In the FMCG space, speed and scale are everything.
Reaching customers, coordinating supply chains, and running promotions all depend on fast, reliable communication.
The default channel to achieve this: SMS.
In this Telerivet article, we’ll deep dive into fast moving consumer goods and how connectivity keeps things moving. We’ll cover:
- What challenges do FMCG firms face?
- How are FMCG firms using SMS
- SMS for FMCG: Promotions and growth
- SMS for FMCG: Feedback and support
- SMS for FMCG: Logistics and supply chain
- How Telerivet helps FMCG firms take market share every day
- Three game-changing FMCG use cases with Telerivet
- What else can Telerivet do for FMCG firms?
- Why you should choose Telerivet as your connectivity partner
The results speak for themselves: a leading multinational consumer goods company recently achieved a 5% market share growth in a key region - within 18 months of implementing their SMS-driven consumer engagement campaigns.
This goes beyond just messaging; this is business transformation.
What challenges do FMCG firms face?
Fast-moving consumer goods firms operate on tight margins and tighter timelines.
Products move quickly, often across borders, and the systems behind them need to keep up. Manufacturing, logistics, and sales must align in near-real time. If one part of the chain slows down, everything else does too.
Coordination is one of the biggest hurdles.
These businesses deal with a wide range of stakeholders who rely on timely, accurate communication: suppliers, distributors, retailers, drivers, and end customers. A delivery update that arrives late or a promotion that doesn’t reach the right group can have a measurable impact on sales or inventory turnover.
FMCG firms also face the pressure of scale.
Many operate in dozens of markets simultaneously, each with its own languages, mobile networks, and regulatory constraints. Even simple processes become difficult to manage when they need to function across countries and channels.
"It's costing a lot of money to give consumers physical gifts," a marketing director recently told us, capturing in one sentence what's become the defining challenge for FMCG promotional strategies.
Fast-moving consumer goods firms operate on tight margins and tighter timelines, but traditional reward distribution is eating into both. Products move quickly, often across borders, and the systems behind them need to keep up - but physical gift fulfilment simply can't match the pace modern markets demand.
In this environment, communicating at the right time with the right message via the right channel becomes the critical component that determines promotional success or failure.
For forward-thinking FMCG brands, SMS is becoming the solution that transforms these challenges into competitive advantages. In this environment, communication is a core part of execution.
For more and more FMCG brands, SMS is becoming a key tool for keeping that execution sharp.
How are FMCG firms using SMS
For many FMCG firms, SMS has become one of the most reliable tools for staying connected to customers, partners, and logistics networks.
It's fast, low-friction, and works across devices and markets even when internet access is limited.
In recent years, there’s been a broader shift toward customer-centricity in the industry. Brands that once operated mostly through retail intermediaries are now building direct relationships with end users.
SMS helps make that possible.
It gives FMCG firms a direct line to consumers without relying on apps or third-party platforms.
At the same time, personalization has moved from being a marketing buzzword to an operational requirement. Campaigns are not only about reach but about relevance. SMS makes it easier to deliver the right message to the right user at the right time, whether that’s a promotion, a service alert, or a feedback request.
Mobile-first experiences have become the norm across many markets, particularly in emerging economies. As mobile commerce grows, SMS serves as a dependable foundation to connect systems, trigger actions, and keep customers informed.
SMS for FMCG: Promotions and growth
Marketing in the FMCG space depends on timing, reach, and repetition.
Campaigns need to land fast, be relevant to the customer, and drive action before the moment passes. SMS gives brands a direct way to do exactly that.
Firms use SMS to announce new product launches, highlight special offers, and distribute discount codes or digital vouchers.
These messages prioritize creating urgency over awareness. Unlike other channels where content can be ignored or delayed, SMS is typically seen and acted on within minutes.
Reminders and follow-ups play a key role in increasing stickiness. Whether it’s nudging users about a loyalty program, reminding them to redeem a voucher, or alerting them to a restock, SMS helps keep brands top-of-mind without overwhelming the customer.
Because SMS is permission-based, it also gives brands a clean path to build their own customer lists. That first-party data is increasingly valuable, especially in markets where third-party tracking is becoming less effective.
For FMCG firms, growth is about building repeatable, measurable campaigns that drive volume.
SMS makes that possible at scale.
SMS for FMCG: Feedback and support
FMCG firms are closer to their customers than ever before.
That shift brings new opportunities but it also comes with higher expectations. Customers want to be heard, helped, and respected.
SMS offers a fast, effective way to meet those expectations at scale.
Brands use SMS to request feedback after purchases, gather product insights, and understand customer sentiment in real time. These messages are short, direct, and easy to respond to. That makes it more likely customers will engage, especially compared to longer surveys in emails or apps.
Support is another key area.
SMS allows for quick responses to common issues, like delivery delays, product concerns, or redemption problems. Automated flows can personalize replies based on user data, routing the right message or escalation path without needing a full call center.
Speed matters. When something goes wrong, like a missed delivery or a faulty promotion, customers want to feel acknowledged immediately. SMS helps brands close the gap between issue and resolution, building trust even when things don’t go as planned.
SMS creates a channel that feels personal, fast, and useful. For FMCG firms, that kind of support is part of what keeps customers coming back.
