Branded Caller ID: Enhancing Communication Confidence in the Digital Age

The need for secure and flexible caller-ID systems is only increasing. 

For years, the relentless rise in spam calls, spoofed calls, and robocalls has not only made consumers increasingly suspicious of incoming voice communication, but also significantly disrupted their daily lives and peace of mind. 

Recent research has revealed that 77% of respondents report receiving spam or spoofed calls daily or weekly. The same survey also showed that 69% of respondents had missed, ignored, or declined an important or desired call because it lacked trusted caller information. 

Consumers have good reason to be wary: A survey by Hiya found that nearly 20% of consumers reported falling victim to a phone scam in 2023, with an average loss of $2,300—a staggering 527% increase over the previous year's average. 

Such a rampant increase in telephone-based fraud is naturally driving consumer wariness and call avoidance—a significant challenge to businesses that rely on phone communication for customer service, sales, and other outreach purposes. But as the pace of technological advancements has quickened, companies and their customers now have access to security and branding tools that are transforming simple caller identification into an advanced system of information delivery. These tools have the potential to reverse the drift away from the phone call as a primary method of professional communication. 

The Evolution of Caller ID 

Caller ID, as we know it today, has its roots in the 1970s when it was developed to combat harassing and obscene phone calls over the copper-based landline systems of the time. Initially, the service was limited to displaying the caller’s phone number, allowing the recipient to decide whether to answer the call. 

Back then the service initially provided the caller's phone number, a basic but essential piece of information that allowed the recipient to decide whether to answer the call. 

As technology advanced and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony proliferated, caller ID became more sophisticated, displaying not just the phone number but also the name associated with it. As it evolved, though, the system became rife with significant opportunities for fraudulent and even criminal manipulation and misuse. 

A significant step in addressing the fraudulent misuse of telephone communication was the development of branded calling. This typically involved displaying a company’s name or logo alongside its phone number, helping customers recognize the business calling them. However, this form of caller ID still lacked important security features—leaving it susceptible to deceitful misuse—and offered limited flexibility in the branding opportunities available. 

Branded Caller ID (BCID)—The Next Level of Call Security and Trusted Branding 

The latest—and still evolving—generation of caller identification, typically referred to as Branded Caller ID (BCID), allows businesses to display their logos, company names, and customized messages when making phone calls to customers. However, BCID goes beyond earlier caller-identification methods by integrating advanced authentication protocols—such as the STIR/SHAKEN framework (a set of standards and protocols for authenticating and verifying the origin of digital messages) and integration with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology (a signaling protocol for initiating and terminating communications sessions)—to verify a caller’s identity. BCID also uses rich call data (RCD) to enable businesses to provide call-context messaging (i.e., the reason for the call) and dynamic, customizable branding. 

BCID solutions are usually provided by third-party telecom service providers, who work with mobile carriers and businesses to ensure proper system integration. Once a business signs up for a branded caller ID service, its company information is registered and verified through the service provider. The service provider then works with mobile carriers to ensure that the business's brand information—its name, logo, or even the reason for the call—appears on the recipient's phone screen. This process ensures that the BCID system is seamlessly integrated into the business's existing communication infrastructure. 

BCID services work on mobile phones and, increasingly, on desktop VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems. Branded caller ID can be displayed across various devices and operating systems, ensuring the business's information reaches the customer regardless of phone carrier or platform. 

BCID can help companies legitimize their outreach efforts, improve customer trust, and enhance brand recognition in an era of increasingly wary callers. By giving businesses more control over how their calls is displayed, BCID can reshape customer interactions and improve engagement rates, increasing the likelihood of a successful phone interaction. 

The Benefits of BCID Technologies  

1. Increased Answer Rates: Displaying your business’s name and logo increases the likelihood that the customer will answer your call. For instance, a healthcare provider could use BCID to display their name and logo when calling a patient for a follow-up appointment, increasing the chances of the call being answered. This can be especially valuable in banking, hospitality, and other industries where direct and timely communication is essential. 

