For decades, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have built some of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Yet the old playbook of brand equity plus massive retail distribution isn’t delivering the growth it once did. PwC research reveals that growth has slowed to low single digits across the CPG sector, with human issues like misalignment and lack of clear vision often in the way of transformation.
“This is not a time to wait for clarity. It’s the time to create it.”
- PwC CPG Executive Survey 2025
At the same time, consumer expectations are evolving. People expect brands to know them, tailor every interaction to their needs, and respond instantly to their questions. They want value in return for the time they give to brands.
For CPG marketing leaders who are not running direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, consumer engagement presents a particular challenge. In order to understand consumers’ choices, detect lifestyle shifts, and serve their interests, brands need a direct channel to engage through and learn from.
There’s a path forward that combines two-way texting, zero-party (or disclosed) data, and smart integrations to create market intelligence and build meaningful connections with consumers.
One universal truth about digital engagement is this: capturing attention is only the first step. Keeping it is the real challenge.
If your brand has invested in a mobile app as a way to bridge the gap to consumers, you know how hard it is to keep that app top of mind. Across industries, benchmarks show that mobile apps often lose a significant share of users by day 30 after download. Unless they find reasons to return over and over again, that relationship is short-lived.
Emails often go unread or get filtered into spam folders. Social media is cluttered and algorithms are unpredictable. It’s harder than ever to capture and maintain attention in the middle of so much noise.
That’s where two-way texting can make a real difference. Industry benchmarks show SMS outperforming most digital channels, with click-through rates exceeding 40%, open rates near 98%, and most text messages read within 3 minutes.
But blasting your audience with the same text across all recipients, lacking any level of personalization, isn’t the type of texting that’s working. Instead, brands are realizing that smart SMS campaigns can meet consumers where they are, and finding the right solutions to create two-way conversations that feel organic, and guide them into deeper branded experiences, is key to success.
Instead of one-way blasts, imagine your consumer receiving a text that feels personalized, relevant to their likes and interests, and thus, useful. They respond. You learn something about their needs, preferences, how they use your product, or what’s missing. That insight becomes the foundation for a next touch that is even more relevant. Every interaction becomes intelligence - instant, actionable, straight from the source. No focus group needed.
There isn’t a single way to build consumer relationships. But there are complementary paths brands can use to reach consumers, spark interaction, and collect real insights they can act on:
Brands that have already invested in a consumer-facing app can use text messaging as a companion to reach users who may have muted notifications or stopped engaging.
By sharing contextual links via SMS, brands can guide consumers directly to specific sections of the app that matters to them.
Rather than hoping users return on their own, SMS becomes a low-friction bridge that drives app usage. Once inside, consumers are more likely to interact and deepen their relationship with the brand.
Not every consumer wants to download an app, and many don’t need to. For them, standalone texts can be the first direct touchpoint with your brand.
You can create two-way conversations that feel like talking to a helpful brand ambassador. Consumers can ask questions about products, share what they care about, or where to purchase.
As those conversations unfold, you capture consumer insights you wouldn’t get anywhere else and use them to tailor future messages for even more relevance over time.
Hybrid Path
In a hybrid model, consumers are prompted across channels like social media, email, and in-app experiences to opt into SMS. From there, all engagement converges into a single conversational thread.
By connecting multiple paths into one platform, brands optimize for relationship building. The result is better insights, more consistent engagement, and deeper connection with end consumers.
Ultimately, the goal is not engagement for the sake of it. The goal is to turn engagement into business outcomes.
When you create dialogues that feel authentic, you begin to learn who your consumers are, what they care about, and what motivates their choices. With that insight you can:
This moves your brand beyond the traditional broadcast approach to consumer marketing into something much richer, deeper, and more insightful.
The CPG landscape is at an inflection point. Consumers are less loyal to brands than they used to be, and traditional pathways to engagement and data collection are becoming less reliable.
A Statista study mentions emotional connections as one of the key paths to building brand loyalty and Forrester reports that 83% of consumers spend more with brands that make them feel appreciated.
Brands that figure out how to talk with consumers, rather than at them, will have a distinct advantage. Two-way texting gives you an opportunity to own the narrative and build real relationships with people who care about your products.
Engagement isn’t just a metric. It’s the foundation for innovation, loyalty, and long-term growth in an era where consumers choose who they interact with on their own terms.
Learn how two-way SMS marketing can help your brand build stronger consumer engagement and smarter CPG marketing strategies.