MBA’s New Investment in Smarter, Richer Messaging
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Mobile messaging has long been a key part of how we help clients connect with their customers, and as specialists in data-led, multi-channel customer engagement, we’ve just made a significant move to strengthen it.
We’ve acquired a proven SMS and mobile messaging solution, Textplode, bringing more advanced infrastructure and technology directly into our existing communications ecosystem.
For our clients, this means better pricing, greater delivery confidence, and access to a new generation of messaging capability with the addition of RCS to our offering, all through the same, single trusted partner.
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Why Mobile Messaging Still Matters
SMS remains one of the most reliable and instant communication channels available to businesses. Open rates consistently outperform email, sitting at around 98% [1], compared to roughly 20–25% for email. SMS also reaches customers directly, with 90% of messages read within three minutes of receipt [2], and lands in their hands without the barriers of algorithms, inbox filters, or download forms. For large-scale and time-sensitive communications it remains the channel businesses depend on to deliver.
Response rates tell a similar story as SMS averages 45%, against just 6% for email [3]. And in 2025, texting officially overtook email as the preferred way for consumers to reach customer service [4], a telling shift that reflects just how central mobile messaging has become to everyday life and business communication.
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Where It Makes A Difference
Across sectors, SMS is embedded in multiple key touchpoints in customer journeys, such as appointment reminders in healthcare, booking confirmations in hospitality, and fraud alerts in financial services. Retail profits from the channel too, with nearly three quarters of consumers having made a purchase directly because of a brand text message [5]. The impact on returns is just as striking, as businesses report up to £55 for every £1 spent on SMS marketing [6], and 82% agree it is an effective driver of revenue [7].
The simplicity and effectiveness of plain-text messaging mean it will always have its place, but the ability to go further, when the situation calls for it, is increasingly where the real competitive advantage lies. That’s exactly what this acquisition enables.
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More Value in Every Message
For our customers, one of the most immediate benefits of this investment is commercial. We’ve secured best-in-market SMS pricing, meaning maximum value on every message sent, and whatever volume you operate.
This acquisition also marks the arrival of something new to MBA Group’s offering: RCS (Rich Communication Services). As the next generation of mobile messaging, RCS opens up a world beyond plain text of branded messages, images, interactive buttons and more, delivered straight to your customers’ default messaging app.
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The numbers that support RCS adoption are compelling. RCS click-through rates run at 15-20% compared to 4-7% for SMS [8], and enterprises are also reporting conversion increases of 8-10% when moving loyalty promotions from SMS to RCS [9]. It’s a channel that is growing fast, with global RCS business messaging predicted to reach 200 billion messages by 2029 [10], and it’s growing because the results already speak for themselves.
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This acquisition significantly strengthens our mobile messaging offering, giving clients access to more robust infrastructure, enhanced capabilities, and more competitive pricing, all through a single, trusted partner with 40 years of expertise in data, creative and operational delivery.
It’s a natural evolution, and one we expect clients will feel the benefit of quickly.
Mobile messaging is only becoming more central to how businesses connect with their customers. We’re building to meet that, and making sure our clients are ready for it too.
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Want to learn more about how mobile messaging can be implemented into your strategy? Get in touch here.
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Our acquisition of Textplode was featured in PrintWeek — read the full story here.
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Sources:
- Mobile Marketing Association, 2025
- RedEye, 2024
- Gartner
- SimpleTexting, 2025
- Infobip, 2025
- Omnisend, 2025 (converted from USD)
- SimpleTexting, 2025
- TXTImpact, 2025
- Mordor Intelligence, 2026
- Juniper Research, 2024
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