates given: 1) the likelihood that estimates will meet original projections and 2) the likelihood that estimates will be tracked over time. TEI risk factors are based on “triangular distribution.”
Financial Terminology
Present value (PV)
The present or current value of (discounted) cost and benefit estimates given at an interest rate (the discount rate). The PVs of costs and benefits feed into the total NPV of cash flows.
Projected net present value (PNPV)
The projected present or current value of (discounted) future net cash flows given an interest rate (the discount rate). A positive project NPV normally indicates that the investment should be made unless other projects have higher NPVs.
Projected return on investment (PROI)
A project’s expected return in percentage terms. ROI is calculated by dividing net benefits (benefits less costs) by costs.
Discount rate
The interest rate used in cash flow analysis to take into account the time value of money. Organizations typically use discount rates between 8% and 16%.
Appendix A
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Projected Total Economic Impact
New Technology: Projected Total Economic Impact (New Tech TEI) is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists solution providers in communicating their value proposition to clients. The New Tech TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of business and technology initiatives to both senior management and other key stakeholders.
Appendix B
Survey Demographics
[CONTENT]
ROLE
C-level executive
18%
Vice president (in charge of one/several large departments)
30%
Director (manage a team of managers and high-level contributors)
42%
Manager (manage a team of functional practitioners)
10%
[CONTENT]
INDUSTRY
Financial services
20%
Retail
20%
Banking
19%
Travel and hospitality
19%
Media and/or leisure
18%
Healthcare
3%
Transportation and logistics
2%
[CONTENT]
ANNUAL REVENUE
$300M to $399M
8%
$400M to $499M
29%
$500M to $999M
38%
$1B to $5B
21%
>$5B
5%
[CONTENT]
DEPARTMENT COMPOSITION
Marketing/advertising
50%
Customer support
25%
Customer experience
13%
IT
12%
Note: Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
Appendix C
Supplemental Material
Related Forrester Research
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Business Messaging Survey, October 2025
Appendix D
Endnotes
1Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists solution providers in communicating their value proposition to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of business and technology initiatives to both senior management and other key stakeholders.
8Net Promoter and NPS are registered service marks, and Net Promoter Score is a service mark, of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
[CONTENT]
Disclosures
Readers should be aware of the following:
This study is commissioned by Google and delivered by Forrester Consulting. It is not meant to be used as a competitive analysis.
Forrester makes no assumptions as to the potential ROI that other organizations will receive. Forrester strongly advises that readers use their own estimates within the framework provided in the study to determine the appropriateness of an investment in RCS for Business. For any interactive functionality, the intent is for the questions to solicit inputs specific to a prospect’s business. Forrester believes that this analysis is representative of what companies may achieve with RCS for Business based on the inputs provided and any assumptions made. Forrester does not endorse Google or its offerings. Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this model, Google and Forrester Research are unable to accept any legal responsibility for any actions taken on the basis of the information contained herein. The interactive tool is provided ‘AS IS,’ and Forrester and Google make no warranties of any kind.
Google reviewed and provided feedback to Forrester, but Forrester maintains editorial control over the study and its findings and does not accept changes to the study that contradict Forrester’s findings or obscure the meaning of the study.
Google provided the customer names for the interviews but did not participate in the interviews.
Forrester fielded the double-blind survey using a third-party survey partner.
Consulting Team:
Luca Son
Published
Marianne Friis
New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact™ Of RCS For Business
This study is commissioned by Google and delivered by Forrester Consulting. It is not meant to be used as a competitive analysis.
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