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At Conversant, for example, we worked with to significantly simplify the booking process for
an international cruise line that was looking to certain kinds of travelers — and reduce wasted
increase onboard revenue. In order to effectively ad spend.
do this, we helped identify existing guests for
upcoming cruises, and then used profile data Using historical data and predictive analytics, a
to determine which offers would be relevant to marketer can build comprehensive travel profiles
THE PERSONALIZED APPROACH each customer. The existing guests were served and create moments for selling, upselling, and
relevant offers related to shore excursions or cross-selling. Data not only helps to identify the
TO UPSELLING, CROSS-SELLING, dining and beverage packages before they ever kind of vacation a traveler is looking for but also
set foot on board. The campaign messaged what elements of the vacation a traveler might
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN upcoming guests that had already booked a be inspired by, allowing brands to anticipate his
cruise, resulting in 20,000 upgrade purchases or her needs.
and $5 million in incremental revenue.
For example, if a person regularly books
Immense amounts of traveler data and advanc- Understanding a traveler on an individual level This campaign’s success can be attributed to family-f riendly vacations in March for their
es in analytics technology have enabled travel requires knowing him or her beyond a few specific identifying those guests who were most likely to upcoming summer break, a brand can start
marketers to effectively upsell and cross-sell transactions with a particular travel company upgrade, and then connecting them to the right engaging them with relevant offers — think
throughout the traveler’s purchase journey. or platform. Travel brands must have a deeper offer. Applying similar people-based marketing family-oriented cruises or a beach resort with
These new tools and capabilities are allowing knowledge of where travelers book, when they tactics to drive upsell and cross-sell initiatives water slides and activities for kids — starting in
brands to generate more revenue f rom every are most likely to finalize their transaction, what throughout the consumer journey can yield February, leading up to that traveler’s typical
booking. But success hinges on thoroughly devices they use, and what kinds of experiences additional incremental profit. booking window. Then, when the person begins
knowing the traveler and recognizing them they prefer. This shift to more people-based to plan the trip, this brand will be top of mind and
across all touchpoints. advertising not only increases share of wallet Finding the Moments to Upsell and Cross-Sell can present customized offers at every step to
but also share of travel over time. Throughout the Traveler’s Journey increase its share of wallet. In essence, the brand
For travel marketers, building a comprehensive is using their comprehensive traveler profile to
view of each traveler requires understanding Personalizing Post-Purchase Ancillary Offers Upselling and cross-selling don’t just apply to build demand, as opposed to waiting for the
his or her interactions with a particular brand, post-purchase activity — they should be an active traveler to start searching again. People-based
purchase patterns with other brands, and Using aggregated data and machine learning, part of the entire buying process. An integrated marketing to cross-sell and upsell allows travel
engagement with the travel sector at large. In travel marketers can now more accurately identify view of each individual will enable travel brands brands to be proactive.
order to create a holistic view of a traveler and their customers and serve custom messages, to know when to serve which message through
understand his or her likelihood to purchase relevant upgrade offers, and other add-ons for which channel to effectively engage each traveler Using this traveler-centric approach across
add-on products, the following knowledge sets their upcoming trips. This wave of personalized at every stage of his or her buying journey. the full traveler journey not only helps to drive
must be brought together: upselling and cross-selling is contingent on incremental revenue for that travel brand, but
having access to travel purchase data — knowing The purchase journey begins in the “dream” phase, also builds loyalty over time. Every ancillary sale
First party or internal data that a person has booked a flight for a specific when travelers begin to think of their next trip. has a direct impact on a company’s bottom line.
Data on spend with competition time or for a specific destination, for example. Travel brands can get in front of the traveler in Smart personalization and data-driven strategies
Historic trip-related spend data Then brands can activate trip-specific messages the early stages of their purchase journey, and are no longer good-to-haves for travel brands.
for that individual across their known channels strive to get a larger share in their overall travel Both are essential for success.
This kind of in-depth traveler information enables and devices. transaction. As is the case when upselling or
marketers to create comprehensive traveler cross-selling after a booking, understanding
profiles for each individual. Do they prefer luxury The travel industry is largely doing well with each traveler on an individual level before he or
hotels? Are they looking for a trip that the kids upselling and cross-selling during the post-pur- she makes a purchase is key to gaining a larger
will love? When and where do they typically chase through email. However, most travel brands share of an individual’s travel spend.
travel? How much do they spend annually in aren’t currently able to identify the same traveler By John Ardis
your travel sector? These details will help travel across digital channels. For example, the same For example, a travel booking platform can use SVP Client
brands accurately identify the moments in the data used to serve a traveler customized offers historical purchase data to identify which traveler Development,
booking journey that matter most to the travel- through display advertising on one site can also to target for packages during their initial search Conversant
er, and the information and offers that will be be used to serve an offer through a mobile app, phases. If someone is searching for an airline
most relevant based on his or her individual but many travel brands aren’t making those data ticket to Orlando, does it make sense to also
needs. Then, companies can activate the right connections. Better recognition of an individual show them a Disney World package? Or are they
marketing strategy and channels to engage the across channels would enable the brand to connect a regular business traveler to the Orlando area?
traveler, regardless of what stage of the buying not only through email but across the internet. Upselling and cross-selling while the traveler is
process he or she is in. still in the planning phase can sometimes help

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