How Visitor Attractions Can Make The Most Of Data-Driven Personalisation
Knowledge is power, so they say. Actually, I think Francis Bacon said it but regardless, it’s a saying that rings true, particularly when it comes to marketing. Knowledge in the digital age means data, and data is driving marketing capabilities. The ability to communicate directly with consumers and use data-driven personalisation to target them based on their demographics, interests and preferences has changed the way we do business.
Once upon a time, organisations would take out adverts in newspapers, record radio adverts and put up billboards. Many adverts were quite artistic and some classics even serve as a record of how culture and values have grown and evolved over the years. However, it was very loosely targeted and there was a lot of waste spend, which meant advertising was often a luxury, almost always a gamble and sometimes not a great return on investment.
In recent years though, digitalisation has enabled us to target audiences in a far more specific way. Instead of listing themselves in the right section of the Yellow Pages (remember that?), organisations ensure they’re showing up for the right keywords in online search engines. The information users willingly plough into social media has helped the platforms to support advertisers by presenting their promotions to the most relevant audiences and GPS-driven location targeting is enabling region-specific campaigns.
It can all sound a little sinister – a little Brave New World. The business-tycoon villains featured in Bond films and Superman Adventures seem far more plausible in the modern age than they did back when they were created. It’s almost impossible to order or attend anything without having to agree to provide personal information and there are many reasonable concerns about how much data companies are accumulating. Yet, there are also some huge advantages, for both businesses and consumers. Ticketing personalisation being one.
In the attractions sector, data-driven personalisation can be used to enhance visitor experiences. In fact, last week I attended the IAAPC Expo Europe 2023 in Vienna where I was honoured to lead a panel discussion on ‘Tech Lab: Data-Driven Personalisation’.
So, I thought it would be interesting to share some thoughts and ideas on how data-driven personalisation works in the attractions and leisure sectors and how we can harness this as a force for good.
What is Data-Driven Personalisation?
Data-driven personalisation is when a business or organisation tailors the content you see, the information they send you or the offers you receive based on the information you supply when you sign up, subscribe or place an order (and give consent for, i.e. acceptance of cookies, which track your web engagement).
In terms of attractions, this data is usually provided when bookings are made through the ticketing system, or prior to this from social/web engagement. From here, funnels are usually set up which will direct different emails, or notifications if through an app, to bookers depending on their demographics and preferences. This used to begin at the booking stage but more often now pulls data from our sources prior to the booking journey. Once in the booking flow, the tracking follows a path up until, and then after, the visit/event.
So, let’s look at the ways that attractions may use data-driven personalisation at different points in the users’ journey and what they might achieve through using the booking data provided to enhance visitor experiences and build relationships.
Ticket Personalisation At The Point Of Purchase
When a customer books a ticket for an attraction or event, details are usually taken. These may comprise seemingly basic information such as location. The booking system may also know whether users are booking for themselves and another adult, as a family with children, for a solo visit or for a group, as well as their interests, and their booking history. This information can be used at the point of purchase to prompt particular promotions and optional add-ons.
For instance, families may be presented with the ability to pre-book adventure trails, workshops or exhibitions aimed at children. Couples may be offered 2-4-1 discounts on other activities or be presented with promotions for food and beverages. Groups may be offered the opportunity to opt for a guided tour. All of this depends, of course, on what the attraction has to offer and its partnerships. However, this up-selling before the booking is complete can attract additional income for attractions and it can also serve the customer, knowing that their trip has been fully planned and tailored to their interests and requirements beforehand.
Furthermore, data may be collected before a sale is completed. This allows attractions/theatres/events to address the ‘abandoned basket’ scenario, whereby a customer begins but does not complete the booking journey. Being able to contact and remind consumers of abandoned bookings or sales has been a game-changer for businesses selling online. In this busy world where audiences can be distracted by interruptions or loss of signal on mobile devices, the ability to remind customers that they have not completed a translation can be a pivotal follow-up form of marketing to support the completion of transactions.
Post-Booking Emails Funnels
Post-booking, personalised email funnels can be used to direct the right information to the right customers and also ensure that unnecessary emails are not sent to the wrong audiences. It’s worth remembering that email does carry a carbon footprint, especially when done on a large automated scale. Irrelevant notifications on apps and non-targeted emailing are likely to result in automatic deletion or in recipients unsubscribing which cuts off communication between the customers and the attraction, or event organiser.
When proper, thoughtful funnels are established, attractions can ensure they aren’t wasting time and energy (and risking loss of engagement) by ensuring, for instance, that information relevant to visiting families is not sent to bookers who have not booked tickets for children. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, for example, might be a trigger for those who are childless not by choice, or for those who have lost a parent. Therefore, a sensitive approach might be to have unsubscribe options for specific types of comms. There is also often no need to send information relating to disabled access to everyone but there is a need to ensure that those needing this information will be sent it via automation.
