Email has slipped—at least slightly—in the mobile media mix, according to one measure in the 9thMobile Consumer Insights Report from
Vibes.
Of the consumers polled, “41% say they’re more likely to redeem digital wallet offers sent to
them via text message than sent through email or made available to them in a brand’s mobile app,” the study
says.
In contrast, email has declined to 39%.
In general, though, 81% of shoppers say they want RCS messaging more than SMS. They like the
carousels of product images they get with RCS (34%), the high-quality images & video (33%) and the RCS-suggested action buttons that allow them to interact with brands by tapping or
typing.
Meanwhile, 76% of respondents would interact more with brands that offer a digital wallet option for their coupons and offers, up from 60% in 2025. And 75% would do
the same with firms that offer a digital wallet choice for their loyalty/rewards program.
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As for SMS, there are the reasons why people sign up for text messages:
- Offers or coupons—58%
- Loyalty program-related updates—50%
- Time-sensitive updates (e.g, appt.
reminders)—49%
- Account/transaction-related updates—45%
- Company news &
announcements—42%
- Exclusive content—40%
Roughly the same list of choices might pop up in a survey of why people subscribe
to email.
At the same time, consumers want brands to use their personal information to:
- Remind me of relevant offers or sales I might be
interested in—58%
- Send me offers based on my location—48%
- I prefer they use my past behaviors, like purchase history, over personal
information—45%
- Send me more personalized communications—44%
- Remind me of upcoming events—42%
Vibes surveyed over 1,144 U.S. consumers with smartphones in November 2025.