Skift Take

Capturing the attention of the modern traveler in today’s fast-paced digital world is complex and competitive. Travel marketers must use trusted, accurate, and timely data to build successful campaigns that respond to customers’ increasing demands for personalization.

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

The travel industry is undergoing rapid change at all levels. Now more than ever, marketers need to move faster and more strategically to reach new and existing customers. In a new eBook, 18 Strategies for Conquering 5 Key Marketing Goals,  Adara highlights action-oriented strategies to help travel marketers build successful campaigns.

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Without savvy marketing, the risks of revenue loss and slower customer growth are real. Technology mobilizes marketers’ efforts to reach existing and potential customers with customized messages and should be used to mitigate the risk of declining customer loyalty.

In fact, Skift’s An Expanded View of Hotel Loyalty Tech 2019 report stated that without technology, hotels would not be able to offer engagement to the level that is expected by guests today:

“Interactions have not only moved online, they have also become more personalized, on-demand, and instantaneous […] Technology not only increases the number of potential interactions, it also improves the personalization capabilities during traditional touchpoints like check-in or at the concierge desk.”

Ultimately, technology helps marketers reach customers at the right time, in the right place, with the right message. Deloitte also underscored the importance of using data to inform personalized marketing that brings authenticity to our digital age. “Together, CMOs and CIOs are building an arsenal of experience-focused marketing tools that are powered by emerging technology. Their goal is to transform marketing from a customer-acquisition focused activity to one that enables a superb human experience, grounded in data.” Further, eMarketer’s Customer Experience 2019 – Personalization and Data-Driven Experiences report found that while marketers continue to improve and extend their capabilities when it comes to delivering tailored messaging, there are still significant gaps.

Adara’s new eBook investigates five marketing campaign goals and pairs each with specific strategies and techniques to drive the best results. In doing so, it synthesizes insight and action to ultimately help travel marketers achieve their goals.

“Consumer expectations for personalization at every step of the journey continue to rise. And, travelers are quick to switch away from brands that fail to meaningfully personalize interactions. Leveraging data and insights is the key to meeting their expectations and growing brand affection,” said Carolyn Corda, CMO, Adara.

In this eBook, key campaign goals and tactics include:

  • Increasing direct booking conversions 

Today’s travelers tend to spend a lot of time researching before committing to a purchase decision. These longer decision cycles require marketers to employ a data-driven approach for more predictive insights to reach and convert this audience. Strategies and tactics include multi-channel in-market targeting with relevant offers, filling unsold inventory to reach customers who typically book last minute, and more.

  • Increasing ancillary revenue

To capitalize on ancillaries, marketers need to integrate them into the engagement process from initial promotion through booking and arrival. Strategies and tactics include targeting budget brand bookers with upgrade offers and using data to create hyper-relevant offers at the time of booking.

  • Acquiring new customers

Travel data intelligence cannot be ignored. Marketers must use data-driven strategies to identify new loyal customers. Strategies and tactics include data analysis to target customers who are likely to book and increasing loyalty membership through points programs.

  • Increasing customer engagement

Eighty-seven percent of travelers want more personalization, but only 64 percent are getting it, according to a travel industry study. Strategies and tactics to improve customer engagement through marketing include personalizing offers in a company’s customer relationship management (CRM) by segmenting preferences and behaviors and winning back lapsed customers with enticing incentive offers.

  • Increasing brand awareness

Successful brand awareness campaigns focus on targeting the most receptive and lucrative customers based on data insights. It is essential for marketers to capture the attention of customers at the right time, in the right place, with the right message.

It’s clear that having the correct marketing structures in place and access to first-party and external data are driving forces behind crafting personalized customer experiences. It’s time for marketers to invest seriously in data that helps them create campaigns that are better aligned to their customers’ interests.

Get your copy today

This content was created collaboratively by Adara and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.

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Tags: adara, Digital Marketing, travel marketing

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