“We liked that texting allowed us to reach customers in a way that felt more intimate than other mediums like email or social media,” said Shine. “It’s not broadcasted or one-way communication, and because of that, it makes for a really natural back and forth platform on which we can have actual conversations with our audience members.”

An example is London-based Threads, which has quietly picked up $20M last year with Highland Europe, for its operation which courts millennial, with tailored selections of luxury fashion which it then sells to them directly on services like WeChat, WhatsApp, Snapchat, with a team of human shopping assistants!