Data can help to direct relevant emails and notifications to relevant recipients. In basic terms, this means fewer emails, which is better for the client, the business and the planet. Yet it also means the booker is provided with all the helpful information, tips and advice they might need. This may include when the best times to visit are (which will likely be different for different customers), where to stop for lunch, what to bring, where to stay and transportation options, as well as other useful information.
Visitor Attractions may also use data-driven personalisation to draw those who have booked one event or exhibition, to future events or exhibitions that may be of interest. For this, attractions may need to expand on the data they collect by asking customers at the point of booking what they are interested in and maybe providing a drop-down selection list. Of course, it’s important also not to overcomplicate the booking process for ticketing. Especially since many consumers are doing this via mobile phone and require a quick and easy-to-navigate booking journey.
Personalisation During the Experience
Personalisation can also make experiences at visitor attractions more engaging. For this, you will need an app or some other way to communicate with your visitors in real-time during their visit.
Attractions.i.o’s app for visitor attractions can track visitor’s journeys in real-time. Notifications can then be triggered based on prior data as well as visitor behaviour. Apps are tailored to the visitor attraction so capabilities vary but some examples include interactive maps, the ability to make bookings at on-site eateries, personalised offers and even the ability to let users know the current queuing time for different rides.
When visiting a zoo, for instance, a personalised app might send you a reminder when penguin feeding time is about to begin. It might then be able to direct you and let you know how long it will take to walk there.
Using responsive digital technology to personalise visitor experiences on-site can help visitors to get even more out of their day, therefore encouraging them to return and to recommend the attraction to others. Additionally, when done well this should help attractions better understand their customers and what their needs might be.
Post-Visit Personalised Marketing
Marketing post-visit is also important. Yes, this may be used to encourage visitors to re-visit or to book more events or exhibitions. Yet, it can also be used to extend reach.
No matter how sophisticated marketing systems have gotten or how many adverts an organisation can fund, peer recommendations are still, and will likely always be, the most trusted form of marketing. Yet, organisations are not powerless in this space because they are equipped to encourage it. Sharing experiences, leaving reviews and recommending to friends are ways in which attractions and event organisers can entice former customers to spread the word – in their own words. Email marketing and in-app notifications are a crucial part of this.
Post-visit marketing is also an opportunity for attractions to gain feedback and learn which allows the industry to continuously adapt and improve. Again, it’s important here to note that data-driven personalisation can be used as a means of development and method of flagging potential issues as much as it may be used for selling purposes.
Personalised marketing post-visit may also encompass promoting future events that meet the preferences of particular audiences as well as showcasing membership opportunities and building followers on social media.
What Is The Future Of Data-Driven Personalisation
In the digital world, the scaling-up potential of data-driven personalisation is impossible to estimate. It is in one way developing but in other ways, as legislation, privacy laws and knowledge over how personal data can be used is escalating, it could reach a stopping point. By this I mean businesses may find they won’t be able to mine for more data than is necessary to complete a simple transaction. We are already seeing this in the impending end of third-party cookies.
For attractions, this likely won’t be too much of an issue since targeted advertising in the sector is geared towards enhancing experiences for visitors and maintaining steady growth, as opposed to the ‘taking over the world’ approach other businesses in industries may be suspected of operating on.
Mobile apps that are able to connect with and source information from partnered apps may well provide large opportunities for attractions and events-based marketing. In fact, they’re already doing so. Dice is a concert and gig ticketing app that allows users to sync their Apple Music or Spotify accounts so users may be presented with notifications when artists/bands they follow, or similar artists/bands, are performing in their area. This is using data-driven personalisation to encourage ticket sales but it is largely welcomed as positive and useful. Furthermore, the app can connect users with others interested in the same concert so that, if you wish, you may buddy up with another person to attend a gig or concert rather than go solo. Therefore, the app works not only to connect music with music enthusiasts but also music enthusiasts with one another, based on their tastes. Possibly, the attractions industry may move into this area and work to bring people together in common interests using partnerships with other apps to gather information and alert users to events/exhibitions/showings that match their interests.
The fact is that data-driven personalisation can be a force for good. If used effectively it can reduce waste spend, reduce our digital carbon footprint and improve the customer journey and end experience. Moreover, with the right ticketing system, attractions and entertainment venues can use data to learn more from their audiences, connect them and introduce them to new possible areas of interest. And what is the attraction world there for, if not to inspire and bring joy?
Are you an attraction wondering if your ticketing partner has the capabilities you need to grow? As a Ticketing Consultancy, We can help evaluate your current ticketing partner and assist you either in making more of your current partnership or procuring new ticketing software. Get in touch to talk through your ticketing needs.
