The travel consumer of today demands personal and frictionless interaction across multiple media channels, and this is a primary concern industry players are urging their colleagues to take heed.
“Travellers expect personal interaction regardless of device and channel, but it has to be contextual. They expect every channel to work frictionlessly,” observed Rita Marini, head of GTM marketing, APJ & GC, SAP Hybris, at Digital Travel APAC last week.
Contextual marketing, a buzzword at the conference, refers to interactions with customers tailored according to the platform of use, as well as the data accrued from the customer’s behaviour on the platform.
For example, KLM uses contextual communication within its app – powered by Nexmo – to gain intelligence on the user’s behaviour within the app before contacting customer service, in order to better aid the customer. KLM’s customer service is also integrated into its omnichannel platforms, such as in-app chats or SMS.
Having a contextual strategy makes it “easier (for companies) to track which channels, countries and markets are most receptive to the campaign, so (they) can reassign marketing dollars effectively”, advised Francisco Kattan, head of platform marketing, Nexmo.
This can prove more challenging when it comes to distributing marketing content across different source markets, which may pose language differences and cultural preferences.
Dyson Yu, vice president, digital marketing & e-commerce, Wynn Resorts, recommended: “To target different markets, (the content must) stay relevant to the platform being used – whether it’s WeChat, Facebook, Instagram, Line or Kakaotalk – and (the company must) determine the primary channels for their target markets.
“Also, companies should not literally translate content across channels. Instead, you should totally rewrite and recreate content that is more relatable to different audiences,” Yu said.
