Ascent360 sat down for an info-packed discussion with leading resort, Mt. Hood Meadows, covering the revenue boosting benefits resort and hospitality marketers can experience from targeted segmentation of their guest data. Product experts Scott Buelter and Richelle Miller dive into how Mt. Hood Meadows has taken their marketing to new heights using the identity, behavior, and location of their guests to communicate with them when it matters most.
Below are several tried-and-true segmentation methods proven to drive more direct revenue for resorts like Mt. Hood Meadows, as well as actionable steps that you can apply to your marketing today.
Behavioral Targeting
One of the most impactful ways to create robust guest profiles is through behavioral targeting. There are many ways to approach these types of campaigns — for example, abandoned browse and abandoned cart data shows you what passes, rentals, lodging, or retail purchases guests were considering purchasing but did not. With this information, you can send a gentle reminder email, sharing some of the most enticing elements of visiting the resort, and linking back to the purchase page. Through the use of a web tracking pixel, Mt. Hood Meadows has seen significant increases in revenue from these types of campaigns, and they tend to see a 50%-70% open rate as compared to blanketed emails that result in only 20%-30%.
Mt. Hood Meadows has also successfully used behavioral targeting to reach guests who have signed up for consecutive week programs in the past (four weeks of lessons from elementary school age to adults), as well as those who did one or two lessons the prior year who may be interested in upgrading to a beginner progression pass (three, two-hour group lessons and season-long rentals).
Geographical Targeting
Resorts can use geo-targeting to communicate with guests who are local, live within certain zip codes, or are out of state. For example, Mt. Hood Meadows builds a segment of guests who live within a certain radius of the resort who have not purchased passes yet for the coming season. They’ve also segmented certain zip codes that tend to be lower income areas so they can promote days with less expensive lift tickets as well as night passes which tend to be less costly. Additionally, they target guests that live in areas farther away and provide information about their sister resort(s) that include lodging.
Event Targeting
Another way to get guests excited about visiting your resort is by promoting upcoming events. Although Mt. Hood Meadows is popular for skiing and snowboarding during the winter, there are many off-season events during spring, summer, and fall that guests can enjoy, such as their annual brew fest or pond skim event. Prior to the registration page going live to the general public, you can target your guests who have purchased similar tickets in the past as a loyalty or VIP initiative—this makes them feel special and increases the likelihood that they’ll purchase again. Mt. Hood Meadows has seen that 60%-70% of their event sign-ups are regular visitors and season pass holders. Loyalty programs are a great way to keep your existing guests coming back time and again.
Adjust as You Go
The purchasing journey for each guest is dynamic — you are going to see renewals, you are going to see some guest losses, and you will also get net new guests. Comprehensive reporting and tracking allows you to analyze what works and what doesn’t and be able to test new strategies. Seeing where your guest purchases have stemmed from and how they’ve interacted with your resort is invaluable information for creating future segments and driving more direct bookings and reservations.
With the right marketing solution, resorts and hotels can harness the power of their guest data to drive more direct bookings, create an unrivaled guest experience, and keep guests coming back.
Ready to start booking (and re-booking) more visitors while growing your brand and guest retention? Reach out to us today for a custom demo and see how you can easily take your marketing to new heights with targeted segmentation and cleansed, unified data!
