How a Customer Data Platform Improves Travel Experiences

When it comes to customer data platforms (CDP), the travel industry is one of the most innovative and fast-moving sectors. Many travel companies have been quick to adopt customer data management solutions in order to improve customer experiences across different channels. Whether someone is booking a flight on their phone, checking into a hotel online, or renting a car, implementing a CDP plays an important role in delivering better customer experiences. 

In this blog post, we will discuss 5 ways to use a CDP in the travel industry and why it’s such an important tool for marketers. 

An overview of CDPs in the travel industry

The use of CDPs in the travel industry can be divided into two main categories: customer segmentation and customer journey mapping.

Customer Segmentation:

In order to provide targeted marketing campaigns and personalized customer experiences, travel companies need to have a clear understanding of their customer base. Customer data platforms help travel marketers to better understand their customers by unifying customer data from multiple sources. 

This includes data from customer relationship management (CRM) systems, e-commerce platforms, social media, and more. With CDP, travel marketers can get a complete view of their customer data in one place. This allows them to segment their customer base more effectively and create targeted marketing campaigns that are more likely to convert.

Customer Journey Mapping:

Customer data platforms can also be used to map out the customer journey. This is important for travel marketers as it allows them to identify touchpoints and pain points along the customer journey. With a CDP, travel marketers can create a complete view of the customer journey from start to finish. This includes data on how customers find your website, what they do on your website, and how they interact with your brand across different channels. With this information, travel marketers can optimize the customer journey to improve customer experiences. 

The next sections outline in more detail how customer data platforms play a vital role in the travel industry.  

5 ways to use a CDP in the travel industry

Unify traveler customer data:

First, customer data platforms help travel companies unify customer data across multiple channels. Unifying customer data is important because: 

  • It allows marketers to have a complete view of the customer journey in order to better understand customer behavior and preferences. 
  • It allows for more personalized customer experiences because marketers can target customers with relevant content and offers at each stage of their customer journey. 

For example, imagine you are a customer who books a flight on your phone and then later checks into your hotel using a laptop. If the two companies have different customer data platforms, they will be able to see that it is the same customer and unify the customer data. This way, the customer will receive a more personalized experience because the hotel will know what kind of customer they are dealing with. 

With a CDP, customer data from different channels can be brought together into a single customer profile. This allows you to see the customer’s complete travel history and provides a more holistic view of their customer journey. In turn, this helps you deliver more personalized and relevant marketing messages that improve customer experiences.

Highlight specific amenities or features:

Another way customer data platforms can be used in the travel industry is to highlight specific amenities or features that may be of interest to customers. For example, if you are a customer who often books flights to sunny destinations, a customer data platform can be used to target you with advertisements for hotels that have pools or offer discounts on spa treatments.

If you know that the customer prefers first class, or window seats, you can highlight the specific features available within your airline. Similarly, if your customer has specific dietary requirements, you could highlight the meal options available on your airline.

This is possible because customer data platforms allow you to segment your customer base and target them with specific content that is relevant to their interests. By segmenting your customer base, you can create more targeted and personalized marketing campaigns that are more likely to result in customer conversions.

Retarget travel options to abandoned carts or inactive customers:

Customer data platforms can also be used to retarget travel options to customers who have abandoned their carts or who are inactive. For example, let’s say a customer books a flight on your website but then abandons their cart before completing the purchase. Customer data platforms allow you to see that customer’s activity and retarget them with relevant content, such as a discount on their flight or a special offer for a hotel in their destination.

This is an important tool for travel companies because it allows you to win back customers who may have been inactive or who have shown interest in your product but did not follow through with a purchase. Retargeting these customers can improve customer experiences and customer loyalty.

Coordinate travel messaging across channels:

Using a CDP, you can unify and coordinate your cross-channel marketing efforts. If you know that specific customers are most responsive to social media ads, then you can segment those customers and prioritize the social marketing campaigns for that segment of customers.

If you have a customer who is more responsive to email marketing, then you can segment them and send them personalized emails that are more likely to result in customer conversions. By using customer data to segment your customer base, you can improve customer experiences by delivering the right message through the right channel. This not only allows travel companies to better coordinate their marketing efforts but provides a more seamless customer experience.

Elevate traveler loyalty programs:

Utilizing the traveler data from multiple sources, you can serve personalized promotions to repeat customers to make an optimal offer for each customer. You can segment your customers and use predictive modeling to find which offers resonate most with your customers.

For example, if you know that a customer has booked a flight with your airline in the past, you can use customer data to segment them and send them personalized messages about your loyalty program. This is important because it allows travel companies to improve customer experiences by delivering the right message to the right customer at the right time. 

Final Thoughts

Customer data platforms are important tools for travel companies because they allow you to unify your customer data, segment your customer base, and deliver more personalized and relevant marketing messages. By using customer data platforms, you can improve customer experiences, customer loyalty, and win back inactive customers. 

If you are looking to improve your travel company’s marketing efforts, consider implementing Zeta Global’s CDP+. Zeta CDP+ sits at the core of the Zeta Marketing Platform and provides you with a single, actionable view of customers and prospects. The low-code visual interface works with existing technology and facilitates fast onboarding and implementation.

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