CNAM vs Caller ID & Why Branded Calling Is Superior

For years, CNAM and caller ID helped businesses display their identity on calls. But today, following continuous development in the telecommunications industry, there is another solution that stands alongside them. Branded Calling delivers verified identity, logos and call reason – improving answer rates and driving measurable ROI.

Is Branded Calling the new CNAM and Caller ID? CNAM and caller ID laid the groundwork for branded calling by enabling basic caller identification. Branded calling evolved to restore trust and enhance engagement in a telecommunications era of robocalls and spoofing.

CNAM, Caller ID and Branded Calling Comparison

Let’s start with an overview of the evolution from CNAM and caller ID to branded calling ID.

CNAM allows networks to display the name of the incoming caller on a subscriber’s incoming call screen, whereas caller ID only displays the number.

Branded calling takes this technology a step further by offering not only name on the incoming call screen, but verified brand names, logos and call reason in some cases on the screen.

In our mobile-first world, the evolution of this technology now allows businesses to give their customers the information and confidence to help boost engagement.

CNAM vs Caller ID: Technical and Geographic Limitations

CNAM behavior varies by country and carrier. In the US and Canada, the centralized CNAM caller ID database model remains common.

Toll-free numbers CNAM in a different way to non-toll-free numbers and terminating carriers may suppress or replace CNAM with different display logic. When a lookup returns nothing, recipients will see no CNAM – effectively no CNAM caller ID result – even though the caller ID telephone number is present.

Regulatory measures like STIR/SHAKEN affect caller authentication but do not directly populate CNAM entries.

Branded calling works by modernizing caller identification by providing rich call data such as number, company, logo and call reason on authenticated calls made by the enterprise. Branded calling providers work closely with carriers to send specific data that only verified and legitimate calls can display. This helps remove the technical limitations that CNAM and caller ID face.

Branded Calling Rises Above CNAM and Caller ID

For businesses conducting high-volume calling outreach or call-first customer contact, branded calling solutions help improve answer rates and trust more consistently via the voice channel than traditional CNAM.

Branded calling solutions require carrier partnerships and verification, but it sidesteps many of the propagation and display inconsistencies that affect CNAM.

Branded Calling Business Best Practices

In today’s modern telecommunications landscape, the best practice for caller identification is to deploy a branded calling solution. To help boost customer engagement, improve answer rates and drive measurable ROI, branded calling is no longer an optional consideration – it’s the superior solution for today’s mobile-first world.

Below are a few branded calling best practices that can help keep your business’ engagement and answer rates high:

• Use High-Contrast Logos: Ensure legibility on dark and light screens
• Update Branded Assets Regularly: Reflect seasonal campaigns or brand refreshes
• Monitor feedback loops: Track call answer rates and customer sentiments to refine strategies

Branded Calling ROI Benefits

In addition to keeping up with modern telecommunications, mobile-first era, branded calling helps businesses and contact centers to drive measurable ROI for their outbound calling operations:

• Higher answer rates → more conversions
• Fewer spam flags → improved telephone number reputation
• Stronger brand and voice channel trust → better customer experience

Branded Calling – The Future of CNAM and Caller ID

CNAM and caller ID remain useful for basic identification, however as legacy solutions, their limitations can mean that they fall short of today’s customer expectations. To maximize ROI and customer trust, businesses and contact centers should move beyond them. Branded calling is the superior solution for today’s mobile-first world.