Responsibility for delivering data-driven personalised experiences doesn’t just sit with marketers
London, UK, 3rd October 2024: Acxiom, the global leader in customer intelligence and marketing enablement, has today released its new research report, ‘Last call for a CX upgrade in travel and hospitality,’ sponsored by Sitecore.
Times are changing for travel and hospitality brands. To succeed in increasingly competitive markets, they need to deliver exceptional experiences (CX) tailored to the unique needs, expectations and preferences of each customer type. On a journey to learning all about this evolution and what it means for marketing, Acxiom recruited global research and consultancy firm MTM, drawing on feedback from over 200 business leaders and senior decision-makers across the travel and hospitality sectors in the UK and US.
Brands are resourcing CX
Acxiom’s research shows that travel and hospitality brands fully understand the importance of personalised, seamless and connected CX. Over two-thirds (69%) say that travelers today are tech-savvy and accustomed to personalised, seamless experiences in all aspects of their lives and that they expect convenience, flexibility and tailored solutions when looking for their next holiday.
This comes as the majority of brands understand the need for CX initiatives to compete in this environment. Two-thirds (66%) agree that in a highly saturated travel and hospitality sector, offering a memorable CX has become a key differentiator.
As such, travel and hospitality brands are committed to improving their CX, with 72% saying it is a top priority, 70% allocating dedicated budget and resources to it, and 47% having a dedicated CX team.
And brands now have what they need to make it work, with 84% having the data they need to power the CX they aim to deliver. This data includes surveys and feedback from customers, social media data, booking history, purchase history, reviews and ratings, as well as website analytics and loyalty programme data.
“Travel and hospitality brands are committed to delivering the exceptional CX their customers want, and they have the data to do so. But as the sector becomes increasingly competitive, brands need to act now to turn their CX commitment into reality – before their competitors do.”
Lorna Loney, Global Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Sitecore
But CX execution is still lagging
However, despite brands having everything they need to make their CX strategies work, executing on those plans is proving harder than envisioned for the majority. Even for the tactics perceived by brands as the most important to deliver best-in-class CX – including 24/7 personalised customer service, recommendations based on past preferences, and personalised rewards and benefits – adoption of such strategies is currently below 40%.
Acxiom’s research shows one reason is that tech adoption among travel and hospitality brands remains sluggish, with less than half of brands actually using the marketing technology they see as essential to delivering good CX, with 63% of brands still seeing it as mostly or purely operational and only 8% tying CX objectives to their MarTech capabilities.
“People don’t just want personalised experiences with individual brands. They expect travel and hospitality companies to work together in connected data ecosystems to deliver seamless experiences that span multiple brands. They want, for example, to be able to book flights, accommodation, car rental, restaurants, and entertainment from different providers using a single platform, and to have all those elements work together to create an uninterrupted, friction-free experience.”
Alex Pym, CEO International, Acxiom
How can brands make the most out of their tech?
Brands face multiple challenges in maximising the technology they already have, with the top two being a lack of internal expertise, and limited data integrations between systems. Smaller companies, in particular, are more likely to struggle with a shortage of skilled staff. The majority (54%) of those in Acxiom’s study with annual revenue under $249m / £199m cited this gap as a key issue, likely due to limited resources for investing in experienced talent.
Many of the challenges and limitations cited by travel and hospitality brands can be addressed by working with an experienced external partner. This might be a MarTech technology provider, a service consulting partner, or ideally the two working in tandem. To download the full eBook click here.
To find out more about how Acxiom and Sitecore work together to help travel brands like Aer Lingus plan, implement, enhance, and operate the technologies that will deliver relevant, personalised customer experiences, see our recent experience award win here.
About Acxiom
Acxiom® is the global leader in customer intelligence and stands at the forefront of AI- enabled, data-driven marketing. As part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG), we specialize in high-performance solutions that boost customer acquisition and retention while fueling growth for the world’s biggest brands and agencies. We transform omnichannel marketing strategies and execution using our AI-powered data and identity foundation, cloud-based data management, and MarTech and analytics services. For over 55 years, our teams across the US, UK, Germany, China, Poland, and Mexico have helped businesses optimize their marketing and advertising investments while prioritizing customer privacy. Discover more at Acxiom.com, where marketing is made better.
About Sitecore
Sitecore is a global leader in digital experience software, trusted by visionary brands like L’Oréal, Microsoft, and United Airlines to power their content lifecycle from content strategy to digital experience delivery. Our composable platform gives marketers and technologists the power to build together at global scale – harnessing content, data, personalization, and AI – to manage digital assets, create engaging content, understand customer intent, and deliver standout experiences across all touchpoints. Discover more at sitecore.com.
