According to a research report published by StrongMail, only 30 per cent of e-mail marketers are using subscriber information and behaviour to target customers with pre- and post-stay e-mails, signalling a significant market opportunity to increase revenue and differentiate their brand.
The research, carried out by e-mail marketing analyst and Relevancy Group CEO David Daniels, also shows that 42 per cent of travel marketers plan to integrate social media into e-mail marketing programmes this year. Twenty-eight per cent are analysing the social influence of their subscribers and using that to target their e-mail campaigns, and just over a third plan to embrace this tactic within the next year.
The report, Connected Marketing for Travel Providers, was authored after surveying e-mail marketers from mid- to large-sized companies in the US and UK. The report also illustrated that those companies that were using technology to target customers' preferences and behaviour were generating nearly twice as much revenue from their lifecycle e-mail programmes.
According to the survey, the top three e-mail marketing initiatives for the travel industry in 2010 are increased e-mail deliverability rates (38 per cent ), integrating e-mail and social media (37 per cent) and improved targeting of programmes (35 per cent). The travel industry continues to be plagued with customer churn, amplified by people opting against travelling abroad during the recession. Accordingly, the top three e-mail marketing challenges cited for 2010 are list turnover (32 per cent), e-mail deliverability (29 per cent) and frequency management (28 per cent).
"Delivering highly personalised and targeted messages that are both expected and valued by our guests is a top priority for IHG," said Kevin Hickey, global manager of lifecycle and e-mail marketing at InterContinental Hotels Group. "In addition to providing us with real-time access to response data, StrongMail's platform offers us more integration capabilities to segment our lists based on individual customer preferences, behaviours and events."