2. Expanded Branding Opportunities: Branded caller ID allows businesses to extend their branding efforts beyond traditional channels like websites or social media. A company logo or name on a customer’s phone screen strengthens brand awareness and creates a consistent user experience across devices. 

3. Improved Customer Experience: Customers value transparency and clear communication. Branded caller ID confirms to customers who is trying to contact them, improving trust in the brand and the subsequent interaction that follows. 

4. Protection Against Spoofing: For years, scammers have manipulated the phone numbers shown on fraudulent calls to make them appear to come from legitimate businesses. Branded caller ID offers a solution by authenticating and verifying the calling business’s identity, reducing the chances of spoofed calls damaging a company’s reputation.

5. Increased Conversion and Engagement Rates: Whether the goal is to generate sales leads, provide customer service, or send notifications, BCID has been shown to boost engagement rates. When customers feel confident about who is calling them, they are more likely to participate in a meaningful conversation with the organization. 

The Continuing Evolution of Branded Caller ID

As with most digital technologies, branded caller ID is rapidly evolving. Innovations in this space are improving the technology’s security, effectiveness, and range of functionality. Significant emerging developments in BCID technology include: 

1. Rich Call Data (RCD):  

One significant advance in BCID technology that promises to improve trust and caller recognition is already emerging: rich call data (RCD). RCD allows businesses to display their name or logo and provide additional information, such as the reason for the call or the agent's name. For example, a call from a bank might display the term "ABC Bank - Account Verification" on the customer's screen, offering immediate clarity and reducing the likelihood of call avoidance. RCD aims to create a more personalized and context-rich interaction between businesses and customers.  

However, the delivery and presentation of RCD is still subject to certain limitations. Smartphones operate on different networks, and various carrier-specific or subscriber-installed apps may display RDC-based messaging differently. No common standards currently exist that developers can use to ensure a uniform RCD implementation. This means that the way RCD-based messages are displayed can vary depending on the device and the app being used. Industry leaders are now testing and developing several models to determine how best to deliver and present RCD-branded communications in a standardized, platform-independent format. 

2. Integration with STIR/SHAKEN Frameworks: Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs (SHAKEN) are an industry-standard framework of technical protocols that helps combat robocalls and caller-ID spoofing by ensuring that displayed caller-ID information has been authenticated. It attaches a digital certificate to each call, verifying that the calling party’s information is legitimate and has not been tampered with. The integration of STIR/SHAKEN into BCID is critical to the security and reliability of the system, allowing businesses and their customers to communicate secure in the knowledge that their call information is verified and protected from spoofing.

3. AI-Powered Call Analytics: The incorporation of an artificial-intelligence component can enhance the effectiveness of BCID’s branding potential. AI-powered analytics tools can improve the performance of BCID in real-time, providing insights into consumer behavior, which types of branded calls result in higher answer rates, or which outgoing messages resonate most with customers. This data can then be used to fine-tune and optimize future BCID branding campaigns. 

4. Customization and Dynamic Branding: The future of BCID technology promises to include more dynamic branding options, allowing businesses to tailor the information displayed based on specific customer demographic segments or the type of interaction being initiated. Companies could customize message branding for customer service, sales, or product calls, creating more relevant and personalized communications. 

5. Cross-Platform Compatibility: As consumers increasingly adopt additional and often dissimilar communication channels (such as video calls or messaging apps), branded caller ID technology can be expected to evolve toward functionality across multiple platforms. In the future, businesses may be able to display their branded information not just through phone calls but also through messaging services (like WhatsApp) or VoIP applications (like Zoom), ensuring that the same level of transparency and trust is maintained regardless of the communication medium employed. 

The Future of Branded Caller ID 

The future of branded caller ID technology appears bright. With continuous advancements in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and telecommunication protocols, BCID is poised to become an even more integral part of businesses' communication with their customers. Rich and engaging call data, enhanced security frameworks, and dynamic, customizable branding will create more meaningful, personalized, and secure interactions, shaping the future of phone-based communications engagement for years to come.