Customer conversations are moving fast from traditional service channels to messaging apps, as the rise of conversational commerce reshapes how brands connect.
Around 65% of consumers now use messaging apps like WhatsApp to engage with companies, research from Salesforce shows. WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has evolved from a simple personal messaging tool to a platform for customer engagement and loyalty.
Using messaging apps like WhatsApp is about meeting customers where they are. As the third most popular app worldwide, WhatsApp has a whopping 2 billion users, of which 1.54 billion interact with WhatsApp for Business accounts, making it impossible for brands to ignore.
WhatsApp for Business includes a range of communication tools—a free app, an advanced API platform, and an ad format that directs users to the app, along with extra features that help businesses of any size handle customer communication at scale.
Around 68% of WhatsApp users believe it’s the most convenient way to engage with brands, according to Freshworks. That suggests the app should be a key element of a brand’s omnichannel customer service strategy, offering a way to connect with customers in a channel they prefer to use.
WhatsApp offers the convenience of asynchronous communication, allowing customers to reach out to brands in their own time. By providing 24/7 availability through AI agents and live support, as well as Quick Replies and Automated Messages, companies can eliminate the frustration of only being available during business hours, when customers themselves may be unavailable.
Businesses can use the app to create engaging, personalized customer interactions with its rich media features incorporating images and videos.
In addition, with security a growing concern among businesses, it’s worth noting that WhatsApp uses end-to-end Signal encryption to keep messages private and ensure customer information is protected. Meta ensures WhatsApp Business Platform is compliant with the General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) and other key regulatory requirements.
WhatsApp for Business Becomes Default Loyalty Channel in Asia-Pacific
Brand outcomes in Asia-Pacific highlight the importance of having a WhatsApp strategy. Of the 1.54 billion WhatsApp Business users, around 748 million are in Asia-Pacific, compared with 130 million in North America. With so many people in Asia using the app every day, the region shows how naturally companies can work it into their customer conversations.
Regional insights from polling firm YouGov show that 32-43 percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region use business messaging to complete purchases, track orders, and connect with brands, especially during major sales and seasonal campaigns. Similarly, Infobip’s Messaging Trends Report points to Asia-Pacific as the world’s fastest-growing messaging region, driven by dynamic markets like Indonesia, the Philippines and China. The region saw a 51 percent increase in conversational messaging in 2024, led by a doubling in WhatsApp growth to 100 percent.
As business messaging has become integrated into the customer lifecycle, WhatsApp has, in effect, become the default loyalty channel for high-intent customer engagement in the region, according to Meta.
“We are seeing the shopping journey become more conversational because consumers now want dialogue, not one-way marketing,” said Vicky Yiu, APAC Strategic Partnership Manager, Business Messaging at Meta.
“WhatsApp is increasingly becoming the commerce layer for brand engagement in Asia. Customers don’t just browse — they consult, request support, complete transactions, and revisit brands all within messaging threads.”
L’Occitane’s WhatsApp-First Strategy
At the recent Commerce Leadership Forum held at Meta Singapore’s office, French beauty brand L’Occitane stated that WhatsApp now accounts for more than 80 percent of its inbound and outbound customer conversations in Asia-Pacific, becoming its primary customer touchpoint across different markets.
“By using WhatsApp as a unified touchpoint, we can move customers seamlessly from online discovery to in-store engagement without losing context,” said Terrence Siu, Chief Information Officer, APAC at L’Occitane. “Customers enjoy a consistent and personalized experience wherever they interact with us, be it on Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp.”
The brand extends this into a loyalty journey by staying connected with customers through the app so that they continue to feel guided and valued after the first transaction.
“By distributing samples and exclusive VIP offers directly through WhatsApp, we can convert interest into purchase immediately in the same channel the customer already uses,” Siu added. “This approach has lifted our coupon redemption rate to 87%. Once the customer is connected, we continue the journey through personalized refill and replenishment reminders, helping us maintain an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time transaction.
“WhatsApp has become a loyalty bridge — from sampling, to purchase, to repeat purchase — all within one seamless customer journey.”
Across the region, it has become apparent that loyalty sticks only when customers are actively engaged, rather than passively included. As Alan Chan, CEO and Founder of Omnichat put it:
“Points sitting in an app don’t translate into customer relationships, but loyalty delivered through WhatsApp stays close to the customer’s daily behavior.”
Rather than waiting for customers to remember a loyalty program, brands can link QR codes to product samples, in-store touchpoints and messaging-based rewards to proactively engage members in real time.
“This is the difference between a loyalty database and a loyalty journey. When customers are reminded, recognized and rewarded in the channel they already use every day, loyalty becomes a habit,” Chan said, adding:
“[A]nd unlike apps, no one uninstalls WhatsApp.”
Using WhatsApp to keep customer relationships active means retention doesn’t have to be expensive. Brands in Asia-Pacific are showing the way by moving away from one-time campaigns and toward relationship-led loyalty that leans into conversational commerce where customers are already having real conversations.
