This document discusses how to increase customer loyalty in the travel sector. It analyzes a typical traveler who books destinations with different companies each time without consistent brand preference. To address this, travel organization Sunweb created a loyalty program called "My Sunweb+" that allows customers to earn credits for each booking and recommendation. These credits can be used as discounts on future bookings. The program aims to make repeat booking and recommendations easier to incentivize loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals to reach new customers. Initial results found customers appreciate the convenience and rewards of the program and are more likely to recommend Sunweb.

1. From Shopper
to Raving fan
How to get loyal
customers in the travel
sector?
Annemarie van Strien
Sundio Group
30-10-2013
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2. Let’s take a look in the life
of an average traveller
Just a random one…

3. Destination 2010: Madeira
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4. Destination 2011: Tenerife
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5. Destinations 2012: French Alps, Austria and Italy
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6. Destination 2013: Canada
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7. Is there any pattern here?
And are all holidays booked with the
same travel organization?
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8. NO!
Is the answer to both questions…
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9. This has several reasons
• No brand preference (before working at
Sundio)
• The travel organization might not have the
desired destination or accommodation
• Depending on campaigns
• Lower price at competitor
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10. How to handle this?
How can you make your customers
more loyal to your travel brand?
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11. What did we encounter?
Repeaters
• Many repeaters
• Less new customers
Survey
Results
• Likely to recommend
Sunweb
• High ratings for
Sunweb
Make
repeaters
Brand
Ambassadors
for reaching
new
customers
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12. Making it easier for repeaters to book a holiday,
stimulate them to be loyal to Sunweb and
motivate them to tell friends about Sunweb
THAT’S THE GOAL
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13. Solution for Sunweb:
My Sunweb+
-
Earn loyalty credits with every booking
Earn extra credits if friends make a booking
Use your credits as discount on your next booking
Manage your details in one account
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14. Old versus New
My Sunweb
• New account with every
booking
• Not possible to manage
newsletter subscriptions
• Fill out all details in the
booking process
• Every time a “new”
customer
• Difficult, predetermined
password
My Sunweb+
One account for all
bookings
Manage all newsletter
subscriptions
Login and your personal
details are prefilled
Possible to track all holidays
and value a loyal customer
Choose your own password
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15. What it means for the customer
• Customer gets credits with every booking:
 €1 spent with Sunweb = 1 credit
 Discount: 100 credits = €1 (2.000 credits = €20 discount)
• Customer earns 5.000 credits if friend makes a
booking
• Customer has all information in one account
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16. Registration
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17. Registration
during
booking
Personal details
filled out for
registration are used
for main booker
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18. Personal details
• Personal details are saved in account
• In next session, no need to fill in name and
address anymore
• Solution to question: “Why doesn’t your
website know me? I’ve been here before!”
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19. Confirmation page
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20. Account environment
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21. Account environment (2)
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22. Account environment (3)
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23. Account environment (4)
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24. What does this mean for our
marketing model?
Brand awareness & preference
influence search behavior and
conversion
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25. Marketing model
Ambassadors
Balanced
customer
base
Friends
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26. Marketing model (2)
Google
Affiliates
Direct
traffic
More branded
searches
Higher chance of
brand recognition
and preference in
comparisons
Increase in direct
traffic
Higher
recognition of
brand in nonbrand searches
Chance on higher
conversion rate
More traffic from
non-paid channel
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27. Marketing model (3)
Mijn
Sunweb+
specials
Mailings
to specific
segments
Bigger role
newsletters
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28. Results
•
•
•
•
On average 2,7 friends are invited
Super ambassadors invite 34 friends
15% of invitated friends have an account now
Bookings with credits as discount already
made
• Evaluation possible end of summer 2014
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29. Reactions
“It’s practical that my
details are saved now”
“I get rewarded as
a loyal customer”
“I definitely
recommend Sunweb
now to everyone!”
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30. Next steps
• Developing extra functionalities
• Create added value for Mijn Sunweb+ in the
entire customer journey
• Roll out the account in other countries
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31. Questions?
www.sundiogroup.com
@ALvanStrien
Annemarie.vanstrien@sundiogroup.com
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