SMS for FMCG: Logistics and supply chain
Behind every product on a shelf is a chain of people and processes working to get it there on time.
In the FMCG world, that chain moves fast and even small delays can ripple into lost sales. SMS helps keep everything moving by giving teams a way to communicate instantly, even in areas where connectivity is limited.
Drivers can receive real-time instructions, updates, or route changes directly to their phones. There’s no need for special apps or constant internet access. If a location is hard to find or a delivery gets delayed, a quick text can keep things on track.
Distributors and warehouse teams use SMS for coordination too.
Whether it’s alerting staff about a shipment’s arrival or confirming last-mile handoffs, SMS helps close gaps where slower systems might fall short.
Even small efficiencies make a difference. When updates are shared in real time, teams spend less time chasing information and more time executing. For supply chains operating across multiple regions, SMS becomes a simple way to reduce friction without adding complexity.
In fast-moving operations, timing is everything. SMS supports the speed and reliability that FMCG logistics demand.
How Telerviet helps FMCG firms take market share every day
For FMCG firms, small improvements at scale can lead to big results.
With Telerivet, those improvements add up to faster execution, smarter targeting, and better coordination across regions and teams.
One global consumer goods company used Telerivet to launch a series of SMS-based campaigns. The results were significant: over 11 million additional units sold, $28 million in attributed revenue, and a 5% increase in market share.
They reduced campaign costs by more than $100,000 per rollout and achieved a return on investment over 50 times.
That success came from doing more with less.
Campaigns were launched faster, with a two-week setup time instead of months. First-party data collection improved by over 500%, helping the brand better understand and retain its customers. And with volume-based approval workflows and localized routing, operational costs went down while performance stayed high.
In another example, a beverage brand used Telerivet to run an on-pack promotion. Customers could text in unique codes from bottle labels, triggering rewards and product offers.
The result was a dramatic increase in customer engagement, opt-ins, and product turnover. All managed from a single campaign flow.
Telerivet supports consumer goods firms across a wide range of markets and categories. It’s built to handle the scale and speed that FMCG demands, without adding complexity to already busy teams.
Three game-changing FMCG use cases with Telerivet
On-pack code redemption at scale
A company implemented unique pack codes across multiple brands, allowing consumers and retailers to text codes for instant rewards. Result: $28+M in attributable sales. The system handled complex validation, fraud prevention, and multi-market rollouts seamlessly.
Flash sales that actually drive volume
Unlike email campaigns that get buried in inboxes, SMS flash sales for FMCG products achieve 86% average redemption rates. One client routinely launches 4-hour "double rewards" campaigns that drive immediate purchasing.
Trade partner engagement
Beyond consumer messaging, FMCG brands use messaging to engage field sales teams and retail partners. Price compliance reporting, inventory alerts, and promotional training all delivered via SMS create a connected ecosystem that drives performance across the entire value chain.
What else can Telerivet do for FMCG firms?
Telerivet is more than just an SMS platform. For FMCG brands working across multiple countries and channels, it provides the flexibility to tailor communication for each market without starting from scratch.
In regions where WhatsApp or Viber are more widely used, Telerivet lets you reach customers through those channels too. You can run the same campaign across different platforms, or set fallback logic so if a message doesn’t send on WhatsApp, it automatically sends as SMS.
Campaigns are easy to set up and manage. Teams can add contacts through opt-in flows, bulk uploads, or API integrations. The campaign builder allows you to create custom flows without needing full engineering support, then reuse them across markets or channels.
Infrastructure is flexible as well.
You're not tied to a single SMS provider. Telerivet lets you plug in different providers based on local pricing, reliability, or compliance needs. That makes it easier to stay cost-effective while maintaining control over delivery.
For FMCG firms dealing with scale, speed, and complexity, Telerivet offers a way to keep communication agile, connected, and efficient.
Why you should choose Telerivet as your messaging partner
We've worked with several global FMCG companies on similar multi-market consumer engagement challenges. Unlike generic CPaaS platforms that treat FMCG as just another vertical, our solution is purpose-built for consumer goods companies operating across multiple markets.
We helped one multinational company completely transform their promotional and trade engagement strategy across multiple South East Asian markets.
They achieved 526% growth in their retailer database and 50:1+ ROI on digital versus physical rewards distribution.
Instead of only sending messages, we also provide enrolment, loyalty, field sales, and trade engagement ecosystems that work across channels and integrate with your existing systems.
Our advantage is speed to market and industry specificity. We can deploy functional consumer engagement programs in 2-6 weeks versus 3-6 months for enterprise implementations, because we've pre-built the FMCG workflows, multi-market capabilities, and emerging market optimizations.
We've found that successful FMCG digital engagement requires four integrated capabilities:
- Enrolment & Acquisition - How you bring new consumers into your ecosystem
- Engagement & Loyalty - How you maintain ongoing relationships and drive repeat behavior
- Referral & Advocacy - How you leverage satisfied consumers for growth
- Field Sales & Trade Enablement - How you empower your internal teams and trade partners
The key is that these work together as an integrated system rather than separate point solutions.
Telerivet is that purpose-built integrated system.
Telerivet: Messaging when it matters
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