Lotte Department Store said on the 11th it will become the first South Korean department store to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS), a next-generation messaging system.
RCS is a step up from conventional text messaging, offering multimedia features and stronger security. Verified companies' official logos appear in the sender information, and a brand profile function lets recipients check corporate details such as the company's website. Lotte Department Store worked with Lotte Innovate and KT on the service.
The system lets Lotte Department Store customers open the retailer's text messages without worrying about corporate impersonation or spam. It also strengthens customer communication. Without installing a separate app, customers can hold one-on-one, two-way conversations through the default messaging app on their smartphones. Messages can also carry buttons linking directly to the online site and attach high-resolution images, which the company expects will improve the quality of the information customers receive.
Going forward, Lotte Department Store plans to use RCS to offer customers a higher level of digital experience. The company intends to apply RCS to promotional notices, coupons, service use and event participation to strengthen digital customer experience and improve convenience. It also plans to analyze customer response data collected through RCS and to review various uses aimed at innovating customer experience, such as personalized marketing and membership-linked services.
Choi Sung-chul, head of Lotte Department Store's AI Studio division, said the adoption of RCS carries significant meaning in that it can strengthen the brand's credibility through text messaging, the communication channel most familiar to customers. "We will continue to pursue proactive digital innovation with customers as our top priority," Choi said.
