Audiences increasingly expect brands to engage with them on their terms, through responsive and relevant communications on their preferred platforms. In 2026, brands that adopt business messaging as part of their communications strategy will unlock a new path to growth.
The business messaging moment
For many of us, messaging applications have become the epicenter of our social lives and of our conversations with friends, families, and colleagues. Today, the three largest messaging apps in the world, WhatsApp, WeChat/Weixin, and Messenger, have all surpassed the one billion monthly average user milestone. It has also been reported that, on average, users reportedly open WhatsApp 891 times a month vs. 359 times for TikTok (the next most used social app).
Until recently, brand presence on messaging platforms has been limited in Europe and the United States, as these apps were cautious not to alienate the audiences they built over the years and become riddled with spam. But a new wave of monetization is underway. In recent months, new advertising placements have emerged across platforms like TikTok (Messaging Ads), Discord (Video Quests now available on mobile), and WhatsApp (Ads in Status).
A new world of opportunities
By unifying content typically dispersed across multiple channels (e.g., apps, websites, emails) into a single, persistent conversation, business messaging enables brands to deliver truly integrated experiences encompassing media, commerce, and customer experience management (CXM).
The flexibility to include many formats (e.g., catalog integration surfaced through product carousels) and to move from automated messages to human-led interactions as needed makes messaging a versatile option suitable for a wide array of objectives.
For example, brands can use instore QR codes driving to their messaging channel to connect earlier in the buying journey and address common barriers, use product finder and influencer content to drive conversions, or provide how to help and exclusive offers to delight post purchase.
In the United Kingdom, Sherwin-Williams Valspar launched Valspar Colour Consult, a service accessible via a click-to-WhatsApp link on their website or a QR code instore. After a series of automated questions, a live agent uses the dentsu WhatsApp Gateway to chat with customers about their project in real time, offering expert advice and mood boards. Eighty percent of users complete the journey end-to-end, demonstrating both the interest and convenience of this kind of pre-purchase customer service.
For brands, developing an effective business messaging channel requires increased collaboration and education within the organization. As messaging cuts across departments, misalignment can lead to confusion around priorities, sourcing budgets, and building the workflows that will support a seamless experience for the audiences. Clear, shared rules of engagement are also essential to manage customer expectations and maintain credibility.
What’s next?
In the Western world, messaging apps have long looked with envy at the wide array of features of Eastern super apps. By dramatically elevating the breadth of services available to users, business messaging and agentic AI could make messaging apps even more central to people’s lives, ultimately taking them closer to super apps status.
This is trend #6 in dentsu’s Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era | 2026 Media Trends report.
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