Companies reach peak digital interactions: 7.68 billion messages during Black Friday with Sinch technology

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, digital communication channels experienced one of the highest interaction spikes ever recorded: 7.68 billion messages facilitated by Sinch's Customer Communications Cloud platform, including SMS, MMS, RCS, WhatsApp and email.

In an environment marked by saturation of offerings and demand for personalized experiences, companies have relied on omnichannel communication strategies to meet the needs of consumers US$ 118.2 billion in revenue in November 2024, of which US$ 10.8 billion it was exclusively Black Friday, according to a recent report by the Adobe.

Key insights into the behaviour of digital interactions

Analyzing billions of messages reveals crucial trends affecting business strategy and customer experience:

1. Large volumes of communication:
   • 7.68 Billion interactions during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
   • 1.8 Billion SMS sent globally, consolidating channel position as essential for last minute offers and promotional reminders.
   • An increase of 33% in the volume of emails during Black Friday and 33% more on Cyber Monday compared to 2023, reflecting consumer preference for this channel for promotions and transactional updates such as transaction confirmation emails and order tracking.
2. Consistent response rates:

• Emails maintained an average open rate of 13% on Black Friday and of 15% on Cyber Monday, despite the increase in volume, reflecting the effectiveness of targeted email campaigns.

3. Accelerated adoption of advanced technologies:

• RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages registered a growth of 111% compared to 2023, standing out for its interactive features, such as responsive elements and verified messages, marking a rapid adoption of this channel.

Consumer preferences: a challenge for brands

Recent research BFCM 2024 from Sinch shows that 61,3% of consumers prefer email for promotions, while 51% expect immersive interactions in messaging apps and 75.1% for transactional updates, such as order confirmations and shipping notifications. These expectations encourage companies to optimize their omnichannel strategy to keep users' attention.

Business impact

Companies that have managed to integrate robust digital solutions have not only responded effectively to market demands, but have also ensured continued engagement with their customers even during peak digital traffic periods.

Sean O’Neal, Chief Product Officer of Sinch, commented: “This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping dates highlighted the vital role of timely, reliable, high-performance communication in delivering exceptional digital experiences to customers.Sinch Customer Communications Cloud ensured seamless message delivery without downtime.This allowed brands to exceed consumer expectations and perform at their best during the busiest and riskiest shopping days of the year”.

By reducing friction and maximizing efficiency across key channels such as SMS, RCS and WhatsApp, companies have been able to scale their operations and excel in a saturated market.